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Many patients enter the clinic with pain while making the long commute into northern Virginia and DC. Most of these patients present with low back and hip pain that increases with long periods of time in the car. Sitting in traffic is painful already so adding more pain makes it miserable.

Most of the time people try to twist side to side or throw a pillow behind the low back in hopes of getting some relief.

Instead of the problem being at the low back, therapists have found that the bucket seat design of the car seats places a drivers knee above their hips and their pelvis in a posterior position (tucked tail bone) which results in a rounded spine and causes you to sit on your tailbone.  For most people the pillow behind the back does not help very much because this is not working to the source of the bad posture.

To help correct this position a few companies have created wedges which help to place the pelvis in a more even position to help allow the driver to keep a more natural spine position.

Newer vehicles have adjustments on the side of the seat to tilt the seat more level allowing the thighs and the hips to be in better alignment

You can create your own wedge at home using a beach or bath towel with a few simple folds.