How to Relieve Travel Stress

Take a heating pad when you travel. Lifting and carrying baggage can cause back muscles to tighten. Even with wheels, luggage needs to be lifted in and out of vehicles, onto airport scales, off of baggage claim conveyor belts.

Backpacks free your hands, but the weight of your stuff can be heavier than you anticipate and cause muscles to tighten. If you sling a bag over your shoulder it can cause shoulder muscle pain or stiffness on one side of the back.

Add the stress of meeting flight times, finding your way through a new area, traffic, hotel beds that aren’t like your own, and you may be feeling tense.

Heat relaxes tense muscles. When you can relax your muscles you may sleep better, and have more flexibility in your back to enjoy your vacation. Most hotels have microwaves and many hotel rooms now offer them. Gas stations that have mini-marts also have microwaves – but wiping them out first is recommended, or place on a paper plate. Maine Warmers sells microwave heating pads that are portable and safe – no worry of overheating. Back Warmers and Neck Warmers can be tucked into a suitcase or carry-on. Also, they may be frozen and used as gentle ice packs.

Relief for sinus headaches

A sinus headache that will not go away with decongestants may indicate an infection or possibly some blockage of the sinuses. To loosen mucus so that the sinuses may drain ask your doctor about taking an expectorant.

The Cleveland Clinic offers a description and information on sinus headaches.

Taking a hot shower, sipping hot tea and breathing the warm vapor, and drinking plenty of fluids helps. An ice pack on the forehead for an unbearable sinus headache my help reduce the swelling. Sitting with a bowl of hot water under your chin also provided some relief. Doctors often recommend taking an expectorant which can break down the sinus pressure, relieving the pressure.

Maine Warmers’ Mainely Ice pack that is gentle on the skin and face. It has a strap with Velcro that can
keep it in place while one is reclining.

If heat is what you need, then this ice pack may be microwaved for soothing heat for the face, back, neck, elbow, or knee. Maine Warmers offers a variety of microwave heating pads and gentle ice packs to help relieve stiff necks and backs.