Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion Helpful Tips SI pain on long trips

How many of you guys have SI pain on long trips? Any suggestions on how to stay pain free during the trip? I have tried changing positions many times and it still is a problem.
In Dec. we will be driving 10 hours from Tx to MS spending 3 nights and than making the return the trip. Just the thought of sitting in a car for 10 much less 20 hours makes me hurt.
Any assistance would be appreciated.

This is one thing that sends me into alot of pain..My max sitting in a car is an hour and a half. Anything past that
gives me pain for a few days. What I found works for me is to get out at a rest stop or park and walk around a bit..Gotta be careful with those rest stops these days
though!! I've noticed also certain seats are tons worse than others. Strangely curved, ridgid seats are the worst..
Use ice when you get home, even if your not in alot of pain.
Good luck...This is why I never see my parents who live hours away. Oh make sure you wear comfortable shoes, the more stable your foot the less out of wack your joints get.

get a truck, put a camper shell on it, and lie down on a mattress in the back. Stretching out always makes me feel better. That's the only thing I can think of.
my sympathies, friend . . .
-Bridget

Betty...
I'll never leave to go out of town or further w/out a "memory foam" pillow I have to sit on. It seems to help a great deal and be sure to stretch/walk around every chance you can. Even better if you check with DME (durable medical equipment) suppliers near you they can sell you fantastic memory foam wheelchair cushions... but if you're on my thinner budget a k-mart/walmart usually carries a headpillow for bed made of that memory foam which performs just as well!
Have a super time... Russell

Yes, I second the memory foam pillow; I use my tempurpedic pillow on any trip longer than a few hours. Give it a try!

aloha betty

so nice to see you again.

even with the enbrel i still get 'that' twinge if i sit in the car or an airplane seat for a long period.
i've become a little old man driver...i tend to stop for a walkabout, soda, doughnut, icecream or such
about once an hour...take some time and see the countryside.

have a good trip.
best
aB

Thanks everyone. I will try several of the suggestions.

In addition to moving around frequently, I've found a couple of things which help prevent SI pain on long trips for me:
1) With some experimentation, I've found that I tend to get SI pain when I let my leg rotate out to the side, rather than keeping the upper leg and knee pointed straight ahead. No matter how much I try to remember to keep the leg straight on car trips and not let it rock outward, I do it anyway. To prevent myself from doing it, I take rolled-up dishtowels and tuck one under the outside of each thigh. The towel prevents me from absent-mindedly allowing the leg to roll out.
2) If the SI pain still gets bad on the trip, I rely on my TENS unit which for me works well for localized pain like that.
3) Posture is absolutely crucial for me. To maintain appropriate appropriate lumbar curvature in badly designed car seats, I place a rolled-up dishtowel behind my mid-back. This makes my mid spine curve correctly, which makes my neck and everything else fall more naturally into correct posture.

I hope some of my ideas or those of others help. Have a good trip!

Karen

My suggestions would be:
Icy Hot/TigerBalm to prevent muscle cramping/inflammation
Some kind of pillow/support in the lumbar area - I like the other pillow ideas mentioned, will have to try next time
A good massage/hot tub/sauna ASAP when you get there
Pain meds or ice if all else fails
Good luck with the long trip!

I have the exact same problem and had to deal with it many times on my 6 hour trips from Toronto to Montreal. Aside from the obvious of stopping every hour or so and stretching/walking around for 5 mins before resuming the drive I found that placing a large surface (not necessarily to thick or bulky) pillow beneath my legs helps. I place it just so it clears the buttocks and spans just short of my knees. This distributes the pressure from the buttocks area which is sensitive to a sitting point load and distributes it throughout the whole upper legs. Another good thing to try is instead of driving really close to the wheel, push the seat back considerably so that your legs are in a straigher position, again this helps distribute your weight better. It also helps me to stay away from keeping my legs turned outward, I try to keep them as flush as possible. Hope this helps.