Getting in and out of your car with Back Pain – All you need is a plastic bag and a bit of imagination!
One thing that a lot of our patients struggle with when they experience back pain, is getting into and out of their cars. Sometimes this may be due to the car itself, not being an ideal fit for their height and size, but putting this to one side and avoiding the cost of choosing a different car to suit you, there are some simple things you can do to help.
All you need is a plastic bag and a little imagination.
The 1 st thing that tends to cause pain in the low back when getting out, is the fact that most people will move their knees far apart as they swing their legs to get out. This loads the pelvic joints and lower back. If this area of the back is already niggly and inflamed, it is sure to tell you it does not like this movement, by twinging. This is where imagination comes in. You have to imagine an elastic band is holding your knees together as you move round to get out of the car. Keeping the knees close to each other will lessen the loading on your back.
The 2nd useful aid is a plastic bag under your bottom. It doesn’t matter which brand you use, but a bag under the bum, will make the swivel to get out a lot easier for you. Remember to follow step 1 as you swivel. When both legs are positioned out of the car, knees close together, you are then set to depart the car. Keep the knees bent and push your self up, supporting your weight through your legs until you are upright.
It may be at this final departure point, you think that your lovely low new red sports car was not the best purchase for your older restricted hip! Now that is another blog post altogether.
Experienced osteopath Worthing
Author Sue Bunce has been a practising osteopath in West Sussex for over 25 years. She runs a clinic in Worthing with 6 other osteopaths and a team of 6 other therapists offering osteopathy and wellbeing treatments. Find out more about Sue here. You can also find out more about Osteopathy here.
