Back pain caused by driving

[Shayne]

Hi guys just wondered if there's any long distance drivers on here that can suggest any tricks or cures that might prevent back pain caused by driving . Bit of background - I have one leg 2 inches shorter and much weaker than the other after a bike crash and doctors tell me pelvic displacement is a given consequence that can't be avoided . Pain comes and goes but my recent visit to Lincomb (a 2 hour drive that actually took 5 hours) has convinced me driving is the real killer , i can hardly walk since .

 

[Chris]

Need to find that answer before Romania then Shayne. That's going to be some serious mileage.

 

[Chas]

I do sympathise with you Shayne, I'm sure you must have had advice from doctors about it.
I have had a back problem for many years now, brought on first by the Karate I used to do then exacerbated by an accident I had on stage at the Royal Opera house. I have had traction, physio, osteopathy, acupuncture you name it I've had it, but there is nothing that seems to have any lasting effect, I think it is never going to get better, but luckily driving my 80 has never been a problem it is when I have to get out and walk it starts especially on uneven ground, the hay field at Lincomb was a killer.
I hope you can find some help with your problem.

 

[Shayne]

There's no cure Chas im well aware of that but this is only the second time my back has cramped to a point where its very obviously deformed , the first time it happened the pain was there before i got in the truck for a 5 hour drive so i didn't put 2 and 2 together . And yes Chris Romania is very much on my mind , im not overly worried as Helen likes driving my truck even more than i do , but still i intend to experiment with different seat positions etc to see if it helps but im not gonna drive for 5 hours to see if works so i'd like to hear what did work for others .

I suppose its relevant that i tend to sit up very straight backed while driving , set to react if you like , so maybe a more laid back cruise mode would help which is entirely against my nature but that's sods law .

 

[wobbly]

Have you considered that your hamstrings have shortened? This is really common for people who have seated jobs coupled with no exercise.

It leads to pain in the lower back, so many people assume they have a back problem and spend years /££££s trying to solve it.

There are 3 very simple exercises to stretch hamstrings, but the shortness in your leg needs regulating first - do you wear shoes to level your stance?

These would help in driving as well, as without them your pelvis is twisting to compensate.

Pete

 

[clivehorridge]

I too have a problem with my back but it's from old torn ligaments that have been left weak.

For me, sitting for more than one hour in any position aggravates it, but getting up and having a short walk about eases it.

I would suggest changing your seat position slightly every 45 mins / hour on a long journey, just to force your back into different postures. My truck doesn't help because my driver's seat has collapsed, but again, short stops and a little walk about seems to ease it.

It's the only reason I smoke, just to get me out of my seat in work every hour or so .......

 

[froggy Steve]

If I do a lot of mowing, (no suspension!) it kills my back - I have taken to wearing a back support when mowing and it makes a big difference - sometimes dont even need a pain killer! Worth a try for not a lot of dosh.

Steve

 

[Chas]

If I do a lot of mowing, (no suspension!) it kills my back - I have taken to wearing a back support when mowing and it makes a big difference - sometimes dont even need a pain killer! Worth a try for not a lot of dosh.

Steve

I wear a back support when I'm shooting the arrows, I always forget to wear it when I'm off-roading.

 

[Shayne]

Just been battered with a ruddy great vibrator by the Chiropractor and will get myself some quinine from the quack in the morning so im on the mend .

Had more ops than i can remember Pete , leg and ankle was crushed then bone infection and blah blah blah beyond the guidelines which dictate amputation . Brilliant Surgeon refused amputation because he said i was his worst injured patient but the only one who continued to walk so surgical options are exhausted the next op is the big one the risk of amputation is high so they won't do it until my leg breaks beyond repair .

Back support would likely drive me crazy because i am almost always warmer than i want to be but thanks for the suggestion .

Think your on a winner Clive with that simple suggestion of shifting seat position , under normal circumstances i would have a walkabout every hour or so my leg demands it but on this occasion i did most of the M4 in first or 2nd gear with the clock ticking and so a sort of grim determination set in , wrong mindset altogether to start a fun weekend away with but there you go

 

[vrecha]

I usually don't have any problems with my back, but there was cca one month period last year during which every time I was driving for more than three hours I got really ugly pain in the lower part of my spine, so much that it kept me nearly immobile for two or three days (i walked with great difficulties and had to keep my back absolutely straight - i looked as if I had swallowed a broom ).

Then one old Saharawi saw my condition and insisted that he knows how to help me. I let him try his "magic" (largely out of desperation, I guess). He massaged the area between my thumb and index finger (abnormally painful on one hand but nothing special on the other). The pain in the back instantly almost disappeared. After that I had to perform some exercises, I remember raising cca 20 kg rock above my head and throwing it backwards a few times. And I was "cured". The pain returned after a week and then regularly for some time, but every time I was able to relieve it by doing this procedure. This basically enabled me to drive and explore the Western Sahara desert during this period, without this I would be just resting in our house in Awsard for a bold month.

