How do you sit through an airplane flight without excruciating pain?
After a 5 hour flight every joint in my body hurts. Most people dont seem to have this issue. What’s wrong with me?
Commercial jets are pressurized to 8,000ft elevation. This reduced cabin pressure causes all kinds of funky things to your body and especially joints. If you have preexisting body aches, arthritis, past injuries, inflammatory conditions or other auto-immune diseases it's quite possibly exacerbating an underlying condition.
As others said, talk to a doctor or two.
^This^ The joint pain is definitely inflammation during cabin pressurization, but if it is severe enough it could also impact the brains circulation and lead to an aneurysm.
Nothing is wrong with you. Flying sucks.
Choose an aisle or window seat to your preference, bearing in mind that one of the solutions to body soreness when airplane traveling is standing up for 10 mins every 30-40 mins.
If you can swing it, fly first class, since the seats are wider and you can more easily shift your body weight.
E: typo
i usually pay more for extra legroom, but going up to 1st class is a big jump.
Does it only happen on planes? Maybe it's just stress from fear of flying?
If it also happens on trains or long car rides it might be bad posture.
I’m about to have this issue in about 10 hours. Are you older than 30? Cuz I really started feeling the pain after 30. I recently bought an awesome inflatable pillow that keeps my head upright, so I can maybe possibly sleep instead of just fidgeting and suffering through the whole flight. I feel your pain, internet stranger.
Also, constipation. It’s so hard to shit the day after flying. Most people don’t seem to have this issue.
I'm over 30, but it's always been a problem. I've only slept on a plane when I've taken muscle relaxers pre-emptively, which is what I should be doing going forward i guess.
You might have some issues with one of your intervertebral discs. Go do a checkup just to make sure. Might catch it before it evolves into a bigger problem.
I always buy an aisle seat so I can stretch my legs and get up whenever I need.
I've also learned that most airlines (at least here in Europe) fill their seats from the front back. So if you sit near the back and keep an eye on the back row, sometimes it's completely unoccupied. In which case I move there and can practically lie down.
No, most airlines in the US do not operate that way.
Fair enough. Well hopefully it helps some Europeans out! I only noticed it by accident because I sit by the back toilets due to IBS anyway.
Edit: I've done this with easyJet, Wizzair and Vueling - for reference
Are you otherwise very active on any given day when you're not on a plane? Maybe you're never sitting that still and confined for 5 hours straight and your body just isn't used to it? Are you tall? I can see where it would totally suck to be tall and fly for any amount of time, really. The only time I'm ever thankful to be 5'3" is when I'm flying and can have a bag under the seat in front of me and still stretch out my legs and cross my legs if I want to.
I have a desk job and avg height.
Hmm, I have a desk job too, but I get up and stretch a lot, and workout at least twice a week. Does this only happen to you on planes? Do you ever sit for 5 hours anywhere else? Does it happen after like a 3 hour movie, or JUST on planes? I did find this interesting article about soreness and flying: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/general-travel-health-advice/air-travel
This was going to be my question too. I understand there are certain sized people who can comfortably sit on a plane but I’m not one of them. Even worse is when the idiot in front of you thinks they’re entitled to recline but there’s nowhere for your knees to go, or, I don’t remember what airline but where it’s easier to watch the screen of the person in front of you than your own
I don't if the flight is long and it is bigger aircraft (two aisles: A350, 787, A380, 777, etc). I try to be up and moving around as much as possible. No booze. Eat light if at all. Drink water.
Do flights normally provide free drinking water? I am under the impression that passengers must buy bottled water in flight if they want to drink.
You can also bring an empty bottle to the airport and fill it (after the security checks of course) in the bathroom sink at the airport
I've never been on a long (trans ocean) flight with a major airline that charged for water.
If you are with a non budget airline, yes they do.
I have flown KLM, QANTAS, Singapore Airlines, Emeriats and they all do free drinks as part of the service even in the cheap Econ tickets.
EDS? That's why I hurt when I sit still too long, my joints literally slide out of place without muscle activation to hold them steady
i don't think so, but that sounds uncomfortable!
It's not my favorite. It does mean I prefer to not be a couch potato. Sitting still and playing video games all day hurts so much worse than gardening or cleaning the house.
Do you have some kind of condition? Flying is uncomfortable but it's not typical to be in "excruciating pain"
not to my knowledge.
Mention this next time you see a doctor. Some discomfort on a flight is normal, but excruciating pain indicates a potential medical problem
Mid Forties... 20 hour flight. Agony. No sleeping, got up a bunch of times, didn't stop joint pain, back pain... Ugh. Some people can't sit still for that long without issues.
