Traveling With Back Pain - How To Achieve Travel Comfort
After all my spinal surgeries in Atlantic City, NJ with one of my favorite travel comforts, my folding cane.
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Traveling With Back Pain
I don’t usually post deeply personal stories to my blog, but back pain is something I’ve struggled with for years and really wanted to tackle here on the blog. If you’re wondering what to do about back pain when traveling, I’m here to help.
Traveling with back pain has been my number one travel struggle since I started to experience degenerative disc disease and disc herniations in my late 20s. Achieving travel comfort is something that’s been a huge challenge for me for the better (or worse) part of 20 years.
This post will be a departure from my usual destination guides. Instead, I’m going to share with you how I’ve flown almost half a million miles, driven cross country, and ridden more trains, buses, and boats than I can count, all while living with excruciating chronic pain caused by Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
Whether your back pain comes from EDS, fibromyalgia, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, an accident, or some other health condition, the issue remains the same… how on Earth can you stomach traveling with back pain? I’ve got some travel tips and products to help you get through the pain and enjoy your next trip.
Post spinal surgery number 3. In surprisingly good spirits.
A Quick Personal Background
I’ve lived with lower back pain for most of my life. At 35 years old I was told my disc was so severely herniated I needed surgery. Sadly, I wasn’t a candidate for minimally invasive spine surgery and had to stampede straight to an 8-and-a-half-hour spinal fusion to rid my spine of scar tissue and fuse my L5/S1.
Despite following all of the physical therapy and rehab protocol, the pain never really left. As is the way for many spinal fusion patients, the fusion would later cause the disc above the fusion site to herniate. Ten years after my first fusion, I was having my second. After another painful surgery, I was now fused from my L4 through S1. Unfortunately for me, those screws would quickly dislodge from my spine, and within 2 months of surgery, I would be forced into a third spinal fusion.
Cut to today, 3 spinal fusions later, my spine is now fused from my L3 through S1. And guess what? I still have terrible back pain. But this post isn’t about warning you of the dangers of spinal fusion surgery. I’m not a doctor. I’ll just say in my case, I wish I never had that first surgery, as long-term pain relief still eludes me.
To give my fusions a small bit of credit, they did solve my sciatica. But the pain I feel in my back still plagues me to this day. And I now have additional nerve damage from having so many surgeries. This is all to say, traveling is still a major pain in the back. Yet I do it. And I hope to help you, my fellow back pain sufferer, to get through those long flights, drives, and other trips in relative comfort.
Post spinal fusion number 2 compared with post spinal fusion number 1.
Flying With Back Pain
We all want to travel in comfort. But the airlines don’t make it easy. However, there are a few things you can do to make yourself more comfortable in those hard, cramped seats starting as soon as you buy your ticket.
Contact Your Airline’s Accessibility desk
Accessibility Help Desks provide customer service for people with disabilities. If you have chronic back pain, that means YOU. These specially trained representatives are there to help you get an accessible seat on the plane, get through the TSA security checkpoint, and get you assistance getting to and from the gate and or on and off the plane. For some, this means wheelchair assistance to and from the gate, for others this means getting assistance checking your own wheelchair, and for many, this will mean getting a seat assignment that isn’t in a middle seat on the tail.
I have a handy airline accessibility help desk page that tells you all about what each airline help desk offers, rules and regulations, and contact information so you can arrange your own trip according to your specific needs.
I’ve used airline accessibility help desks to get wheelchair assistance to the gate, assistance carrying my luggage, and an aisle seat assignment when none were showing as available. Yes, that’s right, I’ve been able to switch my set assignment because of my back pain. After surgery, it’s been nearly impossible for me to stay seated for more than a couple of hours. If I’m jetting off to Europe or some other far-flung destination, I will need to get up frequently, and climbing over other passengers to do it is not something my body can gracefully do. I’m beyond grateful for the accessibility help desk.
Post spinal fusion number two, I was traveling with a walker, until I developed a few loose screws.
