I recently heard from one of my students, who arrived in India with quite a bit of back pain; she asked me for some asanas to help ameliorate the symptoms. I, too, have suffered from back discomfort after traveling. And I am quite sure that many of you readers have found themselves in the same predicament. What a drag to start off your vacation hobbled with a sore back! Hence this installment.
Let’s deal with the various modes of travel, one at a time:
1.Regardless of what mode of travel you choose, the first (or last) place you may injure your back is in the process of lifting luggage off the bed to the floor, up or down stairs into & out of car/ taxi, onto and off baggage conveyances. Remember to lift with a straight back, using your arm and leg muscles. Bending over to lift an unusually heavy object is almost guaranteed to cause problems. In the rush and confusion of getting through airport security, we often forget to use good back mechanics.
2.Airplanes are a huge hazard to a healthy back, more than ever these days. Flights are overcrowded, seats are cramped with minimal leg and overhead space (unless you can afford, or the company is paying for, first class), and the single aisle is narrow and, more often than not, occupied by serving carts and flight attendants. Ideally, a person should do back stretches and twists every hour or two (shoulder shrugs, and head revolutions, with ankle and wrist flexion and extension repetitions are also advisable). Better yet, follow that with a trip into the aisle for a standing back bend (knees bent slightly; arms overhead), followed by a nice standing forward bend, first supported with hands pressing into shins and elbows and knees straight, with the back extended and parallel to the floor, held for a number of breaths before folding all the way down, and a crescent lunge on both sides. Now folks will stare, and some may cluck their tongues and roll their eyes. Don’t let that bother you. You are taking care of your back; they are just too inhibited, ignorant (often translated as young), or lazy to do the same. If anybody asks, tell them it is “doctor’s orders”. After all, I am a doctor; therefore you can trust me. Right? If you have a layover, don’t head right for the bar or the restaurant, aggravated, thirsty, or hungry though you may well be. Do what I described above first. Then eat, drink, and do try to be merry (almost impossible while flying). On a long flight, you may well want to try to sleep for a while. Just remember to do your twists, stretches, shrugs, and bends before and after your nap. If you can cadge a pillow (Good luck with that.) to help avoid torquing your neck for a few hours, which is a sure way to wake up cranky, that would be good. Investing $10 in a traveler’s neck support would seem worthwhile.
3.Most of what I say above also pertains to long bus trips. In this case, however, options for getting into the aisle while the bus is moving simply are not available; the driver will immediately ask you to take your seat. Fortunately, there is a bit more space overhead, so that stretches and twists in the seat are more feasible than in airplanes.
4.Car trips can be equally threatening to our backs. Packing and unpacking the trunk can be a challenge to the maintenance of good back mechanics; hatchbacks are a better option, where available. Car seats, especially “bucket seats”, are often very poor in terms of lumbar support; cushions are available to help remedy this issue. Worn out shock absorbers put a tremendous amount of strain on the back with every pothole and bump encountered on the road. Long trips need to be broken up, so budgeting one’s time wisely is a must. Rest stops are not there to be driven past, nor are they there for rest only. Do those same yoga stretches, twists, and bends before you rest (and afterwards, too!).
5.Trains and boats offer more space and more opportunity for getting up, walking around a bit and doing your preventative poses. But you still have to remember to get up and do your thing.
OK, so now you got there, and, despite my admonitions and your, I hope, best intentions and reasonable preventative efforts, your back is killing you. What to do now?
If the situation is really dire, you may need to repair to the nearest bed, hopefully a firm mattress. Anti-inflammatory medication may be in order. Be sure to take these with food, and for no longer than two weeks without consulting a doctor.
If the situation is something less than dire, you should try the following regimen:
1.Come to supported Half-dog (back straight and parallel to the floor, knees straight, and hands pressing into shins, with elbows straight) and hold that position, with gentle elongation of the back.
2.Then go right to hands and knees for Cat/ cow, and do this for quite a while, 10-20 breaths, synchronizing motion with the breath.
3.Then carefully move to back and gently pull in legs with palms on knees; while inhaling, extend elbows and push knees out; exhale and pull knees in. Repeat five times; then widen knees and continue out and in with knees apart.
4.Now a gentle, self-administered back massage should help: move knees in a circular fashion, five times each way.
5.Then put feet down with knees bent, and gently move legs side to side.
6.Back discomfort permitting, try a gentle Happy Baby pose (draw thighs downward with knees wide apart and slide hands down to ankles or encircle big toe; now gently raise legs upward, keeping thighs low and knees apart, and roll slightly, side to side).
7.Finish with feet wide apart and knees bent; let knees fall together and press low back into the floor; hold it there and breathe.
-
8.Roll to one side to get up carefully,
-
9.Avoid forward bends and especially back bends.
I would do all of these twice a day, minimizing walks and any lifting for 3-5 days. By then, odds are you will have recovered sufficiently to resume relatively normal activity, including regular yoga classes (although I would avoid deep back bends for at least another week). Ashtangis will not be happy about this next piece of advice, but they should avoid jumps, both backwards and forwards for a good two weeks.
The real key to a healthy back is to remain vigilant and preventative. Regular attendance in yoga class will strengthen the back and render you less prone to back injury, which, if it occurs, may well become a recurring phenomenon.