Off the top of my head: Stretch? Try to get on the plane later than most people? Take a sleeper train instead?
How is it while on the plane compared to after, are your knees hitting the seat in front? Maybe try a neck pillow to ease neck/head stress? Compression socks for foot, ankle or calf pain?
I do get up and move around about once an hour.
Pain is basically all over.
Walk around the cabin every few hours if it’s a long haul flight. For a 5 hour flight, maybe get up once or twice. Get an aisle seat so you won’t disturb anyone when you get up. You’ll also have a litte extra knee space towards the aisle. Bring along ergonomic support like pillows for your neck or lumbar. If you’re really hurting bad, you might have an underlying problem that your doctor can help you diagnose.
They serve alcohol on planes.
So two things to add to what others have said.
One, compression socks are a game changer especially for longer flights. Helps me a ton.
Second, this might sound weird, but do you have your tonsils and have you had a lot of cases of strep throat? Both me and my sister both have had our tonsils out as adults and it basically magically cleared up a bunch of joint pain I had.
I used to have excruciating knee pain if I sat still too long. Like I almost collapsed getting out of the car once cause I had dozed off for an hour or two and it made my knees hurt so bad.
Now I don't have nearly the issues. It's something to do with strep liking to basically hang out and cause inflammation in your joints.
I'm not gonna lie to anyone reading this though, getting your tonsils out is fucking miserable... When I went back in for my post op checkup the nurse said they had a patient earlier who had a purple heart and he had apparently said he would have preferred to be shot again over having his tonsils out.
Still worth it in my case anyway (not just the knees, had an infection and tonsils were giant, inflamed shit heads that kept causing issues)
Neat. I have my tonsils but never had issues with strep.
I had awful leg pain as a child though, and am starting to think I’ve be dealing with more joint pain than others. I cant sit to still for moderate periods without discomfort.
That sounds real similar to what I was experiencing. Might be worth checking if you are a strep carrier, some people can have it without symptoms. Definitely no guarantee that it's related but may be worth looking in to.
Two things have really helped me when flying. The first is that I chug water prior to the flight, and continue drinking as much water as I can during
You'll need an aisle seat because you'll have to pee a lot, but that comes to the second thing: getting up and stretching every hour or so.
Your urine should be a light yellow color. (Note: recent food/beverage consumption can temporarily alter the color.)
When you use the bathroom generate spittle in your mouth. Lean over the sink or toilet and let it slid out of your mouth. It should do so smoothly and with little to no residue left hanging.
If both of the above aren’t true then you’re dehydrated! Aim for drinking half your body weight in ounces in fluids a day. 150 lbs. = 9 cups (8 oz.) per day.
Do that and if you find that you still can’t sit through dinner without pain please do see your PCP.
i rarely sleep when traveling. I'll consider a neck pillow next time. i'm pretty good about jet lag, and yeah i've been picking aisle seats every time i fly.
Do you have scoliosis?
I'm in my 40s, have slight arthritis and some other issues, and fly from Tokyo to the US sometimes. I generally don't have too much trouble, and certainly nothing described as excruciating. I do get up and stretch a couple times, usually when going to the toilet. You may want to talk to a doctor if you're in that much pain.
Arthritis.
Lupus
It's NOT Lupus
Get into credit card churning and use the points to fly business class for cheaper than what economy would cost.
I have a hard time sleeping on planes. I now take a lightweight wide scarf and tie it around myself shoulder to elbow, then i tuck my arms in. A snug hoodie can work too if you pull your arms out of the sleeves. Having my arms supported seems to help some of the shoulder discomfort. Back and knees just suffer.
Business class. Any flight over 4 hours is when I evaluate whether I should pay for an upgrade out of pocket if not already provided.
I wouldn't recommend this if you fly very frequently, but you can take some ibuprofen or acetaminophen at the start of the flight / part way though and it should be active around the time you start getting sore.
I usually travel with muscle relaxers and typically pop that or ibproferen depending on length and how present i need to be after the flight.
I used to get this when i was younger, it was tied to my mental anxiety of having to sit still 7 hours. I hated it. 1 hour into the flight my legs would be in pain. The kind of pain you get when a pet or whatever is on your legs and you can't move but you want to, even if it hasn't been very long.
After flying a lot in my life I managed to accept my fate, and that helped a lot. It starts happening on the last hour of the flight, or if we're stuck on the tarmac too long.