Check everything you don’t immediately need
If you have back pain, there’s no need to exacerbate It by carrying a ton of items in your carry-on luggage. I always pack my medications, my MacBook Air, phone, and chargers, a change of clothes (in case the airline loses my luggage), and a Kindle. I try not to carry more than that. Even if you get help carrying your bag to and from the gate, you don’t want to be lifting it in and out of the overhead bin or having to bend over and push a bulky bag under the seat in front of you.
I also have a few helpful product recommendations to save you from bending over during the flight.
An Airline Seatback Organizer - This handy bag will hold your prescriptions, Kindle, iPad, phone, charging cords, and more. It slips right over the seat back tray in front of you and saves you from having to bend over and root around on the floor for everything you need.
Confront back pain head on
Pack your pain medication
Air travel with back pain is a miserable experience. If you take pain medication, prescription or over-the-counter, make sure you take it 30 minutes before you board your flight. You want to make sure it has time to kick in before you’re sitting in your seat.
If you take a prescription for pain relief and you’re traveling internationally, make sure you carry it in its original prescription bottle. You could get stopped at customs and have your medication confiscated or worse, denied entry to a country if your medication is not in its original bottle.
If you take prescription narcotic medication make sure that it is allowed by the country you’re visiting. Japan, for example, will not let you enter with narcotic pain medications even if they are prescribed to you and in their original bottle. They’re also strict about other medications like those for attention deficit disorder and even some cold medications such as Sudafed. This won’t be an issue for most countries, but it’s always worth checking. Better safe than sorry.
Another tip for traveling with medication is to use one of the smaller packing cubes in a packing cube set to keep all your prescriptions together. It makes it easy to go through customs should you get checked and it’s helpful for grouping medications so you can easily find them in flight.
Try To Sleep
If you’re travelling with chronic pain, one of the best things you can do is try to sleep through it. Whether this means falling asleep naturally, taking a Benadryl, or melatonin, or seeing your doctor for a prescription sleep aid, sleep will help you arrive refreshed and keep you blissfully unaware of exactly how much pain you’re in.
I try to time my sleep aid as soon as we start boarding so I fall asleep early on the flight. If you take it before that you run the risk of the flight being delayed and having to fight off sleep in the boarding area. This has happened to me before and is no fun at all. Now I always wait until I’m in my seat.
Bring Support
If you have pain in your neck or back travel with a neck pillow or lumbar support. Keeping neck pain at bay is easy with a neck pillow. There are a couple of travel pillows I recommend highly.
The first travel pillow can be used as shoulder, neck, or lumbar support. I love its versatility. You can use it as a traditional neck pillow or adjust its shape to provide much-needed lumbar support for plane travel.
My second pick, The TRTL Travel and airplane pillow, is a fantastic choice for neck pain as it provides a ton of support. It’s also very well-reviewed on Amazon.
If You Need Help Ask A Flight Attendant
After surgery I had a lot of trouble lifting items or reaching up to get my bag from the overhead bin. Thank goodness for the amazing flight attendants out there who are ready and willing to help. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. There’s no point in injuring yourself just to rush off the plane in pain. Just be polite when you ask for assistance.
Stand Up And Do Some Simple Stretches
If you sit for your entire 6+ hour flight you will be in pain. Make sure to get up occasionally and stretch. This is where that aisle seat comes in handy.
Employ Diversions
If you’re not sleeping, it helps to watch a movie, read a book, or listen to a good podcast or music. Anything that can help keep your mind occupied is good for keeping it from focusing on the pain.
Neck and lower back pain when driving? Read on.
Driving With Back Pain
If you experience lower back pain when driving there are a few things you can do to make the experience more comfortable. Starting with how you’re sitting.
Make your seat as comfortable as possible
I recommend a sciatica seat cushion for driving if your back pain radiates down your leg. I had to deal with sciatica for years and it made driving more than 30 minutes nearly impossible. A sciatica seat cushion really does help most people.
Adjustable Lumbar Support For Car: This seat cushion provides lower back support while driving. This handy pillow is a great way to maintain good posture and keep your spine from aching while driving on a long road trip. It also helps you keep your back flush against the seat as it should be to avoid causing more pain.
Heated Seat Cover: I’m a huge fan of heat when it comes to fighting back pain. Thankfully my car has heated seats. But if your car doesn’t come with this handy feature, you can buy heated seat covers that work just as well, if not better.
