Summer in Sussex tends to mean one thing for a lot of our patients: it is finally time to get away. Whether that is a long-haul flight, a road trip down to the coast or a few nights somewhere with an unfamiliar mattress, travel puts your back and neck through a set of demands that ordinary daily life does not. The good news is that most travel-related aches are entirely preventable and, even more reassuringly, almost always resolve well with the right self-care.
At Sundial Clinics in Brighton, we see a predictable rise in back and neck complaints every July and August. It is rarely anything serious. It is usually a combination of prolonged sitting, awkward lifting, disrupted sleep and a few too many hours on a sunbed. Here is what is actually happening to your body when you travel and what you can do about it.
Why travel is harder on your back and neck than you might think
It is not any single thing that causes travel-related pain; it is usually several small stresses stacking up at once.
Prolonged sitting is the biggest factor. Research consistently links extended static sitting with low back discomfort, partly because a slumped, flexed posture increases load on the lumbar spine and reduces the natural support your deep core and back muscles normally provide. A study of office workers found that sitting for less than 75% of the working day was associated with significantly less back and neck pain. Even short, frequent breaks lowered pain risk by nearly 40–50%. A long flight, coach journey, or motorway drive recreates exactly this scenario, often without the option to stand up and move whenever you would like.
Aircraft and car seats rarely support good posture. Lumbar support varies hugely between airlines, seat classes and car models and most economy or budget seating offers little. Research on commercial airline pilots (we see many of these) found that prolonged sitting in less than ideal ergonomic conditions exposes the lumbar spine to increased pressure. Poor seat design or inadequate lumbar support contributes meaningfully to musculoskeletal strain. You do not need to be a pilot to feel the effect after six hours in an economy seat.
Lifting and pulling luggage adds a sudden, awkward load on top of all that stiffness. Heaving bags onto a check-in scale, off the carousel, into an overhead locker or a car boot tend to involve exactly the movements that put the spine at most risk: bending forward at the waist rather than the knees, lifting at arm’s length rather than close to the body, and twisting while holding weight. The UK Health and Safety Executive identifies manual handling, including lifting, carrying and twisting under load as some of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly back pain, with back injuries accounting for a substantial proportion of all reported cases nationally. The same biomechanical risks that apply to a heavy box at work apply just as readily to a heavy suitcase at the airport.
Unfamiliar beds and long stretches on a sunbed do not help either. A mattress that is too soft, too firm or simply different from what your body is used to can leave your spine feeling stiff overnight. Lying flat on a sunbed for hours, often with your head propped at an odd angle to read or look at a phone, asks your neck to hold a position it is not designed to sustain for long periods.
None of this means travel is bad for you or that everyone who flies or drives will end up in pain. It simply means a few sensible precautions go a long way.
Simple self-help steps for before and during your trip
Before you travel
- Spend a few minutes loosening your back, hips and shoulders the day before departure. Gentle mobility work, rather than intense stretching, is enough. If you know you have a long journey ahead, try to do some light walking or movement in the days before; a body that has been completely sedentary copes less well with sudden long stillness than one that has had some regular movement.
- Pack thoughtfully. Two lighter bags are easier and safer to lift than one heavy one. A four-wheel spinner case that you can push rather than drag reduces strain considerably.
- Check your mattress. If you know that very soft or very firm mattresses tend to aggravate your back, it is worth checking with the hotel or host before you travel. Many hotels can tell you the mattress type or firmness in advance, and some can offer a firmer or softer room on request. For Airbnbs and self-catering stays, the listing description or a quick message to the host often answers this; if you are travelling for two weeks or more, it is worth the two minutes it takes to ask, rather than discovering on arrival that the bed is unsuitable for the whole stay.
Lifting and handling luggage
Good lifting technique is one of the most evidence-backed pieces of advice in this entire topic. The same principles our Sundial chiropractors and physiotherapists teach for safe manual handling apply directly to luggage:
- Stand close to the bag, bend at the knees rather than the waist and keep your back in its natural, neutral curve rather than rounding it forward.
