Many drivers do not know how to adjust the car seat correctly. This leaves many straining while after driving. Others, still, know how to adjust the seat but they do not know how to do it correctly.
The only solution becomes driving with a lot of strain ranging from straining the neck to see clearly to struggling to reach the steering wheel and the pedal too. The consequences are back and muscle pain.
It is for this reason that I have decided to write this article to help you know how to adjust the car seat for back pain correctly.
1. Ensure Your Knees Are Comfortable
Press the gas and allow your knees to bend slightly by sliding the driver’s seat. Depending on how your legs are bent, move the seat. For example, if when you press the gas pedal you feel that your legs are fully extended, move the seat forward.
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Otherwise, if when you press the gas pedal, you feel that your legs are totally bent, then, you should move the seat backwards. In short, the right seat position is one that allows your knees to bend slightly.
2. Slide The Chair
For you to have a comfortable ride with no back pain, ensure that you retain a gap between the seat and the back part of your knee.
You can test the width of the gap to ensure that it is the right size. That is; two of your fingers should comfortably fit in that gap to proof that it is the appropriate size.
Otherwise, if the fingers can’t fit comfortably, it means you need to continue sliding your seat backwards.
3. Adjust The Height Of Your Seat
Next, you need to ensure that the level you are seating at is comfortable enough to allow you to comfortably and clearly see the road. To achieve this, you need to have your knees and hips at one level. How do you do this? Adjust the level of the seat by raising it up-way.
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Do these until you see the road without straining your neck and shoulders. However, since some popular sites like KamaDevaYoga recommend using a belt to maintain a good posture, using a car belt could also help retain your back in the right posture.
4. Adjust The Backrest Up To About 100 Degrees
Your backrest should be at an angle of 100 to 110 so as to allow our hands to reach the steering comfortably and your shoulders to rest on the backrest. If you get the 100°, your elbows will bend slightly. So, if you are bending to reach the steering, adjust the backrest up-way to have your hands on the steering wheel comfortably.
Otherwise, if you realize that your shoulders are not resting on the backrest when you make a turn, then it is an indication that your backrest needs to move up-way a little more until you are comfortable.
5. Align The Top Of Your Head With That Of The Headrest
Once you set the backrest, it is time to move the headrest. In this case, your head should be at the center of your headrest so as to give a good balance to your back.
Balance the head and headrest correctly. How? Your head should not be below or above the headrest. The top of the headrest and that of your head should align.
To achieve this, you need to adjust the height of the headrest up-way in case the head is above and downwards if the head is below.
6. Make Adjustment To The Lumbar Support
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Your lower back needs to be as comfortable as possible to avoid having back pains after driving. Otherwise, even 20 minutes of driving will cause your back more harm than good. So, you need to make an adjustment to the lumber to support the lower back curve.
So, your waistline should be at the same level as the bottom edge of the lumbar support. Once they are of the same level, you need to ensure that the lower back curve is fully filled so that there is no gap there. You do this by adjusting the depth of the lumbar support to ensure it fills the curve.
The conclusion
It takes a short time to correctly adjust the car seat for back pain yet the benefits that come after having the right adjustment are many. Again, you enjoy them for many years. So, always ensure your seat is correctly adjusted.
