Hey, Dr. Ryan Hetland here. Welcome to today's seminar. I wanted to answer a question about vacationing. Is it good or bad on your neck or back? And this is something that you should really think about when you're travelling because you're carrying heavy luggage, you might be driving long distances, you might be flying long distances and just doing all sorts of things you might not do on a normal basis when you're back home working.

A lot of you might sit at a desk all day, maybe exercise in the evenings if you're that percentage of the population that is doing that, but when you go on vacation, you might be sightseeing in Rome or fishing and sitting, then all day moving, just doing different movements you're not quite used to, and so, just keep that in mind, say you don't normally walk, you know, 5 miles in a day, but you're going to go somewhere and do a ton of walking and new shoes, things that really can kind of temporarily hurt you and you have temporary aches and pains from it, nothing too big a deal to worry about that, but it could give you lasting neck and back pain.

I can tell you time and time again of patients who have went on vacation and came back with a disc herniation that took a while to get better and fixed because they had a degenerative disc that decided that because of all the extra strenuous activities they're doing on vacation, it decided to give out on them.

So be cautious or beware of when you go on vacation on these things and what to do about them. Stretching for me is a big deal when I'm on vacation, so that way, I don't get tight in doing different things that I'm doing; making sure you got good shoes that are broken in, they're not new if you're going to be doing a ton of walking is a big deal. Things that come to mind as well are pillows. Remember to bring your own pillow, especially if your pillow at home you sleep on is comfortable and your neck is really good. While there, you might get a crappy pillow when you're at a hotel or staying somewhere; that's a big deal.

If you're camping, invest into air mattress of some sort or invest into these things that are actually more investments into yourself. They're really important. They're worth the money to invest in new shoes, pillows, whatever you can think of to make sure that when you're on vacation, you're comfortable, even the special kind of wheelie-type suitcases that have wheels that are easier to lug around and get help with.

So think about that, behold the opportunity of a great vacation and enjoy, but beware of the taxing that it can occur on your neck and back. If you have questions about travelling, I know a ton of you are travellers and, possibly, have neck or back problems when you're travelling, feel free to comment, email me, reach out to me and let me know. I'm here for you, your Twin Cities Gonstead chiropractor, Dr. Ryan Hetland. Have a great day.