Best Way to Sit in an Airplane for Low Back Pain

Airplanes are notorious for uncomfortable, poor ergonomically designed seats. This can lead to people dreading travel, as they can almost guarantee it will result in low back pain. The design of the plane seats doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon, so what can one do to help alleviate or even prevent low back pain when flying?

Bring lumbar support

Airplane seats have a very straight back rest, as you can see from the picture above. The straight back rest will allow the lumbar spine to rest in a more vertical alignment, instead of having the curve it is designed to have. This can contribute to low back pain, because the curve in the lumbar spine helps distribute weight evenly, and even acts as a shock absorber. Therefor, sitting with a more straight low back puts a very large amount of pressure on the lumbar discs, and stresses the connective tissue in the lumbar spine. This can potentially cause or worsen sciatica, increase muscle tension and increase spinal rigidity. 

There are a number of options for lumbar support, such as bringing a jacket or coat and rolling it up to a comfortable thickness and placing it right at the middle of the low back. If it feels like your back is being pushed into excessive lumbar extension, unroll the jacket until the pressure feels natural. If the lumbar spine still feels to flat, add more rolls into the support.

There are also a number of great options on websites such as Amazon that sell "lumbar rolls" that work just as well, and typically sell for under $30.

Move often

If you are middle row or window seat, you may be apprehensive about asking the people next to you to allow you to get up and move. But, doing so can greatly decrease your overall stiffness during and after a long flight.

Ideally, getting up and walking up and down the length of the plane every 30 minutes through the duration of the flight will keep your joints lubricated and hydrated, and prevents inflammation build up. 

See your Chiropractor

If low back pain is an issue leading up to the flight, seeing the local chiropractor and getting on top of the discomfort prior to the flight can prevent a lot of pain and agony. 

If low back pain is a result of the flight, making a visit to the local chiropractor should be the first priority to get the discomfort under control before going about your travels. If your travel destination requires a lot of physical activity, seeing a chiropractor before hand can potentially prevent injury as well. 

Gallatin Valley Chiropractic would love to help! For any questions or concerns please call us at 406-551-2177 or go online to gallatinvalleychiropractic.com