Alleviating Pain or Discomfort while Driving: A Movement Exploration Lesson

Do you have pain or discomfort while driving?  You’re not alone.  Perhaps a simple readjustment of the seat with respect to its distance from the brake and gas pedals may be beneficial.  Just by “doing something different”, “exploring options”, or “varying the pattern” sometimes helps.  The following is a movement exploration activity which invites this process.

Explore the following, initially anyway, while your car is still parked.  Since it's not good for your car to repeatedly press the gas pedal while the engine is turned off, therefore, we'll only work with the action of pressing the brake pedal.  Don't worry.  The sensory-motor learning you experience by exploring and playing with the action of pressing the brake pedal will also transfer or carry over into the action of pressing the gas pedal.  J

Assume your driving position …  You know …  where your hands are on the wheel, your back comfortably against the seat, your left foot on the floor  …

Place your right foot on the brake pedal, and go ahead and press it a few times.  Notice how you press your foot onto the brake pedal.  That is, would you say that you press it more with the inside of your foot or the outside of your foot?  Vary the way you press your foot into the brake pedal.  That is, explore and find different ways to press the foot.  For example, press with more of the inside of your foot a few times.  Press with more of the outside of your foot a few times.  Go back and forth between the two variations.  That is, alternate, first pressing the brake pad with the inside of the foot, then pressing with the outer edge of the foot, then with the inside of the foot.  Continue alternating back and forth between the inner and outer edges of the foot.

Press the brake pad with more of the toes.  Press with less of the toes.  That is, press the brake pedal feeling that the focal point of the foot is more toward the center of the foot or closer to the heel.

This is a movement exploration lesson.  There’s no right way or wrong way to press the foot into the brake pedal.  You’re just exploring different options for pressing the foot.  Right now, this is just a fun learning laboratory opportunity that you’re allowing your Self (your body) to have.  Your body is exploring and learning new ways of moving.  Rather, YOU are exploring and learning new ways of moving.  For all of the following movement descriptions below, it is implied to do each movement a few times.  Always rest when you need to.  Of course, the following is not intended to be an intense cardio workout or strength conditioning exercise.  However, you may still feel the need to rest frequently after each step.  Don’t push yourself to complete all of the several steps without taking a break.  “Less is More” when it comes to sensory–motor learning.

You’ve been exploring and playing with different ways for moving your foot or ankle joint.  Now move up to the next joint, in this case, the knee.  Move the knee in or out as you press the brake pedal with your right foot. 

After exploring and playing with the movement of the knee for a little while, go up to the next joint, the hip.  Move your right hip forward as your right foot presses the pedal.  Move your right hip backward as you press the pedal.  Lift your right hip off the seat as your right foot presses the brake pedal.  That is, the left side of your pelvis presses into the seat as your right foot presses the brake.  Press the right side of your pelvis into the seat as you press the brake.  Now alternate side to side.  That is, go back and forth between pressing the left side of your pelvis into the seat and then the right side of your pelvis into the seat and then the left side into the seat …

Lean a little forward as you press the brake pedal.  Lean a little backward (pressing your back into the seat) as you press the pedal.  Lean to the left as you press.  Lean to the right as you press.

Can you think of other ways to explore and move while you are pressing the pedal?  Create new ways or new patterns with your body as you press the pedal.

Now, let all of that go.  Just rest in sitting for a little while.

Now press the brake pedal, as you would naturally, without necessarily having any disposition of what you think is the “right way” to press the brake pedal.  Does this now feel differently than it did in the beginning of this lesson when you pressed the pedal for the first time?  Perhaps it even feels “easier” for you to press the brake pedal.  The action of moving your foot downward onto the pedal possibly now feels lighter or smoother.


Functional Movement Education Exploration:

You are exploring while you are learning new ways of moving.  You may find that during this play routine, above, you have possibly forgotten about your discomfort or pain.  You may notice that after playing with all of these different ways of moving, in addition to moving more smoothly or efficiently, you are no longer in discomfort.

Happy motoring!

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center

Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"


To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here