Whether you’re hitting the road or taking to the air this Thanksgiving, there’s a chance it could hurt. Confined to your seat for hours at a time, carrying and loading heavy luggage, and the stress that surrounds travel all impact your body.
But did you know that it is possible to enjoy a pain-free break? Chiropractic care is excellent at treating and preventing body pain that comes with traveling. Whether you suffer from long-term injury pain, or your back or neck gives you trouble, relief is possible. Let’s find out how chiropractic care can take the pain out of your travel plans.
How Chiropractic Care Alleviates Pain When Traveling
Your chiropractor understands that you are an individual with a unique history and a unique body. Because of this, they will craft a holistic treatment plan that works for you! These are just some of the ways that chiropractic care provides pain relief before, during, and after travel.
1. Spinal Alignment
No one quite understands your spine in the same way your chiropractor does. Misalignments in your spine put pressure on your nerves and can cause terrible pain—especially while traveling. Careful examination, gentle manipulation, and massage therapy realign your spine.
This treatment helps alleviate inflammation and nerve pain that is aggravated by sitting in one place for too long. If you’ve suffered from back pain while traveling in the past, this one’s for you!
2. Reduce Tension
The stress surrounding travel plans, combined with the physical toll it takes on your body, often leads to tension throughout the body. This may manifest as stiffness and pain in your shoulders and neck. It not only makes traveling uncomfortable, but it can cause some nasty headaches too.
Massage therapy, ultrasound, and Kinesio tape are just a few ways that chiropractors can treat tension in your neck and shoulders. Relaxed muscles and increased circulation together reduce inflammation. In fact, manual therapy is just as effective as prescription pain meds—and a whole lot healthier for you! With the help of a chiropractor, your tension headaches can go on a one-way trip of their own!
3. Posture Correction
How you stand, sit, and lie down all impact your spine, your muscles, and your nerves. After years of incorrect posture in these positions, your body can “forget” the correct way to hold itself up. As a result, certain muscles weaken and become incapable of holding your spine in the correct position. This can lead to pain that is difficult to diagnose—until you head to your chiropractor.
A chiropractor helps you re-establish the correct posture by stimulating your postural reflexes (involuntary signals to the brain to straighten your spine) through manual therapy. They also use specific exercises to increase muscular strength. The result? A healthier spine, and a reduced risk of pain associated with poor posture while traveling.
4. Combat Stress
Did you know that pressure massage therapy can help you deal with stress? One of the key causes of pain, especially surrounding the holidays and travel, is extra stress. This usually manifests as tension in the body as we described above.
Massage therapy lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol (stress hormone) levels—key indicators of stress. It has been found to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety too. Maybe a massage is exactly what you need to avoid the pain associated with stress and travel.
5. Move and Stretch
You already know that sitting for hours on end is not good for your body. You’ve heard it’s good to move around, wriggle your toes, and stretch. But how?
Your chiropractor will coach you on how to move, how often to stretch, and other specific ways to care for your body while you travel. They will take into account your age, the typical pain you experience, and the type of travel you’ll be doing. You’ll leave with confidence, knowing that you can get from A to B without your body taking a hit!
Traveling Soon? Book Your Appointment Today!
If you’re planning a trip and dreading the aches and pains that result, it’s time to get some help. Chiropractic care can help you heal, avoid body pain—and enjoy your trip! To find out more, contact Integrated Health & Injury, your local chiropractor in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia.
Use our contact form, or dial one of these numbers:
Decatur – 404-288-9000
Atlanta – 404-691-4822