Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch, a fellowship-trained endometriosis excision surgeon and founder of Iris Wings Sanctuary for Endometriosis Surgery & Wellness in Beverly Hills, is sharing her best advice for preparing for summer travel, preventing pain flares, and enjoying your vacation without letting chronic pain take over.
Why can summer travel be especially challenging for people living with chronic pain?
Dr. Kerin Orbuch: Travel in general is challenging for those living with chronic pain, but the summer exacerbates that challenge. High heat and humidity flare the body’s inflammatory response, which causes joint and muscle swelling. The heat also leads to dehydration, which can cause muscle cramping and flaring pain. Additionally, travel in general, due to prolonged sitting or prolonged inactivity, further tightens muscles and puts lots of pressure on our body. Throw in the typical stresses of travel, like packing, navigating security, dressing and undressing going through security lines, rushing to gates, delayed flights, bad airline food, dehydration while in the air, sleeping in uncomfortable beds, and staying in hotels that often use a multitude of cleaning products filled with fragrances, and it makes travel extremely challenging..
All of these cause anxiety, which increases the brain’s perception and response to pain. Stress dysregulates the nervous system, which then leads to slow gut motility and gut dysfunction. It’s a never-ending cycle of one stress leading to another stress, which has downstream effects.
What are the biggest mistakes people make before or during a trip that can trigger a pain flare?
Dr. Kerin Orbuch: The biggest mistake people make prior to travel is not packing those essentials that they need to help them. For some, that is packing the heating pad or massage gun, a roller ball, or something to help them stretch out their back. For others, it’s packing Epsom salts because they know they’re lucky enough to have a bathtub in the hotel they’re staying in. Whatever that essential is, remember to pack it.
I don’t leave the house for the airport without my carry-on having my massage gun, lumbar pillow, seat cushion, snacks, reusable water bottle, and meditations downloaded on my phone.
What should someone do before they leave home to help make travel more comfortable?
Dr. Kerin Orbuch: Always remember to think ahead and pack your medicines in your carry-on. For simplicity, I like the containers that list Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I remember to take my supplements. Also, relying on airline food and fast food instead of packing meals to eat on the plane is a fast way to begin your trip on the wrong foot. Days before travel, one should be extremely hydrated and make sure they eat nourishing and healthy foods and are getting a lot of rest. Staying up late the night before you travel is already setting the tone of stress in your body. Also, if you are taking an overnight flight or changing time zones, you want to plan accordingly.
Also, when it comes to planning, what you will be doing on your first few days will determine the stress that your body feels. For instance, if you have a long trip overnight and arrive early in the morning somewhere, it would be best to not jam-pack your first few days running around in the extreme heat. It is better to pace yourself. Lots of times, less is more, especially with the crowdedness of summer travel, as well as the heat elevating your core temperature.
Whether you’re flying or taking a road trip, what are your top tips for staying comfortable during long periods of sitting?
Dr. Kerin Orbuch: Traveling with a blowup lumbar support, as well as a seat cushion, is a must-have for anyone with chronic pain. Additionally, if you have access to an exit row or one of the rows where you have more legroom, that would be ideal. I highly recommend getting up and moving around hourly. I don’t travel anywhere on a plane without my massage gun. Also, applying lidocaine patches on your sacrum, lower back, or shoulders is a game changer.
Can heat, dehydration, and busy vacation itineraries make chronic pain worse? If so, how can travelers avoid those triggers?
Dr. Kerin Orbuch: Yes, absolutely. I highly recommend hydrating days in advance before travel, as well as in the airport and on the plane. I always bring a reusable water bottle and fill it up after traveling through security. And while on the plane, I ask for glass after glass of water. For those of you who like electrolytes, I’d recommend bringing electrolyte packets to put in that water. I’m also a big fan of meditating before leaving for the airport, as well as while on the plane, as that can down regulate your central nervous system and pain.
For people living with endometriosis or chronic pelvic pain, are there any additional travel considerations they should keep in mind?
Dr. Kerin Orbuch: Since endometriosis absolutely affects the gut and stress worsens pain, I always recommend packing snacks and meals for the plane so you don’t need to rely on airplane food. Additionally, I like to utilize Instacart and order water, fruit and healthy snacks to my hotel room so they are there when I arrive. Leg compression socks are great for those whose legs swell during travel. Also, remembering to pack whatever medicines or supplements you need for the plane is so important. I even travel with my infrared red light so I can place it on my lower back, neck, or wherever it is needed. Others travel with hot water bottles, as you can ask the flight attendant for warm water.
If you could leave travelers with one piece of advice this summer, what would it be to help them enjoy their vacation without letting chronic pain take over?