Take frequent breaks
Just as with flying, it’s important to get up and stretch when driving to prevent and or lessen back pain. Pulling off at a rest stop to take a brief walk and stretch is key to warding off really gnarly back pain during your trip. I like to stop every hour or so just to move a bit. It goes against everything young me used to think about making great time on a road trip, but it’s a tremendous help to old me with my aching joints.
Employ Diversions
As with flying, keeping your mind busy is key. Put on some good music or listen to a podcast or book on tape.
Post spinal fusion number 3. The morphine was really kicking in.
Just Walking With Back Pain
Sometimes just the simple act of walking can trigger bad back pain. After my surgeries, I never travel anywhere without my handy folding cane. It really helps me to have extra support and balance. I highly recommend getting one as they’re super easy to travel with.
I’m labeled with chronic pain
Shop Travel Comfort Items That Help Away From Home
This collection of items will help you at home and away. They’re included with my travel accessories to help me deal with pain on the road. They’ll help you have a more comfortable travel experience by unwinding those knots and subduing those muscle spasms. These products are not so much to use while you’re driving or flying, they’re things you’ll want to use once you arrive at your destination.
Once again all these items are available on Amazon for an easy shopping experience and free shipping. Click on the image for the price.
A Collapsible Foam Roller: These are great for rolling out stiff muscles. If you’ve ever been to physical therapy, you’ve probably used one. This roller is collapsible so it won’t take up much space in your luggage. If you’re new to foam rollers, you can find some instructions here on how to use foam rollers for back pain.
TENS Unit: I love a TENS unit for back pain. I often travel with mine because it’s easily portable and comes with a nice carrying case. They’re great for fighting muscle spasms and I often use mine after a long day of being on my feet.
Eye Mask: As I mentioned above, sleep is a good way to avoid back pain while traveling. If you have trouble sleeping on a plane, an eye mask is a great way to help block out the world around you. I love this super comfy, light-blocking, pillow eye mask.
Arch Supports: Stopping back pain starts with having comfortable walking shoes and great arch supports. Of course, the best arch supports are from your podiatrist, but if you don’t have a pair from your doctor, or can’t afford to get a pair made, these Dr. Scholl’s are fantastic and come in men’s and women’s sizes.
Anti Theft Travel Bag: A Bag? For back pain? Yes. I love a great cross-body bag when traveling. It helps me keep my hands free to use my cane. It also keeps me from carrying a bulky tote on my shoulder and causing more back pain. Just remember to alternate sides during the day so you’re not putting too much pressure on one shoulder.
I love this Travelon bag. As much as I want to carry a backpack or trendy bag, it’s just a bad idea when traveling. Backpacks cause stress on the back and designer bags just attract attention and possible criminals. This Travelon bag is the perfect way to go for a myriad of reasons.
Heat Therapy: As already established, I’m a big proponent of heat for back pain. I also love ice, but sadly there is no TSA-approved ice pack large enough to effectively use on your back during flight.
If you don’t have room for a heating pad, or can’t use one because you’re flying, the next best thing is heat patches. These are great for flying. Just make sure you don’t leave them on for longer than 8 hours or you will risk getting a chemical burn. I speak from experience.
Back Brace: I’ve gone through plenty of back braces. They do help, especially if you’re using them for post-surgical purposes or need the extra lumbar support. Here’s one I like at a very reasonable price.
My back brace for bulging discs
Final Thoughts On Comfort, Travels, And Back Pain
Achieving travel comfort when traveling with back pain is a difficult task. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. For me, it takes many of these items and techniques to be able to stay reasonably comfortable when driving or flying.
The key is not to jump on a long flight or road trip until you know what works for you. Getting stuck mid-flight with crippling back pain is scary, to say the least. Start small by taking a trip that’s only an hour or two away if you’re worried about how pain will affect you while traveling. After surgery, I didn’t jump right into a transcontinental flight. I started small until I knew how my body would react.
Hopefully, these strategies and car and airplane comfort items will help you to experience the joy of travel.
Do you have any travel comfort items or techniques you use to get through long trips? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
