December can be a busy month for many people with more time spent travelling to and from events and holiday parties.

Spending more time in cars and airplanes can cause some serious discomfort or can exacerbate existing back pain that you’re experiencing.

Here are 4 tips on how to stay pain-free during the holidays:

1 - Take care of your posture while travelling.

Spending extra time sitting on planes and cars can wreak havoc on your posture. Increased neck and back pain can put a damper on your holiday fun so be sure to take extra care in how you position your body. Ensure that you’re sitting properly with your feet flat on the ground, knees and low back supported and spine tall.

2 - Move around.

Sitting in the same positions for prolonged periods of time can make you feel stiff and can cause creep in the spine (dehydration of spinal ligaments). Moving around and changing seating positions every 15 to 20 minutes is how you avoid becoming stiff. Make sure to get up, stretch and walk around if you can, it will help!

3 - Lifting properly.

Lifting heavy luggage or equipment can be a major cause of back pain during the holidays. Be sure you lift with your legs, using a neutral spine and avoid pivoting and twisting your spine when lifting anything heavy. Using your whole body to lift will decrease your likelihood of getting injured.

4 - Avoid overpacking!

Heavy luggage can actually increase your risk of getting injured while travelling over the holidays so try packing light to avoid any excess strain on your body. Also, make sure that your luggage has wheels. Wheeling 25 lbs of luggage is significantly easier than having to carry it by yourself!

What to do if you're already stiff:

1 - Move around often: Getting up every 15-20 minutes and stretching will help decrease stiffness during travelling.

2 - Stay hydrated: Drinking water helps keep your body happy and your skin glowing.

3 - Get enough sleep: Often times sleeping accommodations during the holidays are not ideal, but trying to get enough shut-eye will allow your body to recharge and recover from any muscle aches and pains you may be experiencing.

4 - Avoid excessive alcohol consumption: Drinking too many alcoholic beverages can increase lactic acid build up in the body that can cause muscle soreness. Heavy alcohol consumption can also cause dehydration which further contributes to muscle pain and can slow recovery.

Having pain during the holidays? We can help. Our team of skilled Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and Registered Massage Therapists can help ease your pain and get you back to doing what you love. Call us at (905) 763-4000 to book your appointment today.