Does your career entail a lot of traveling by air? Jet lag is not the only malaise a frequent flier is familiar with. Being confined to a plane for endless hours can have varying effects on a person’s health and wellbeing.

If you wish to keep your health in top form when you’re constantly up in the air, take note of these six essential tips.

1. Watch Your Diet

The best way to stay healthy is to start healthy. Fill your diet with lots of antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. Eat healthy and help your body function at its best. Before embarking on your travels, take supplements that are known to help support your immune system like Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc.

2. Stay Hydrated

The air inside an airplane is notoriously dry. This means you can become dehydrated very quickly. Water is vital for your body’s function on many levels, and it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after your flight – even if this entails more frequent trips to the bathroom! Make it a habit to always carry a water bottle with you so you don’t forget to take sips.

3. Beware Of Germs

When sharing bathrooms and closed environments with many people, the spread of germs is easy. Take a supply of hand sanitizer with you so you can use it after you use the bathroom or before you have a meal or snack. You might want to bring some sanitizing wipes with you too so you can wipe down your armrests and other surrounding areas where you sit.

4. Avoid Airport Temptations

When you’re in a rush or in the environment of an airport or plane, it’s easy to become complacent about making healthy choices. You might opt to have a greasy burger, a glass or two of wine during the flight, or snack on a packet of chips while you’re passing the time in the air. Make a decision to watch your diet when you travel – bring along healthy snacks like raisins or pack a healthy sandwich with you if you know you’re likely to get hungry. Know which are your most healthy options from the food court at the airport or from the choices on your flight menu.

5. Keep Up Your Exercise Regime

Your exercise regime is likely to be one of the first things that will suffer when you have to travel frequently. Make a commitment to keep up your exercise routine, no matter where you are. Stay at hotels that have gyms and maybe even hit the gym as soon as you arrive – even if it’s only for 10 or 15 minutes – this can help revive and energize you after a long flight.

6. Take Care of Your Back

Being confined to a chair for long hours is certain to take a toll on one of the most important parts of your body – your back. Walk the length of the plane every few hours to help prevent your back from becoming stiff and strained from long hours of sitting. It’s also wise to invest in a good posture and back support to fit onto your plane seat to help your spine maintain a healthy posture. This will prevent future back problems and injuries that result from prolonged sitting – and will also make your plane seat far more comfortable.

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Neck pain is a common and particularly uncomfortable ailment. Since the neck is responsible for connecting the skull to the body’s spine, it is vulnerable to certain strains, stresses and injuries.

If you are experiencing neck pain, how do you know if it is a minor ache that will disappear quickly, or something more serious that needs attention and care?

Learn about the 5 most common causes of neck pain to help you avoid future pain, injury and discomfort.

1. Injury

Is there a chance you might have injured your neck during an activity, sport or accident? Sometimes a blow to the body from a fall or an unexpected impact can cause minor injury to the nerves between the neck and shoulder, which results in neck pain. An even more serious spinal cord injury can manifest itself as discomfort in the neck. If you are experiencing pain or muscle spasms after a suspected injury to your neck, or if your neck has experienced whiplash (the violent movement of the neck backwards and forwards), it is always wise to visit your doctor to be examined.

2. Spinal connection

Your neck pain could be the result of a disturbed spinal connection.

If there is excessive or repetitive stress placed on your spine or neck area, e.g., through contact sports or poor posture, your nerve may become compressed. This leads to a condition called ‘Radiculopathy’ which results in pain, tingling or numbness along the course of the nerve.

Spinal stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the spinal cord, is another problem that can cause symptoms similar to that of a pinched nerve. This pain may also radiate into the arms.

Consult your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

3. Arthritis

Sufferers of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience inflammation of the joints and increased wear and tear of the bones. This can result in pain and stiffness in neck areas where arthritis is present.

4. Posture

Poor posture is probably one of the most common causes of neck pain. When a person does not pay attention to good posture practices like lifting heavy weights with bent knees or sitting correctly in a chair, it places unnecessary stresses and strain on the spine and neck which result in pain. Learn healthy habits to take care of your posture and invest in a good back supports for your office or home chair. These little aids could completely eliminate any minor discomforts you’ve been feeling in your neck.

