Top 6 Car Features for Drivers with Back Pain

A 'bad back' is a term you start to hear more frequently as you get older. If you have back pain, riding in the car while trapped in Metro Manila's hellish traffic conditions can be torture. Fortunately, there are ways to make your condition more bearable. If you're a frequent traffic warrior, it helps if your car has the best car features for back pain to help you out.

1. Highly-adjustable seats

Sitting in one position for too long only serves to worsen your back problem. The easiest way to fix this is to adjust your seating position. Unfortunately, if you have rigid car seats, there’s nothing worse like it to trigger back pain. A highly-adjustable seat helps you find the most comfortable seating position for your painful back. These seats allow you to adjust your seat up, down, forwards, backwards, and even at various angles. A seat that allows for lumbar adjustments is particularly helpful. Look for one with electronic controls so you don’t have to work as hard to adjust the seat.

Cars with highly adjustable seats: Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mini Clubman

2. Limited side bolstering

Bucket seats are great for keeping you in your seat during twists and turns. However, they tend to be hard on the back because of their high side bolsters, which only serve to make you sink into the seat. That much limited mobility can be bad for your back, not to mention make car entry and exit challenging and painful. A seat with very little side bolstering can keep your painful back from flaring up.

On that note, choose seats that strike the right balance between pliability and firmness. Keep in mind that as your car gets older, the more likely the foam has lost its firmness, which is not ideal for back comfort.

Cars with limited side bolstering: Subaru Outback, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Mini Cooper S

3. Massaging seats

Massaging seats are a pleasure on your back, so if you've got the dough, invest on a vehicle that gives your back a soothing, relaxing massage. This feature is especially useful for long commutes. Massage seats vary the pressure on your body on a rotating basis, which can help prolong seating endurance.

Cars with massaging seats: Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Ford Explorer

4. Back-up cameras and blind spot monitoring

Think about how much you twist your neck and body every time you parallel park or back out of a parking spot. Too much body twisting can trigger your back pain. Back-up cameras, as well as blind spot warning system reduce your having to turn your neck, and with it, your spine. Of course, you'll still need to look from side to side as you back up, but with these features, there'll be less neck-craning going on as you maneuver.

Cars with back-up cameras and blind spot monitoring: Honda City, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze

5. Seat memory

Seat memory lets you change your seat configuration at the touch of a button. This will make it easy to change from one seating position to another. By choosing a car model that 'memorizes' your favorite setting, you won't have to keep fiddling with the chair's adjustment controls every time someone else drives your car and changes it.

Cars with seat memory: Lexus ES 350, Volvo S60, Dodge Charger

6. Heated driver seats

In general, heat is good for back pain. Heated seats permit you to control the temperature on your back, which can be a helpful addition to conventional therapies. If your back is starting to act up, simply turn on the heat for a little on-the-go back therapy.

Cars with heated front seats: Hyundai Sonata GLS, Audi A4, Ford Focus