Laurie Baratti | TravelPulse (TNS)

Traveling can be a painful experience even if you’re someone who generally enjoys good health. In those ultra-cramped economy seats aboard airplanes, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’d call themselves comfortable. But, for those who suffer with chronic pain, the proposition of travel presents a myriad of extra concerns and challenges.

For some, their symptoms substantially restrict even their daily activities, so the notion of venturing outside their usual controllable environment seems almost impossible. These often-invisible afflictions can effectively incapacitate you or, at least, impede your ability to enjoy all kinds of things other people take for granted. But, with careful planning and some compensatory measures at the ready, travel isn’t necessarily off the table.

There are some things you can do to help ensure that your journey runs smoothly and minimize the discomfort of whatever mode of transportation you choose. And, while the change in your environment and routine that accompanies travel will undoubtedly challenge your body, you can do your best to prepare for likely eventualities. There may be nothing we can do about the pitch of airplane seating, but some things are still within our control.

Mentality

The first obstacle may be the lingering worry that you might experience a flare-up and find yourself unfit to travel when the departure date actually arrives, which could deter you from making plans in the first place. What if an attack comes on midtrip and you find yourself without your usual means of mitigating the symptoms? It will probably be necessary to remind yourself constantly of the benefits you’ll enjoy because of your trip — seeing friends or loved ones, experiencing new things or the singular enjoyment that comes from a change of scenery.

Planning ahead

If your budget allows, you may wish to purchase travel insurance with Cancel For Any Reason coverage, so that you can back out of your trip in case the worst-case scenario does occur. Be sure to look thoroughly into the terms of your policy, however, as some may not reimburse you 100% of your travel expenses.

Communication

If you’re traveling with companions, be transparent about your condition. The pressures of traveling, particularly in a group, can be compounded if other members of your party don’t realize that you’re in appreciable pain. With invisible ailments, it’s essential to communicate your needs and limitations to your group so that they are aware of and can accommodate your restrictions, or at least understand when you need to dip out of an activity and go rest in your room.

Reduce travel time

There are things you can do to help reduce the amount of time you spend on your travel journey, most of which involve some extra expense. You can minimize time spent standing in security screening queues by enrolling in TSA Precheck, which allows you to use a dedicated lane for expedited screening service. If possible, you’ll also want to opt for a direct flight to reduce time spent in transit and lugging your bags around multiple airports.

Pack light

Perhaps this one is intuitive (and it’s definitely easier said than done), but you’ll want to pack as lightly as possible. Hauling around a heavy suitcase can easily aggravate your chronic pain condition, and the walk between your car and the airport or hotel room can quite suddenly seem very arduous. Of course, ensure you’ve got a suitcase with wheels to make things easier. If possible, you could consider shipping bulky items directly to your destination. There are companies like Luggage Free, Send My Bag and Lugless that deliver directly to your accommodations.

Bring comfort items

Packing lightly can sometimes prove challenging given my next tip, which is that you pack items that keep you comfortable while both awake and asleep. If you need to stuff a special pillow, heating or cooling pads into a larger suitcase, by all means, do it. Perhaps you need to bring along certain food or snack items that help minimize inflammation. CBD products can be brought aboard airplanes as long as the THC content is no higher than 0.3% (and you are flying between states or countries where it’s legal).

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Packing medications

It may be helpful to use a travel pill organizer so you don’t need to fumble through bottles buried inside your luggage and can bring only the amount of medication you need. If you’re on an international flight, however, you may need to bring the original bottles or copies of your prescriptions. Be sure to fill your prescriptions in advance of your trip and bring along an extra three days’ supply in case your flight gets delayed or canceled and you’re away from home longer than intended. To be on the safe side, you may want to bring along a record of your condition and a list of the medications you’re taking.

Prepare your carry-on

Be sure to pack your medications, water, snacks and pain management tools in your carry-on for easy access. In case your luggage gets mishandled, you don’t want to be caught without these things. That includes any NSAIDS or other analgesics you might need mid-flight or while navigating the airport. A good neck pillow and stick-on heating/cooling pads for tight muscles can prove indispensable during a flight. I also bring a supply of cold medications and supplements with me on every trip, as my pain becomes quite unbearable when I’m fighting any illness.

Wheelchair assistance

Airports are required to provide wheelchair or medical assistance to anyone who requests them, whether or not you typically use a wheelchair. Airlines recommend calling at least 48 hours in advance on your departure on either end of your trip to request a wheelchair or guided assistance, and you can also inform a gate attendant once you arrive. This also allows you to take advantage of early boarding, so that you don’t have to stand for extended periods of time as the masses try to board the plane ahead of you. For more in-depth information on these services, visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s article on Wheelchair and Guided Assistance.

Flying in pain

Be sure to buy your ticket early so you have your choice of airplane seats, and opt for as much legroom and seat comfort as you can afford. Even if you can’t spring for First or Business class, scoring an aisle seat in Economy has its benefits, allowing you to stand up and stretch or move around more mid-flight. Even if you have to squeeze past seatmates to do so, be sure to get up and move a bit during the flight to reduce stiffness and improve circulation.

Throughout your travel journey, you’ll want to stay hydrated and eat as well as possible to keep your blood sugar levels stable and avoid inflammation-triggering foods (like most of the stuff that’s typically available on the go). This is definitely easier said than done when you’re having to dine at the airport, so keep some healthy snacks handy in your carry-on bag.

Go by train

If air travel comes with too many variables for you to be reasonably comfortable getting on a plane and flying, consider rail travel as a viable alternative. Going by train may take longer, but it comes with considerable perks, including ample legroom and often some stunning scenery along the way. You can also choose to book sleeper accommodations, which afford you more privacy, allow you more space to move around an allow you to lie down flat for maximum comfort.

Go by car

If you’re not going too far and will be driving to your destination, many of the above principles still apply. Keep medications and comfort items close at hand, stay hydrated and eat as healthily as possible, and make sure to take breaks roughly every hour so that you can get out, stretch and move around. You’ll also want to swap driving duties, if possible.

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