Dr. Jeremy Smith on Driving Posture

A new report stated that Southern California has the worst traffic in the U.S. Dr. Jeremy Smith, spine surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute, recently spoke with Tim Conway Jr. on KFI Radio about how to keep your back healthy even when you’re on the road. Despite rush hour traffic, there are small things you can do to keep your back in good health.

According to Dr. Smith, the most important thing you can do to prevent back problems is to stop slouching. Try to adjust the seat height and distance from the pedals to a comfortable level that will help you avoid slouching or straining.

Dr. Smith’s best tip for maintaining your posture is to imagine you are trying to squeeze a pencil between your shoulder blades and your butt cheeks! It’s weird, but it works.

When sitting in the car, you want your arms to be comfortable with your elbows slightly bent. Avoid leaning back too far in the seat with your arms stretched out straight.

Click here to listen to the full segment! 

In addition to back health tips in traffic, Dr. Smith also discussed the importance of drinking water to keep your muscles and discs hydrated. Disc degeneration is extremely common and staying hydrated will help prevent this problem. He also mentioned how flipping your mattress or buying a new one when can relieve back pain for some people. 

Dr. Smith is an orthopedic spine surgeon who specializes in the treatment of degenerative spinal conditions. He earned his medical degree from New York Medical College and graduated number one in his medical school class. He is an assistant professor at University of Southern California and enjoys teaching new generations of orthopedic surgeons.