Pain on the Plane - How to Travel When It Hurts

Traveling has become a real pain in the ahem, tushie. Even for those folks without chronic pain, it's a stressful experience. How do you maintain your travel, for work or play, when your body just says "ouch"?

Here are some trips from a real travel-lover (I've been to 50 countries):

1. Take your treatments with you. Most everything you do to manage pain can be traveled with. You can get small thermophores, refillable ice bags (remember those pix of the kid with the ice bag on his jaw? yeah, those), little bottles of Emu Oil under 3 oz, pain meds, stretch bands, small travel pillows for your back, earthing wires for your bed - yes, it can all go with you.

Even those non-pain treating activities that make you "whole" again are critical. I used to say, when I was actively traveling for music (we were doing 30 concerts in 27 days in 8 countries in 20 cities...) all I needed were my pillow, a book, my walkman (back then) & some bubble bath & I could make myself happy anywhere in the world. Above and beyond your pain management stuff, find out what your happy tools are, and take them!

2. Plan ahead. Being a person who feels trapped when I can't get up at least once an hour on a plane, I pretty much refuse to fly unless I get an aisle seat. Period. That is getting harder to do as crazy airlines like American are making you pay for some of them now. But still, if you book far enough in advance, you can get that seat that you need.

3. Take care of yourself anywhere. I grew up traveling, so I learned to bathe in the sink of trains traveling across Russia, sleep on floors at the airport, use the bathroom alongside the road, drink out of sinks all over the world (using carbon filter cups), stretch my whole body in the airplane bathroom, whatever was needed. Traveling is no excuse for not treating your pain. So whatever you need to do, find a way to do it. Just make yourself as flexible as possible, literally, lose the "ugh, I can't touch/do that" approach, and welcome your new environment.

4. Only travel with people that understand you. When you're a) in pain and b) on the road, the last thing you need is ANOTHER complainer besides yourself. So limit your travel companions to those that are understanding, or at best, keep their mouth shut about how you get your needs met. Want to enjoy yourself while in pain? Choose your company wisely.

In a group and can't choose your company? Just stay away from those who make fun of you, try to prohibit you from getting your needs met, keep you awake all night or generally make your life worse. Even if you have to be a loner at times, your own happy company is better than negative vibes.

5. Reward yourself. When I used to travel for music, I would start out the day, every day, looking forward to that hot shower at the END of the day. That helped me get through exhausting days with a little more comfort. That reward is so important. Create yourself a mental carrot when you travel, and no matter how bad things get, you can find a way to laugh at the craziness. Reward yourself for the effort, and the fact that you MADE IT, even when it was harder for you than for anyone else.

Let me know how these tips work for you. What things do YOU do when you travel, that we all should know about & try?

(Cartoon Credit: Pete Pascoe. Permission pending.)