5. Other

Some neck-pain sufferers have a TMJ disorder (a temporomandibular joint disorder), which happens when the joint connecting the jaw and skull becomes strained because of genetics, teeth grinding or jaw clenching. On rare occasions, neck pain may be caused by a viral infection or a serious infection around the brain such as meningitis.

If you are experiencing neck pain of any kind, it is always wise to have it checked by your doctor.

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There are many jobs that come with their own occupational hazards – being a truck driver is certainly no exception. Being confined to a driver’s seat for long hours, having to eat and sleep away from home and even the lack of sleep can all take their toll on a driver’s health and wellbeing.

If you’re a truck driver who’s committed to taking care of your health while on the job, follow these 6 great tips to help you start.

1. Don’t Hold It In!

Bladder and kidney problems are common among truck drivers. The reason? Having to wait to access a bathroom while on the road means drivers are likely to hold their urine in. If this is done frequently and for long periods of time, it can begin to damage the kidneys. Visit the bathroom before the start of each journey and as often as you can along the way. If you sense you are holding your urine in, stop as soon as you can to use a bathroom.

2. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!

When driving for long periods of time, your body will be lacking exercise. Research small exercises to carry out in your hotel room or rest areas – these could even help energize you in between driving. Equally important is making time to exercise when you are not at work. Swimming, walking, hiking and gentle weight training are all good choices to help keep you fit and your muscles in prime condition. They may even help alleviate problems such as back pain and cramps that truck drivers experience.

3. Say No To Fast Food

With the highways littered with fast food joints and adverts for comfort food, it’s easy to be tempted to neglect your diet while on the road. But the truth is maintaining a healthy diet is vital to ensuring your overall wellbeing. Take food that is prepared at home with you, like a healthy sandwich or salad. If you do give in to a fast-food joint treat, make sure it’s on a very rare basis.

4. Be Wise with Refreshments

Another big temptation for truck drivers is to snack while driving or load up on tea, coffee or high-sugar sodas to stay alert. If you’re prone to any of these habits, switch to refreshing yourself with more healthy options. Replace chips or chocolate bars with nuts, fruit, raisins or low-calorie, low-sugar cereal bars. And try to stay hydrated with a simple bottle of water by your side.

5. Rest When You Can

Truck drivers are known for their stamina when driving and can often go days with little sleep when driving at night. But lack of sleep will take its toll on your body and health and will lead to your increase of stress. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and rest when you have the option to – it can make all the difference to how you feel.

6. Protect Your Back

Being confined to your driver’s seat for endless hours will certainly have an impact on your spine. It is no surprise that truck drivers are prone to back pain and injuries as well as stiffness. Learn some good back strengthening exercises to carry out every day or during your rest stops. In addition, one of the best things you can do to protect your back is invest in a back support to fit onto your driver’s seat. This will ensure your back is held in a good posture while driving to eliminate any unnecessary strains or stresses being placed on your spine.

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Sore or stiff necks are certainly no fun – enduring them can turn from a minor irritation to a great source of misery. If you have an uncomfortable ache in your neck, the good news is that a remedy might not be too far away.

We have ten great tips that could have you feeling back to normal in no time!

1. Eat pineapple

It might sound bizarre but pineapple is rich in an enzyme called bromelain. This enzyme has been proven to reduce swelling and aid healing in musculoskeletal injuries.

2. Breathe well

It’s a fact that people tend to accumulate tension in their neck and shoulder areas. To release this tension that could be causing your sore neck, take a deep breath and then lengthen the time you exhale (to a count of seven).

3. Heat helps

Use an electrical heating pad in 20-30 minute sessions to soothe pain and relax any tense neck muscles.

4. Cold relief

If you feel there is inflammation in your neck area, use ice wrapped in a towel or a reusable gel pack cooled in your freezer to bring it down. Place the compress against your skin for 20-30 minutes. Alternate between heat and cold therapy sessions if you feel your sore neck could benefit from both.