- Hold the bag close to your body as you lift; the further a weight sits from your spine, the more leverage it exerts and the more force travels through your back.
- Avoid twisting while holding weight. If you need to turn, move your feet and pivot your whole body rather than rotating through your spine alone.
- Where possible, share the load across both hands rather than carrying everything in one arm. Use trolleys, porter services or baggage drop assistance for anything that feels too heavy or unwieldy to manage comfortably alone.
On a flight, coach or in the car
The single most useful thing you can do on a long journey is interrupt prolonged stillness. Standing up and stretching at least every hour or two, shrugging your shoulders and doing heel raises and avoiding sitting with your knees bent at a sharp angle helps maintain good blood flow and eases stiffness. On flights, this is also part of standard NHS advice for circulation generally, not specifically for back and neck comfort, but the two overlap helpfully: regular movement helps both.
A few practical additions for comfort specifically:
- Use a small cushion, rolled jumper or travel pillow in the small of your back to maintain some lumbar support if the seat does not provide it.
- Try not to slump or lean to one side for extended periods, particularly if you tend to fall asleep against a window or tray table; this often leaves people with a stiff neck on arrival.
- On car journeys, plan stops roughly every two hours to get out, walk briefly and stretch, in the same way you would on a long-haul flight.
- If you are working from a laptop or reading on a tablet during travel, try to bring the device up towards eye level rather than dropping your chin down towards it for long periods, since this reduces strain on the neck.
At your destination
If a bed feels unusually soft or firm, give your body a day or two to adjust before assuming something is wrong; mild, short-lived stiffness after a night on a different mattress is common and usually settles on its own. If you are away for more than two or three nights and the bed is genuinely unsuitable, it is worth doing something about it rather than tolerating discomfort for the whole trip. A few simple adjustments can help:
- If the mattress is too soft, try placing a pillow under the small of your back if you sleep on your side or under your knees if you sleep on your back, to help keep your spine in a more neutral position overnight.
- If the mattress is too firm, a folded blanket or spare duvet placed under the bottom sheet can soften pressure points, particularly around the hips and shoulders.
Ask the hotel or accommodation for an extra mattress topper, different pillows or a room change if the bed is causing ongoing discomfort; most places are used to this request and can usually help. - If you cannot change the bed itself, sleeping position can make a real difference. Side sleepers often do better with a pillow between the knees, and back sleepers may find a small pillow under the knees eases lower back pressure regardless of mattress firmness.
- For camping trips or self-catering stays where bedding is more unpredictable, a packable travel mattress topper tends to give more consistent support than a basic blow-up camping mattress, which can let the hips sink lower than the shoulders overnight; if a topper is not practical, a blow-up mattress is still preferable to a hard floor, but is worth testing at home first if you know firmness affects your back.
- Limit single sunbed sessions and get up to move periodically rather than lying still for hours; alternating positions and taking breaks reduces the chance of waking up with a stiff neck or lower back.
- Ease back into activity gradually after a long journey rather than launching straight into a strenuous walk, a round of golf or unpacking heavy cases; give your body a little time to recover its normal range of movement first.
When a professional assessment makes sense
If your travel-related stiffness has not settled within a week or two of being home, if it is limiting your normal activities or if it keeps recurring every time you travel, it is reasonable to have it properly assessed rather than simply waiting it out. This is also true if pain is sharper, more localised, or behaving differently to your usual aches.
How Sundial Clinics can help
If travel has left you with ongoing stiffness, a nagging ache or a stiff neck that will not settle, our team can help in a few ways:
- Assessment. We take the time to understand what actually happened (the long flight, the awkward lift off the carousel, the unfamiliar bed) and examine how your back or neck is moving now, so any advice is specific to you rather than generic.
- Hands-on care. Depending on what suits you and what we find, this might include chiropractic adjustment, physiotherapy-led mobilisation or sports massage to ease muscular tension built up from travel.
- Exercise and movement guidance. Targeted stretches and strengthening, particularly for the lower back, hips and neck, to help you recover fully and travel more comfortably next time.
