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Avoiding Back Pain as a Truck Driver

Most long-term drivers will inevitably deal with some type of back pain in their work. A study performed by Mackie and Moore confirms that at least 26% of all truck drivers experience back pain.

Haworth (1991) established that 40% of all long haul drivers experience back pain.

Drivers often opt to address minimizing the pain, but not its root cause. Many forget that knee pain could be related to an imbalanced muscle or tendon that surrounds the knee; these are the issues that need to be addressed!

The main causes of back pain for truck drivers include weak glutes, compression of the spine, and poor core activation.

Glutes stabilize your hips. Weak ones affect the position of your neck and spine. Thus, any activity that activates the glutes will ensure that the pelvis is strong enough.

The vertebrae in the spine are there to harbor an active body. They help to keep bones in a spring and squishy state, which in turn increases the longevity of the whole spinal column. Someone sitting in a truck all day will not "use" this body part properly, and, as the saying goes, "if you don't use it, you'll lose it." Sitting for prolonged periods of time will reduce effectivity of joints and limit the range of movement.

Muscle imbalances between the glutes, abdominal muscles, lower back, and upper back is another big reason for back pain among truck drivers. It is important that these core muscles are properly utilized. This can be done by stretching, deep breathing, and other exercises that involve the core muscles.