For some people, vacation is all about the destination. While my destination is important, I also love the unplanned adventures that take place on road trips.
When traveling by car I get to see places that I would never plan to vacation at, yet are fun to stop and explore for a little bit. However, my love for traveling by car turned to loathing after pain from fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and endometriosis invaded every moment of my day. That is until a few years ago when I began doing things differently.
Today Donna, Abi, and I are sharing a few tips that help make our road trips less painful. Whether you are driving to Disneyland or Niagara Falls, these tips will help you arrive at your destination ready to have fun!
Disclosure: I am NOT a medical professional and I am not issuing medical advice. This post contains some affiliate links. Meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission from sales.
Cynthia’s Tips
- Stay ahead of and combat inflammation and pain with Oska Pulse and pain-relieving oils and lotions like my favorite topical oil from BioCBD+ and HempZ. Oska Pulse has kept my neck and back muscles from seizing up after sitting for hours in the car. I apply a pain-relieving oil or lotion before getting into the car and then reapply as needed throughout my trip.
- Dress comfortably. While I still want to look cute in the pictures my family takes during stops along the way, it is not a time to wear clothing that binds, scratches, or puts pressure on any of my pain sources. Heat and cold temps outside and inside the vehicle also affect my pain level. Dressing in layers, wearing pants (leggings usually) with an elastic waistband or loose clothing, and bringing along a pair of cozy slippers helps me arrive at my destination without unnecessarily increasing my pain.
- Rest when needed. Fighting fatigue while traveling only makes it worse. As long as I am not the one who is driving, I allow myself to sleep when my body demands it. There was a time when I was afraid of missing sites or felt like I had to stay awake to entertain my husband while he drove, but all that did was take away from our time together when we reached our destination. To make sleeping in the car easier, I bring along a neck pillow, sleep mask to block out the sun, and or earplugs.
- Nothing ruins a trip like upsetting my tummy by eating fast food or fatty/fried foods on the road. To adhere to my dietary needs/restrictions I plan ahead by searching for restaurants that have options to keep my bowels happy.
- Prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes our bowels and bladders can’t wait until we reach our next pit stop. To reduce my anxiety and fear of not being able to make it to the next toilet, I bring along adult diapers. While it is not something that I desire to use, they bring me peace of mind knowing that my body and not my clothes or the car will only need to be cleaned up afterward. A portable potty is also an option.
Donna’s Tips
1. Oska! Use it on whatever part of your body gets stiff when sitting for long periods. For me as a passenger, that’s my lower back. When I take a turn driving, that’s also my shoulders.
2. Stay hydrated! For every sip, you take of an energy drink or coffee, take two sips of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.
3. Stop about every 2 hours to stretch and walk for a few minutes.
4. Eat as healthy as possible. Additives, grease, and sodium in restaurant food can make you feel terrible! Snack foods can also be an issue. Pack healthy snacks so you’re not tempted by gas station treats. If you can, pack a cooler with simple pre-made meals, too. If you know you’ll need to grab fast food on the road, scope out the nutritional information of major chains online before you leave on your trip; make a list of menu items that are best for your body’s sensitivities.
Abi’s Tips
- I use PEMF therapy with Oska Pulse to combat back pain from sitting in the car and to ease the pain in my hands after playing my video games for too long!
- Bring something to entertain yourself! My Nintendo Switch and 3DS keep me occupied while stuck in the car for the day.
- My mom uses a neck pillow, but I prefer my aromatherapy cat collar by Sootheze (pictured below). It calms and soothes the muscles in my neck.
Did you notice that Oska Pulse topped all three of our lists? That’s because this drug-free pain relief device helps each of us combat our chronic pain and inflammation better than anything any of us has tried in the past.
Like Donna, I use mine on my neck and lower back as well. I also treat my knees and ankles. Oska Pulse increases blood flow and has prevented my legs and ankles from swelling while sitting in the car.
Visit my friends at Oska Wellness to learn more about this amazing device. Request my secret $55 discount code here!
Click here for more tips that will make traveling with a chronic illness something you enjoy again.
What tips do you have to share?
I haven’t been using my Oska too much. Time to get it out again! Great tips. I thought I was done traveling for a long time but I’ve been able to do some the past few years.
Trust me I know how easy it is to forget to use Oska Pulse at first. And while I had some minor improvements using it now and again, it wasn’t until I began using it for a minimum of 10 treatments a day, daily that my improvements really began to soar! Glad to hear that you have been able to travel!
Some fantastic tips and ideas! I love that alternative neck pillow – never come across a cat aromatherapy collar before 🙂
Caz x
My daughter loves her car collar. She takes it everywhere.