If you're preparing for a long-distance flight, safeguarding your lower back should take precedence over packing your luggage—particularly for those with a history of herniated disc. Hours spent in an airplane seat can provoke pain, requiring heightened caution.
As demand for overseas travel surges again, patients complaining of back pain after long flights are increasingly visiting clinics. Many turn to hospitals after extended seated journeys, and individuals with existing back disorders are especially susceptible to pain recurrence or aggravation. The tight seating, ongoing vibrations, and shifts in air pressure can influence the discs. At high altitudes with reduced air pressure, the pressure inside the discs escalates, which may initiate or intensify discomfort.
Select an aisle seat when feasible. This spot allows freer movement, making it simpler to stand briefly, stretch, or walk the aisle every one to two hours. Holding a single position for prolonged periods strains the spine, so deliberate efforts to shift during the flight are necessary. If unable to rise, execute basic maneuvers in your seat, such as gradual waist rotations or pelvic adjustments, on a recurring basis.
Following the flight, allow your body proper rest. Warm packs, light massages, or partial baths can ease strained muscles near the lower back, facilitating recuperation. In anticipation of abrupt pain intensification while traveling, carry anti-inflammatory analgesics or nerve pain drugs beforehand. Pain from herniated discs frequently resists simple painkillers, so visiting a clinic prior to departure for appropriate prescribed medications is wise.
Extended air travel can exert a more substantial effect on back health than commonly realized. For anyone with a prior herniated disc condition, consulting ahead of the trip to evaluate your present state and gather requisite drugs or braces is recommended. Adhering to correct posture and periodic movement can markedly aid in averting pain.
Kim Kuk Ju, HEALTH IN NEWS TEAM
press@hinews.co.kr
