Lower Back Pain and Holiday

Learn how to reduce lower back pain flares during the holiday season.

Discover common triggers and practical tips to manage back pain while enjoying the holidays.

Common triggers for worsening back pain:

1. Increased or Decreased Physical Activity:

• During the holidays, it is very common to increase activity, especially on city breaks, as we tend to walk long distances to see the sights.
• We also engage in more enjoyable activities that can cause more stress if you are not physically active.
• If we stay at all-inclusive resorts, it’s even easier to remain less active and enjoy sunbathing, which over time can aggravate our backs due to the lack of movement.

2. Increased Stress:

• It is quite normal, as this can be very emotionally demanding due to organising family, arriving on time at your destinations, and last-minute changes that can further increase stress and emotional strain affecting our nervous system, ultimately impacting our back pain.

3. Travelling:

• When we travel, we tend to sit or stand for prolonged periods, and our bodies do not like static positions for long, causing aches and pains.
• We also tend not to sleep as much as we want to enjoy most of our stay, which impacts our stress levels and recovery.

4. Nutrition:

• We tend to overindulge during our holidays, and consuming excessive amounts of certain foods and drinks, such as processed foods and alcohol, can trigger an inflammatory response in our bodies, leading to fatigue and exhaustion. This can affect our muscles, joints, and nervous system, thereby worsening lower back pain.

So, what can we do to minimise this?

1. Exercise therapy, physiotherapy and other therapies:

• Ensure you keep up with your treatments and appointments so that you are in a better position to enjoy your holidays. A follow-up appointment after the holiday can be beneficial to assist with back pain.

2. Continue with gentle exercises:

• Performing yoga, strengthening, and movement exercises for the back before and during the holidays. Just 30 minutes daily can help keep your body mobile and reduce the risk of flare-ups.
• Break long sitting or lying periods with 5-15 minutes of gentle exercise every hour.

3. Build tools for proactive pain relief:

• Using heat or cold patches
• Over-the-counter painkillers (paracetamol, ibuprofen and creams). For further advice on medication, contact your GP.
• Self-massage and stretches.

4. Posture and rest:

• Get adequate sleep and include rest periods between walks or activities. During a holiday, it’s easy to increase physical activity and reduce sleep to make the most of your trip, but this, combined with poor posture, can put extra strain on your back.

5. Drinking plenty of water:

• This is essential; we tend to consume many drinks during holidays and forget about staying hydrated. It’s important because our bodies are composed of up to 70% water, and joints and cartilage require hydration to support lubrication and movement, thereby reducing joint stress.

We Hope this information helps you for future holidays and allows you to enjoy them to its fullest. If you require any treatment or help, do not hesitate to contact us.