- Referral where appropriate. If anything in your assessment suggests you need investigation or care beyond what we provide, we will say so clearly and point you in the right direction; we are not the right answer for every type of pain, and we would rather tell you that early than waste your time.
Our team includes chiropractors, physiotherapists and sports massage therapists, working across our city centre and Kemptown clinics, so whichever approach suits your situation, you do not need to go elsewhere to access it.
FAQ
Is it normal to get back pain after a long flight? Yes, it is very common. Long periods of static sitting, often in seats with limited lumbar support, place extra load on the lower back. Mild stiffness that eases within a few days is rarely a cause for concern.
Should I worry about blood clots on long flights, not just back pain?
Travel-related deep vein thrombosis is rare but worth being aware of, particularly on journeys of four hours or more. NHS travel health advice recommends moving regularly, staying hydrated and avoiding sitting with your legs crossed for long periods. Seek urgent medical attention if you notice swelling, redness, warmth or pain in one calf, or any breathlessness or chest pain, either during travel or in the weeks afterwards.
What is the best way to lift a heavy suitcase? Bend at the knees rather than the waist, keep the case close to your body, avoid twisting while you lift, and use both hands rather than carrying everything on one side. If a bag feels too heavy to lift comfortably, it is sensible to use a trolley or ask for help rather than risk straining your back.
Can a bad hotel mattress actually cause back pain? It can certainly contribute to short-term stiffness, particularly if it is much softer or firmer than your usual bed. This is usually mild and settles within a few days as your body adjusts, or once you are back on your own mattress.
I get neck pain every time I fly. Is there anything I can do differently? Try to avoid falling asleep slumped against a window or tray table, bring any reading material or device up towards eye level rather than looking down for long periods and do gentle shoulder and neck stretches every couple of hours. If this keeps happening despite trying these changes, it is worth having your neck properly assessed.
Do I need an X-ray or MRI to find out what is wrong? Usually not. Most travel-related back and neck pain is assessed clinically, through movement testing and history taking, without imaging. NICE guidance specifically advises against routine imaging for non-specific back pain in non-specialist settings, since it rarely changes the treatment plan.
Will chiropractic or physiotherapy definitely fix my travel-related pain? For most muscle and joint, travel-related stiffness, hands-on treatment and tailored exercise tend to help a great deal. However, not every cause of back or neck pain responds to this kind of care, which is why a proper assessment matters; if something else is going on, we will tell you and point you towards the right type of help.
How soon after getting home should I see someone if I am still in pain? If pain has not noticeably improved within two to three weeks or it is affecting your sleep or daily activities, that is a reasonable point to book an assessment rather than continuing to wait.
References
Kallings LV, Blom V, Ekblom B, et al. Workplace sitting is associated with self-reported general health and back/neck pain: a cross-sectional analysis in 44,978 employees. BMC Public Health. 2021;21:875.
AlMuammar S, Alkhaldi R, Aldealij R, et al. In the captain’s chair: a cross-sectional study on back pain among commercial airline pilots in Saudi Arabia. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2025;26:143.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management. NICE guideline [NG59]. Published 30 November 2016, last updated 11 December 2020.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Manual Handling at Work: A Brief Guide. INDG143 (rev 4).
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and travelling. Patient information leaflet.
About Matthew Bennett, Chiropractor Brighton
Matthew Bennett is the founder and principal chiropractor at Sundial Clinics Brighton, established in 1991. With over 35 years of clinical experience, Matthew qualified from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in 1987 and served as President of the British Chiropractic Association for four years. As a Fellow of the Royal College of Chiropractors and former team chiropractor for Brighton and Hove Albion FC and the British Alpine Ski Team, Matthew combines evidence-based chiropractic treatment with sports performance expertise. His authority in musculoskeletal health has been recognised through national media appearances, expert witness roles and contributions to professional publications. Matthew’s commitment to clinical excellence ensures patients receive the most effective chiropractic care in Brighton.