Pain While Driving? More Tips to Help
Because of the way car seats are made, it is very easy for us to curl our torsos as we sit at the steering wheel, and the weight of our body ends up being supported by our tailbone. But the tailbone is not designed to carry that weight. Our “sit bones”—the ones that are shaped like rockers and that can be felt underneath you when you are sitting—are the bones that are supposed to be holding us up.
When we sit on our tailbone instead, our back and shoulder muscles have to help hold us up. This creates tension in our upper bodies, because those muscles were not designed for that job. When we use the incorrect muscles, the back, arms, and shoulders can quickly become sore and painful.
If we sit on the “sit bones,” they (and the spine) are capable of holding up our body weight, so that the muscles of the upper body are free to work. When we are balanced properly, and the bones of our spine are all lined up like building blocks, then we can hold the steering wheel without feeling the tension throughout our upper body, and our neck muscles will be free for turning whatever direction is needed. Rather than holding up our bodies, our arms can float effortlessly as we drive.
Adding a wedge-shaped pillow underneath you and.or a pillow behind your back can be a big help. Experiment to find what works best for you.