5. Pick your pillow

To avoid waking up with a stiff neck, choose a good pillow that will help you sleep with your neck positioned in a healthy alignment. Experts say this could depend on your sleep position preference, e.g., if you sleep on your stomach, a soft thin pillow is best for you.

6. Favor your forearms

If you work at a computer for most of the day, you risk placing stress on your neck and shoulders if your forearms aren’t positioned well and supported as you type at your keyboard. One way to prevent this is to invest in a forearm rest.

7. Fish oil facts

A study has shown that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil helped inflammation in neck pain sufferers so well that 60% of those undertaking a trial where able to stop using painkillers. Buy a fish oil supplement to have your 1,200 mg recommended daily dose.

8. Physical therapy

If your neck pain is a result of serious injury, consult with your doctor to find out if physical therapy could benefit you. It could help rebuild and strengthen injured or weakened muscles to resolve pain and prevent future pain, too.

9. Anti-inflammatory aids

When a recovering sore neck is an irritation throughout the day, ask your doctor about a good anti-inflammatory drug to buy over the counter. Taking a couple of ibuprofen or aspirin tablets could relieve you of minor pains as your neck heals.

10. Posture and back support

Often a poor posture can be at the root of neck pain or even be an inhibitor of neck strains and injuries being healed. If you wish to place less stress on your neck, or prevent your neck from being weakened, purchase a good posture and back support for your office or home chair. Since it is common to spend long hours sitting during the day, it’s essential that you take care of your neck and spinal health by allowing your body to adopt a healthy posture. A posture and back support is an effective solution for neck and back pain caused by poor posture.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.trucomfort.com as the original source).

Fear of hurting the back again is common for those who are recovering from back injury, but it shouldn’t prevent you from returning to your regular activities. The key to successful healing is to slowly return to normal range of motion. Here are a few guidelines to help speed the road to back injury recovery.

1.Aerobic exercise is important to building stamina that will help the healing process, but it is imperative that the muscles be stretched prior to exercising. Strengthening core muscles is also an important aspect of regaining strength.

2.Ultimately, the healing process is about total wellness both physical and mental. Controlling anxiety and stress that often comes after a serious injury is an essential step in the healing process. Being aware of that fear and working to eliminate it will help overcome the body’s natural psychological tendency to protect itself from further injury. Enlisting the help of a trained physiotherapist can often be a lifesaver during this stage of healing.

3.There is no substitute for good nutrition when the body is trying to heal. Protein, the building blocks of healing are essential and should not be neglected. Fats and sugars should be kept in balance in order to prevent weight gain. Being overweight will impede the healing process and slow recovery time. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables into the diet to supply the body with much needed vitamins and minerals. If the diet is lacking in these foods due to personal eating preferences, a daily multiple vitamin supplement may be required.

4.In order for the body to heal, it must have time to rejuvenate. This is accomplished by getting sufficient deep sleep. Plenty of physical activity during the day is one of the best ways to ensure a good nights rest. Sleep nourishes both the body and the mind and is an essential component of quick healing.

5.It is sometimes difficult to avoid pain medications after injury, but their use should be kept to a minimum. As well as allowing individuals to become too dependant on them, these medications may also slow the healing process. There are better, more natural ways to relieve pain such as heat and cold therapy, massage and topical creams.

6.Beginning slowly and progressing gradually through a regular program of exercise is the absolute best way to promote healing and ensure a quick recovery. As the body becomes reintroduced to exercise after injury, the central nervous system begins to tell the muscles what to do and in effect starts to eliminate further pain.

7.Finally, the most important aspect of healing and recovery is the guidance of a trained professional, including both a physiotherapist and a physician. A therapist can help you design appropriate routines suited to your specific injury, and your doctor can help determine what processes are working and how well they are helping you heal. Your doctor will also prove very instrumental in your pain management program as well; he may, for example, guide you in the purchase of the right back support. By working together, the road to recovery should be as short and as positive as possible.

