You know the feeling. An hour or two in, your lower back starts to grumble, and by the time you climb out it has seized up. It is usually the seat quietly leaving your back to hold itself up, and a few small tweaks can take most of that work off your muscles.

Setting the backrest angle

A seat that is bolt upright makes your back work hard to hold you there, while one tipped too far back nudges your head forward to see the road. Many people find a slight recline, somewhere around 100 to 110 degrees, comfortable, so you feel held without slumping. Set it so your shoulders rest lightly against the seat and you can still reach the wheel with a soft bend in your elbows. If your back feels like it is bracing to stay upright, ease the angle back a notch and see how that settles.

Getting the lumbar support right

Your lower back curves gently inwards, and the gap behind it is where support matters most. If your car has adjustable lumbar support, you could bring it forward until it fills that gap and lightly meets the small of your back, without pushing you off the seat. If there is no adjuster, a small rolled towel or a thin cushion at around belt height does a similar job. The aim is gentle contact rather than pressure, so your back has something to lean into instead of holding itself.

Breaking up the drive

Even a well set-up seat holds you in one shape, and backs tend to prefer variety. Where it is safe and legal to stop, a short break every couple of hours to stand, take a few steps and roll your shoulders lets everything reset. On longer runs, shifting your position slightly now and then, easing the seat angle back a touch or gently rolling your pelvis, keeps things from settling into one spot. Small movements, often, tend to help more than one big stretch at the end.

If you would like to try a guided stretch on your breaks, VIDA has a short video you can follow at your own pace.

Easing a sore back after driving

If your back is sore once you are out of the car, keeping gently moving usually helps more than resting up completely. Some people find warmth soothing, like a heat pack or a warm shower, while others prefer a short spell of an over-the-counter pain relief option. What helps varies from person to person, so it is worth seeing what eases things for you. 

Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to notice whether these changes are helping over the following weeks.

Quick checklist

• Set the backrest to a slight recline so your shoulders rest against the seat.
• Adjust the lumbar support, or add a rolled towel, to fill the gap at the small of your back.
• Sit close enough to keep a soft bend in your elbows.
• Take a short break to stand and move every couple of hours where you safely can.
• Shift your position a little now and then on longer drives.

‍