Hip pain after prolonged driving
Nicola Tik
Sitting in a car for a long stretch can leave your hips feeling stiff, achy, or uncomfortable, even if your hips do not usually give you trouble. This article explains what is going on and what you can do to feel better during and after the journey.
When you are sitting in a car, your hips are held in a bent position for the entire drive. The muscles around the front of the hip, which normally help you stand upright and move freely, are kept in a shortened position throughout. Over time, this can lead to stiffness, a deep aching feeling in the hip joint, or discomfort that spreads into the buttock or outer thigh.
Road vibration and the effort of pressing the pedals adds a low level of repetitive load on top of that, which can make things feel worse on longer journeys.
A couple of seat adjustments can help reduce the strain on your hips before you set off. Try positioning your seat so that your knees are at a similar height to your hips, or very slightly lower. When your knees are significantly higher than your hips, it increases the angle of bend at the hip joint and tends to compress the area more.
If your seat allows it, a small amount of forward tilt so the front of the seat is very slightly lower than the back can also help open the hip angle a little more comfortably.
There is limited movement available when you are driving, but small adjustments still help. Shifting your weight gently from one side to the other every so often reduces the sustained pressure on any one area. If you notice one hip feeling more uncomfortable than the other, it is worth checking whether you tend to sit with your weight unevenly distributed.
Pressing the pedals with your whole foot rather than just your toes can reduce the effort going through your hip flexors, the muscles at the front of the hip, on longer stretches of driving.
Getting out of the car regularly is the most effective thing you can do for hip comfort on a long drive. Aim for a stop every 45 to 60 minutes. When you do stop, a short walk of even just a few minutes helps the hip move through a fuller range and eases the stiffness that builds up from sustained sitting.
When getting out of the car, swivel your whole body to face the door before standing rather than twisting as you rise. This is especially helpful if your hips are already feeling uncomfortable.
Some hip stiffness after a long drive is completely normal and usually settles within 20 to 30 minutes of moving around. A short walk after you arrive is one of the most helpful things you can do before sitting down again.
If you would like to try a gentle guided stretch for the hips after driving, VIDA has a short video you can follow at your own pace.
A heat pack applied to the hip and outer thigh for 10 to 15 minutes can help ease muscle stiffness after driving. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory gels or tablets are another option if the discomfort is more significant. It is worth trying a couple of approaches to find what works best for you.
If your hip pain is sharp, came on suddenly, or you notice it affecting how you walk after driving, it is worth speaking to your GP.
Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how your hips respond to longer journeys over time.