Everyone knows that regular daily fitness is required for optimum health, but if you are someone who already suffers from back pain, it is important to keep back health in mind as you start your new fitness program. As you go about your daily activities it is fairly easy to remember to walk straight, bend properly and lift correctly. There are excellent products such as back supports and ergonomic seating to help keep your back healthy at work. But often when it comes to exercise, the inclination is to jump right in and go all out, forgetting what havoc that may create for strained back muscles. As a result, the whole fitness program is abandoned due to incidents of increased back pain. Here are a few back health pointers to remember anytime you begin a new fitness program.

-Slow and steady wins the race and consistency produces the best results. Begin any new fitness program slowly and work up to higher numbers of repetitions or more difficult exercises. Pay attention to the way your body responds to the routine and move ahead when you are comfortable. Try to make your fitness program a part of your regular routine. Subjecting the body and especially your back to intermittent exercise can do more harm than good.

-Try to carry the good posture habits that you practice when standing, sitting and walking into the gym with you. When lifting weights, running, rowing or any routine, keep your shoulders back and your head upright. The head is a pretty heavy weight that we carry around and letting it hang forward too much can really strain upper back muscles and cause pain.

-With any exercise or activity that you do, try to create a picture in your mind of your spine aligned with your head and shoulders. Picture your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles all in a straight line. By visualizing how your spine should look, you will be more conscious of wrong posturing.

-Fitness is not just all about aerobics. It is especially important, when considering back heath, to build your core muscle strength as well, as these are the muscles that support the spine. An exercise ball is an excellent piece of equipment to hep build core strength. Be sure to include exercises for all the large muscle groups.

-When not exercising, an important tip to save your back is to avoid slouching. So often this type of posture becomes such a habit that we don’t even know we’re doing it. When sitting, your pelvis should always be lined up below your shoulders. A good back support or posture correcting chair seat can be a great help.

-Regular exercise and a daily fitness routine are always a good idea, but be sure to take it slow and pay attention to your body. If you are a back pain sufferer already, getting advice from your health care professional before you begin a fitness routine is always a wise decision.

It’s not hard to tell if its time to trade that old mattress in for a new one. If you wake up with a stiff back or lower back pain, then its time to make a change. The mattress you sleep on can have an enormous impact on back health, and subsequently your overall feeling of well being.

One of the best things you can do for your back is choose a firm mattress that provides balanced comfort and support for your spine. There are some people who truly believe that their back pain is actually caused by a firm mattress. It is more likely that they have not given themselves adequate time to adjust to the firmer feel. The two crucial elements to consider are the right combination of firmness and softness, and an adequate adjustment period.

Because back pain can be a result of several different conditions, there is no “one mattress fits all” solution. For example, a very overweight person and a tiny individual may both suffer back pain but the mattress they need will most certainly be different. The larger person is ultimately going to displace a larger percentage of the mattress, meaning the body will sink farther down into the mattress. In order for the spine to remain in its proper position the right mattress for this individual has to be quite firm. The smaller sleeper, however, would barely even make a dent on such a firm mattress and would not be comfortable. A much softer mattress, ideally a firm mattress with a soft top would provide the proper cradling while at the same time providing adequate firmness.

One of the most popular types of mattresses on the market are those made of solid memory foam. Some users believe that the contouring of the foam to the body makes it the ultimate choice for comfort and for reducing back pain. Others disagree stating that the foam is much too soft to provide adequate back support to keep the spine in its proper position.

One solution that has emerged from this debate is a mattress that is constructed in layers consisting of inner coil springs and several layers of different materials, mainly different types and thicknesses of foam. The thickness and construction of these layers determine the final firmness of the mattress. This type of construction creates an extremely wide range of mattresses to suit every need.

Mattresses can be purchased in a wide range of prices, and the old saying “you get what you pay for” definitely holds true. Quality counts and a good quality mattress is a wise investment that should serve you well for at least ten years. The warranty that is offered with a mattress is generally a reliable way to judge its quality and durability.

The whole process of choosing the right mattress can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when one is hoping to get some back pain relief. Be sure to ask for advice from a heath care professional that is familiar with your specific condition.

The fast pace of today’s life most definitely has an impact on our bodies and minds.

