It’s summer travel season! But, the sun and fun comes with cramped and extended flights, long car rides, lumpy mattresses, and other common causes of pain that can ruin your long-awaited vacation.

If you’re looking to maintain spinal wellness during summer travel, let Beyond Medical — your chiropractor in Altamonte —offer these travel tips to keep you healthy and pain-free along the way, through every mile of your journey:

Check Your Bag

You may want to worry about the weight of your suitcase for reasons beyond the airline’s baggage fee. That’s because the standard size and weight allowance for your luggage (50 lbs per checked bag) may cost you more than the money in your wallet.

Pulling, pushing, carrying and carting around a suitcase or backpack during your summer travels can cause muscle strain, neck pain, back pain, spasms, and other issues. Tight straps can also dig into your shoulders, putting pressure on nerves and affecting circulation.

The American Chiropractic Association recommends checking all bags heavier than 5 to 10 percent of your body weight, reducing the risk of pain in the lower back and neck that comes with lifting bags into overhead bins or straining to stow belongings under your seat.

Sit Tight, Sit Right to Maintain a Healthy Posture

Even when you're flying first class (and many of us aren't), seats hollowed from wear fail to offer adequate spinal support. The aches and pains only double in coach, where sitting in awkward positions for a prolonged period of time is the norm. For pain relief, used a rolled up blanket to support the curve of your back and put a pillow behind your neck. The extra support and a conscious effort to sit straight may help you avoid stiffness and soreness later on.

Find the Pain Relief You're Looking For

Many travelers fail to warm up and stretch out before settling in for a day of travel. If you're in need of chiropractic care due to aches and pains from summer travel, contact Beyond Medical at 407-261-1001 today.