5 Things to Do on a Plane with Scoliosis
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I love to travel. And, despite environmental concerns, I specifically love to fly. But, if you have any body pain or scoliosis, flying can be even more difficult.
Here are five ways to take care of your body while you fly.
1. Get moving.
Even though space on a plane (or most modes of transit) is limited, get up and move around often. Aim to get up every hour. Just standing up is helpful, but try to get in a few steps if possible, especially if you have more pain while sitting.
Besides standing, here are a couple of ideas for how to keep moving on a plane:
Ankle circles and pointing and flexing your feet: Movement in your lower extremities helps improve circulation. It is also easily done in your seat. If you have scoliosis, you also are more likely to have different sensations on each side. Notice which side is first prone to tingling and which foot can be articulated more as you go between pointing and flexing. Can you circle your ankles in one direction or on one side easier than the other?
Gentle twists: This helps stretch the back and increase energy. If you have scoliosis, spend more time twisting away from your convexity. What does that mean? With scoliosis or body asymmetries, one shoulder may be pulled back farther than the other—it is often the shoulder of the convexity (in thoracic curves). Focus on bringing that shoulder forward and across into a twist. This helps derotate the scoliatic spine. And if you don’t know which curve pattern you have, try to notice which side of your body comes more forward, and gently twist to each side. Notice which side is easier to twist toward. Usually, the easier direction is the direction the spine is already rotating to. So, I spend a little more time and awareness twisting to the less “natural” side.
Stretch your arms up by your ears: Extending your arms upward lengthens the spine and will raise your heart and breath rate, getting your blood moving. Notice if you can straighten both elbows or if one arm can’t be raised as high. High thoracic curves or compensating curves can have impacts on shoulder and upper back mobility. Use this opportunity to practice bringing your arms up and becoming aware of each side.
Seated figure 4: This can be a difficult pose to do next to other people, especially if you have long legs, but it is a good stretch for the hips and low back and can reduce sciatica pain. In this pose, cross one ankle up onto the opposite thigh. If you have scoliosis or back pain, the key is to keep your back long. Most people round the back forward in this pose. However, keep the spine long. If you need more of a stretch hinge forward at the hips.
2. Breathe
Despite your possible concerns about recirculated air, take expansive breaths, expanding through the rib cage. If you have scoliosis, focus specifically on inhaling and breathing into your concave curve(s). (For example, if you have a right thoracic curve your concavity in on the left side.) The longer you sit, the more likely you are to sink/collapse into your concavity. Use your breath to help counter that collapse.
3. Engage your abdominals
When seated for extended periods of time, we begin to round our backs and relieve our abdominal muscles of work. When you engage your lower abdominal muscles, it helps support your low back. This can help ease pain. Also, if you are standing, take the opportunity to engage your abs, which can reduce pinching in your low back.
4. Stretch the front of your chest
In bucket and slightly reclined seats our shoulders tend to round forward, especially if we are hunched over a device. This movement isn’t just pulling the shoulder back, however. Bring your shoulders blades in toward the midline and forward, so your sternum feels a little more exposed and lifted. Often called “chest opening” in yoga, this helps improve your breathing and counters our typically poor posture.
5. Practice mindfulness
As much I enjoy catching up on movies or writing blog posts (as I am doing now) while flying, take the time to practice awareness of your body position and sensations. If you are more in tune with your body you can alleviate discomfort or prevent pain from getting worse. Keep checking in every few minutes with how your body is feeling. Another mindfulness practice is to scan your body. Start at your toes and work your way up to your head, checking in with each body part—notice any pain, tingles, or sensations and compare the sides of your body.
Extra goodies that can help
Often airlines offer free inflight entertainment, which can include meditations or short movement or stretching exercises. Or you can even bring your own downloaded practices on your device. These offerings incorporate the aforementioned tips, but can be more guided than going it alone.
Like my dad always says, “where ever you go, there you are.” Practice being present wherever you are, even in the travel itself. This will help you better understand and care for your body.
Oh, and don’t forget to drink water.