After returning home, I talked about this experience with a renown physiotherapist and he acknowledged this procedure and even tried to explain me the neurological and muscular principles behind it. I didn't understand a lot, but I understood that this is one of the good tricks to know when you are on an overland journey. He even suggested some short and easy stretching exercises that can help you control back pain issues if you are driving a lot. He said many of his clients are long range truck drivers and that the ones that do these easy stretches on a regular basis have far less problems with their backs.

So maybe finding a reliable and experienced physiotherapist (there are many charlatans out there, at least in our country) and consult with him can be a good investment for you, Shayne?

 

[uHu]

https://www.recaro-automotive.com/en/product-areas/aftermarket-seats/products/recaro-orthopaed.html
Can you get this one on NHS? Orthopaed, Ergomed or Expert. Supposed to help -- Cruiser-seats are not the best, unfortunately.

 

[stumog]

What i use for my back is called arnaca gel. its a rub down gel for race horses you will not get any better. Just dont listen to the not for human use lable. As for long driving i really think you should build up your hours behind the wheel not just go straight into a long hall.

Ps can we have some pictures of the trailer tent
Stu

 

[Shayne]

I like that Vrecha and believe firmly that alternative cures are often the best . I do have a few yoga like exercises to do , but being reasonably physical despite the gammy leg the exercises are often forgotten until the pain starts and then i can't do them anyway .

At 6ft tall and 203lbs with a 33" waist i imagine i appear to be quite healthy my problems all relate to injury rather than lifestyle .

Nice find uHu i don't imagine the NHS would pay for it but i might !

 

[Shayne]

Horse medicine now thats right up my street Stu i used to get anti-biotics from a mate who did relief work in Africa they were big enough to feed a horse but would kill a tooth abscess in minutes

The trailer is likely to be a thread on it's own but after much searching i chose one of these for a start point for its quick assembly , compact size and small weight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4aMw0mbvk

 

[uHu]

What i use for my back is called arnaca gel. its a rub down gel for race horses you will not get any better. Just dont listen to the not for human use lable. ...

Arnica is always good. Might not be enough for your situation tho', but it will help. Weleda has Arnica for more human animals as well. Always in use at sports events and children's playgrounds. Helps for bruises and sprains.

 

[moggy1968]

Fit some seats from a saab

my chiropractor swears by them, and they are the comfiest seats I have ever sat in.

Also, as above, change position regularly. when you are stuck in traffic, try and push your bum to the back of the seat while trying to touch the roof with your head, that stretches your spine out. then gently release it and curl over the wheel. repeat 3-4 times.

dose up on pain killers before the pain starts, otherwise your pushing the boat upstream, i.e. dose up at the beginning of a long drive.

 

[fridayman]

For as long as I could remember (since I was a teenager) I got back pain when doing manual labour like gardening or carrying things for more than a few minutes, etc... Because I had it for so long I had gotten used to it. Then a few years back a young lass in a Fiesta hit me from behind on my bike and it got a bit worse, so an osteopath suggested I take up Pilates. I very almost gave up with the Pilates after 2 or 3 sessions, because the woman would describe what to do and what I should be feeling... and I was thinking she must be an entirely different species to me, because a) there is no way my body will do what she wants it to do, and b) I couldn't feel any of the muscles she was describing. But during the 4th session my core had started getting stronger and suddenly some of what she was saying started making sense. It turns out Pilates was one of the best tings that I have ever done. I don't do it all the time, in fact I almost never do it now. But occasionally my lower back starts acting up again and I will do some of the core strengthening exercises (I do it while I'm driving) for a few days and it always sorts me out. If you have back pain, I can't recommend this highly enough.

BTW I had tried yoga before and it did nothing for me. The difference with pilates was the core exercises that taught me how to take load off my back.

 

[clivehorridge]

This is all interesting stuff, time to dig out the horse liniment, the Lycra and buy a new seat for the truck

 

[Philip A]

Agree with moggy1968: fit good ergonomic seats from another car. I'd have suggested Volvo, didn't know about Saab, but they must be of the same standards. I also have back problems in most cars, and have fitted Volvo seats for years. Make sure that they have an adjustment for the angle and height of the seat (not only backrest), often the back pain comes from or is compounded by a wrong angle there.

Modifying the mounting brackets is not rocket science.

 

[frank rabbets]

Very good point Wobbly. Shortened ham strings cause back pain and make it worse if you've already got it. Resting after back injury causes the ham strings if you're sitting down.

Equally important are strong abdominal muscles which again get weak when recovering. I think the torso should be a rigid cylinder for strength. The muscles are for support.