PAIN IS A ROADBLOCK TO YOUR FAMILY VACATION
For many families, a road trip is an essential part of any summer vacation.
Unfortunately, muscle and joint pain doesn’t take days off, quickly turning this joyful time into a painful one.
Whether you’re lifting heavy luggage or simply sitting in the car for extended periods of time, it’s very common to experience back, neck, shoulder and other joint pain at some point during your travels. Since having fun should be your highest priority, its important to maximize your enjoyment by ensuring that you’re being as safe as you can be.
Did you know?
Sitting for long periods of time can be very harmful to your body. Even in the most comfortable cars, certain pressures and forces from awkward positions can result in restricted blood flow.
To increase your chances of a pain free trip
- Choose the right luggage
Choosing a bag with wheels and a handle goes a long way to ligthen your load. Alternatively, quality backpacks are a good option as they distribute weight more evenly than other types of luggage.
- Get comfortable
Seat adjustment is critical for avoiding pain on the road. Make sure to adjust the seat to fit you comfortably. If neccesary, roll up a towel or pillow and place it between your lower back and the seat for more support.
- Bring ice
Bring a cooler filled with ice packs to help relieve pain on the road. If you need to ice your back, limit it to 15 minutes at a time.
- Make frequent pit stops
This gives everyone a chance to stretch and change out of a seated position for a short period of time. Each stop also provides an opportunity to refresh and reduce tension that has been building up in your body.
How to lift your luggage properly
- Break the action up
When loading a suitcase into a car or truck, try lifting it onto a chair or step-stool first, rather than doing it all in one motion
- Use your legs
When lifting your luggage, first get close to the load and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
Bend at the knees and let your leg muscles do the lifting, rather than your back
- Avoid twisting
Instead, turn your feet in the direction you are headed and turn your entire body in that direction.
Provided by Dr. Luciano Di Loreto, HBSc., D.C. & Associates
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What is Olecranon Bursitis?
A 35 year old carpenter came to our clinic complaining that the back of his elbow was swollen and very tender/painful after banging it on a kitchen cabinet during installation. After conducting a health history and detailed physical examination, we determined that this was a case of olecranon bursitis.
What causes Olecranon Bursitis?
A fall, hit, bang or blow to the back of the elbow, repeated weight bearing, improper exercise technique or dragging of the elbow to the ground may cause swelling, inflammation, pain and pooling of edema in the elbow bursa thus causing olecranon bursiitis.
Think of it this way…subdivision and cities often have areas where water collects and distributes during flooding, heavy rainfall or snow melt. When heavy rain covers our streets it collects in a city catch basin. The bursa is the elbow’s catch basin for when inflammation, edema or swelling occurs. It, the bursa, fills up and allows our body to slowly take it away through the lymphatic system and out of our bodies through urine/excretion (similar to a sewage system which ends up distributing the water into larger areas of water outside of the city/subdivision).
What are Signs and Symptoms of Olecranon Bursitis?
Olecranon bursitis is the size of a goose egg. The olecranon is the surface of bone at the end of the ulna bone (elbow). It is very difficult to miss since it looks abnormal and may present with redness and feel tender to the touch. It must be differentiated from gout and/or kidney failure which present similarly in the elbow and other joints. Infection is another condition to rule out – however, it typically occurs near an open wound.
How do I treat olecranon bursitis?
At our clinic we treat olecranon bursitis with support tape, along with ice therapy, ultrasound therapy, laser therapy and advice about what activities to avoid. If the bursa is infected, we refer out for aspiration or antibiotic therapy. Our chiropractic and physiotherapy team, reviews the area and assesses the range of motion of the elbow before determining which treatment could be most effective.
Dr. Luciano Di Loreto, HBSc., D.C. & Associates
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