The holiday season is finally here, full of family gatherings, festive meals, shopping trips, travel, decorating, cooking, and a whole lot of rushing around. While these moments bring joy, they also bring something less welcome: added stress on your spine. Between long hours sitting at holiday dinners, lugging heavy shopping bags, standing in the kitchen for hours, and navigating busy travel schedules, it’s no surprise many people feel more neck, back pain, or sciatica pain in December than almost any other time of year.
At Mission Village Chiropractor San Diego, we see patients every holiday season who experience new or worsening pain because the holidays place unique demands on the body. The good news? With some simple strategies, you can enjoy the season and keep your spine healthy.
Dr. Blakely's Survival Guide gives you practical, chiropractor-approved tips to help keep your back strong, mobile, and pain-free between festive meals.
Why the Holidays Are Hard on Your Spine
Even people who normally feel great can experience discomfort this time of year. Here’s why:
More Sitting, Less Moving
Holiday dinners, long drives, and binge-watching seasonal movies mean you’re sitting more than usual. Long periods of sitting place pressure on your lower spine, tighten hip flexors, and weaken core muscles, all of which can trigger back pain.
Heavier Lifting
From carrying groceries to hauling decorations out of storage, many holiday chores involve awkward lifting. One wrong twist while lifting a box can inflame discs, strain muscles, or irritate nerves.
Added Stress
Stress doesn’t just affect your mind. It causes muscle tension, poor posture, shallow breathing, and a higher likelihood of injury. The holidays, while joyful, also tend to be stressful for many people.
Irregular Routines
Skipping workouts, sleeping less, eating more sugar/salt, or traveling can throw your musculoskeletal system out of balance.
Understanding these factors is the first step toward preventing holiday-related back and neck pain.
Healthy Holiday Tip #1: Take Micro-Movement Breaks
Long hours at the table or lounging on the couch can stiffen the spine. Combat this with micro-movement breaks every 30–45 minutes.
Try:
Stand and stretch for 20–30 seconds
Walk to refill your drink or take a short lap
Roll your shoulders backward 10–15 times
Gently twist side to side to mobilize your mid-back
These small movements help keep joints lubricated and prevent tightness from building up.
Pro Tip: If you tend to forget, set a reminder on your phone, your spine will thank you later.
Healthy Holiday Tip #2: Keep Your Core Engaged
Your core acts like a natural brace for your spine. When your abdominal and low-back muscles are activated, your spine stays supported—even when you’re sitting for long periods or lifting heavy items.
Here are simple ways to keep your core engaged:
Sit tall with your shoulders relaxed and back slightly arched.
Pull your belly button gently toward your spine.
Keep your feet flat on the floor (avoid sitting with your legs crossed!).
When lifting, tighten your core before you pick anything up.
A strong, active core reduces pressure on your discs and helps prevent sudden “tweak” injuries.
Healthy Holiday Tip #3: Lift Safely, Even When You’re in a Hurry
Whether you’re lifting a turkey out of the oven, grabbing luggage from a car, or carrying a stack of presents, safe lifting techniques matter.
Remember these chiropractor-approved rules:
✔ Use your legs, not your back.
Squat with your hips and knees rather than bending from your waist.
✔ Keep objects close to your body.
Reaching forward places extra stress on your spine.
✔ Avoid twisting while lifting.
Instead, move your feet to turn your whole body.
✔ Ask for help with bulky or heavy items.
Many holiday back injuries happen because people try to lift awkward objects alone. Two seconds of asking for help can save you from weeks of pain.
Healthy Holiday Tip #4: Support Your Spine During Travel
Planes, cars, and even guest beds can do a number on your spine.
If you’re traveling this holiday season:
In the Car
Adjust your seat so your hips and knees are level.
Use a small rolled towel for lumbar support.
Stop every 1–2 hours to stretch.
On a Plane
Stand and walk the aisle periodically.
Sit with both feet flat on the floor, avoid tucking your legs.
Bring a neck pillow to prevent strain.
At a Relative’s House
Guest beds are notorious for being too soft, too hard, or too old.
Try this trick:
Place a pillow under your knees if you sleep on your back, or between your knees if you sleep on your side.
This keeps your spine aligned and reduces morning stiffness.
Healthy Holiday Tip #5: Stay Hydrated (It Helps More Than You Think)
Dehydration makes muscles stiffer and more prone to spasms. It also reduces disc cushioning between your vertebrae.
Between holiday cocktails, sugary drinks, and salty meals, your body needs even more water to stay balanced.
Aim for:
8–10 cups of water per day, or more if you're active.
Drinking a glass of water before each holiday meal.
Adding electrolytes if you're traveling or on your feet all day.
Your spine’s discs rely heavily on hydration, keeping up with water helps them stay supple and shock-absorbent.
Healthy Holiday Tip #6: Use Simple Stretches to Reset Your Back
You don’t need a full workout to keep your spine moving well. Even 3–5 minutes of stretching makes a big difference.
Here are Mission Valley Chiropractor stretches to do throughout the holidays:
Cat-Cow Stretch
Opens and mobilizes your entire spine.
Child’s Pose
Releases low-back tension from sitting or standing too long.
Hip-Flexor Stretch
Great for counteracting long hours of sitting.
Thoracic Extension Stretch
Helps reverse slouching from travel or couch time.
Hamstring Stretch
Tight hamstrings pull on the pelvis, contributing to low-back pain.
Try doing a few of these stretches after waking up, before bed, and anytime your spine feels tight.
Healthy Holiday Tip #7: Practice Eating Posture
Most people lean forward while eating, especially during long holiday dinners. Slouching compresses the lower spine and strains the neck.
Here’s your quick posture checklist:
Sit with your hips all the way back in the chair.
Keep your shoulders relaxed, not rounded.
Bring your plate closer instead of leaning forward.
Keep both feet planted on the ground.
Small adjustments like this prevent the “holiday dinner hunch.”
Healthy Holiday Tip #8: Schedule a Chiropractic Adjustment Before or After the Holidays
A chiropractic adjustment is one of the best ways to keep your spine aligned, reduce tension, improve mobility, and prevent pain—especially during a physically demanding season like the holidays.
Many patients visit before the holidays to:
Improve joint mobility
Reduce muscle tightness
Prevent seasonal flare-ups
Boost nervous system function
Improve posture for travel and long meals
Others come in right after the holidays to recover from lifting, traveling, and standing or sitting more than usual.
If you want to stay ahead of holiday stress, now is the perfect time to prioritize your spinal health.
Enjoy the Holidays Without the Pain
Your spine works hard for you all year, especially during the busy holiday season. With mindful movement, smart lifting habits, stretching, hydration, and chiropractic care, you can make it through the festivities feeling comfortable, mobile, and pain-free.
At Mission Village Chiropractic, we’re here to help you enjoy a healthier, happier holiday season. Whether you’re looking to prevent pain or recover from it, we offer personalized care to keep you moving your best.
Ready to support your spine this holiday season?
Schedule your appointment today, your body will thank you long after the decorations come down.
About Blakely Chiropractic
For over 3 decades, Blakely Chiropractic has been helping patients throughout San Diego with gentle chiropractic treatments to alleviate a variety of pain symptoms including back pain relief, neck pain relief, shoulder pain relief, sciatica, and headaches. Dr. Blakely also works closely with patients for personal injury pain relief and work injuries. We offer a free consultation to get an understanding what pain you are experiencing and will come up with a tailored treatment plan to get you back to full health!
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