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Killer Commute

Samia H. Rafeedie's Healthy Commuter Tips

Samia H. Rafeedie, OTD, MA, OTR/L
Inpatient Therapy Supervisor, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland

Samia Rafeedie is the Inpatient Therapy Supervisor for the Takoma Park location of Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland. She is a registered and licensed occupational therapist with both a Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy degree and a Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. In addition to being a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, she is a member of the part-time faculty at Towson University where she teaches graduate students in the Department of Occupational Therapy & Occupational Science. As an occupational therapist, Samia is trained to assess and address the effect day-to-day tasks, such as driving, have on your health and well being.

Samia H. Rafeedie's Healthy Commuter Tips

Check your seat and positioning:

Use a rolled up towel behind your neck or back for support and to minimize neck, shoulder and back pain.
Your seat should also be positioned so your legs and arms are both at roughly a 90 degree angle. Sitting too far forward or too far back can place an unnecessary strain on your muscles.

Stretch from head to toe:

When stopped at a light or in bumper to bumper traffic, do isometric stretches. These are stretches which can be done by squeezing a muscle group, holding for 10 to 15 seconds and then relaxing, preferably in the direction opposite the tension you are feeling.