My six year old son has a habit of complaining about back pain within ten minutes of sitting in his booster seat. I sympathize with him since my back, too, suffers chronic discomfort if I’m stuck in the bucket seat of our Montanna for more than an hour.
In fact, spending a day strapped to a seat with abysmal lumbar support is a challenge to any human body’s tolerance for discomfort. The act of sitting for any period of time applies more pressure on the back than any other position. So, while strapped inside a car, any opportunity to lift the rear end off of a seat is a help. Today’s seatbelt laws (that fortunately promote the safety and well-being of passengers) hinder us from allowing our bodies to find the positions are most comfortable for our bodies.
A lumbar support pillow is a relatively effective measure to prevent the tension that results in the lower back from sitting. There are many brands and types of pillows on the market. One convenient option is to purchase an inflatable pillow. That way, each passenger’s pillow can be deflated and folded away during short drives and, depending on the size of the child, can be inflated to various pressures to suit his or her body frame.
I recently started using an inflatable travel support pillow called Back Booster. With some experimentation, I was able to find the most comfortable level of inflation. When fully inflated, my upper back couldn’t rest against the top of the seat. However, when inflated less than half its capacity, the pillow offered just enough support to mould into my lower back, thus allowing me to maintain a proper posture. The same level of inflation turned out to fit perfectly for my six year old, as well. His complaints stop abruptly as soon as he slips the pillow his back.
A less effective, but easy alternative is to place a rolled towel behind the lower back. Ideally, the driver should adjust the seat to be as straight as possible and close enough to the steering wheel to prevent leaning forward to reach the controls. Just as important to spinal health, is to take regular breaks outside of the car. Every few hours, pull into a rest stop for a stretch of the legs.
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