Driving for hours, even if you use appropriate car seat support; sitting in long meetings; having fast lunches on the run; and slumping on the couch after a long day of hectic activity; among other things, make it necessary for each one of us to take some time to relax and ease our muscles every day to preserve our health and even our sanity.

Here we show you 5 simple stretches you can practice daily to loosen your back muscles and get rid of accumulated stress, because back pain or a back injury can seriously impair your life:

1.Lower back cat stretch
To do this stretch, get down on all fours, fingers facing forward. Drop your head and raise your back, curving it, as you push the shoulder blades upward, just as a cat does. Then, do the opposite, push your chest downward and arch your lower back.

2.Knees to chest
Lie on your back and pull both knees to the chest with your hands behind the knees. Keep your tailbone on the floor and hold the stretch for 15 seconds.

3.Shoulder blade squeeze
Stand up and put your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height. Swing both arms horizontally towards your back, as if you were trying to reconnect your fingers behind your back, and then, swing your arms back to the front. Repeat several times slowly.

4.Shoulder blade lift
Stand up and put your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height. Swing both arms vertically up and then swing both arms vertically down while keeping them straight. Repeat several times slowly.

5.The core twist
Hold arms out, bent at shoulder height. Keep your feet planted on the ground and your toes facing forward, and while you maintain your hips facing forward, twist your upper body towards the back and try to look behind you. Twist from side to side.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Back Pain blog as the original source).

The majority of us work at a desk or a computer all day long, making it very easy to slip into poor posture habits.

If your body posture is misaligned, sooner or later you will feel pain, and the only way to avoid this is to follow the right techniques for sitting, standing, and lifting.

Although these may seem obvious, there are hundreds of thousands of people around the world suffering from serious and crippling back pain and conditions because they don’t follow these simple techniques:

1. Sitting technique
Sit with your shoulders back and with your back straight. Your legs should be at a 90-degree angle to your body.

Maintain the neck, back, and heels always aligned. Avoid the impulse to slouch on your desk, if you feel stiff, get up and move for a while.

2. Standing technique
When standing, hold your head up straight and the chin slightly tucked in. Maintain your shoulder blades back, your chest forward, and your stomach tucked in.

In the same way, keep most of your weight on the balls of the feet instead of on your heels or toes. Let your arms hang down in a natural way.

3. Lifting technique
Lifting weight off the ground by bending forces your back to do most of the work and puts important strain on the lower back.

The right way to lift an object is to bend at the knees and not at the waist, since this forces the leg muscles to do the majority of the work.

4. Keeping your spine straight technique
As a general rule, you must try to maintain your spine as straight as possible all the time.

If you are aware of the alignment of your back and neck, no matter what you are doing, you will be able to notice how your posture improves.

You can help yourself get into the habit of keeping your spine straight through the use of back supports and other types of tools specially designed to help you achieve good posture and improve your health.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Back Pain blog as the original source)

Your mother was right when she insisted that you sit up straight because, as it turns out, good posture is necessary not only to boost your image but also to keep you strong and healthy.

We know it is not easy to be aware of your posture 24/7 when you don’t have a free minute in your day, but it is so important that we are going to help you by giving you 5 simple tips to help you maintain good posture all day long:

1.Pad your chair
Think about adding a back support to your office chair. If you want to take it further, you can add a back support to your car seat, and even to the chair you use when you sit down to eat. In this case, the more the better.

2.Push your butt towards the back of the chair
Every time you sit down, remind yourself to move your butt towards the back of the chair, as this will prevent you from slouching.

3.Sit on the edge of the chair
When you sit on the edge of the chair you are so far away from its back that you are less likely to lean against the back support and slouch.

4.Take breaks and use a timer
If you are like most of us, you probably spend most of your day sitting down and thus you have to create a schedule to get up for breaks regularly. Set up a timer every 40 minutes, and when it goes off, get up and do some stretching or go for a walk.

5.Exercise ball
A great idea is to replace your chair with an exercise ball. This is very ‘in’ today since it is lean, mean, and cost-effective. Also, the exercise ball is a great tool for stretching your back.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Back Pain blog as the original source).