Degenerative disc disease in the lower back can make daily chores like folding laundry and vacuuming the floor challenging, so you may think that traveling with this condition is impossible. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be. You can have a successful vacation or business trip despite your degenerative disc disease and all it takes is a little extra thought, care and preparation.

Degenerative disc disease in the lower back doesn’t have to keep you from doing all of the things you enjoy. Here are some tips you can follow that may help you keep a handle on your degenerative disc disease pain while traveling:

1. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to go. Rushing through an airport can cause your pain to flare up before you even get to where you are going, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time in order to stay as relaxed as possible.
2. Contact the airport and airline to arrange any special accommodations. You may be able to arrange a wheelchair ride to your gate or a seat with extra leg room on your flight if you call and ask ahead of time.
3. Keep a physician’s note on you. The note may be of help in securing those special accommodations.
4. Be sure to get up and stretch frequently. If you are flying, get up and walk around the plane when the fasten seat belt sign is off. If you are driving, plan frequent stops so you can get out of the car and stretch. This will prevent you from becoming too stiff.
5. Keep any pain medications you need handy. You’ll want to take them as close to your prescribed schedule as possible, and keeping them on you will ensure you are able to do so.

USA Spine Care performs minimally invasive outpatient surgery for individuals with degenerative disc disease in the lower back. Our procedures are often clinically appropriate compared to traditional open spine surgery and are performed through less than 1-inch incisions using muscle-sparing techniques that allow for shorter recovery times.^ To learn if minimally invasive spine surgery at USA Spine Care is right for you, contact us today. We can provide you with a free review* of your MRI to find out if you are a candidate.

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