[drpavan]

Hi everyone, I am an orthopedic surgeon, hopefully i can give a better view on the problem.

Sciatic nerve is the thickest nerve in the body. The nerve has origin from different spinal segments from L4 to S3. There are many factors to cause the sciatica.

1) condition of vertebrae and disc.

2) strain on the paravertebral musculature.

3) kind of employment which the individual is in.

4) time frame during which the nerve or nerve root is compressed.

I would suggest to go for an MRI.

Avoid bending forward, that activity can cause pressure on the nerve.

You experience radiating pain from gluteal region till foot.

It can be unilateral or bilateral.

Posture definitely plays a major role in nerve pains.

[GrandTourer]

Originally Posted by drpavan

Hi everyone, I am an orthopedic surgeon, hopefully i can give a better view on the problem.

...

Posture definitely plays a major role in nerve pains.

Can it also be caused by keeping the wallet in one's back pocket and sitting on it while driving?
I used to experience pain on long journeys with that practice, but now since I make it a point to remove the wallet from my pocket first thing when I enter the car, there's no pain whatsoever.

[wildsdi5530]

Again another opinion from an orthopedic surgeon. I've been practicing for the past 10 years and mainly into joint replacement, but just wanted to clarify a few things.
Definitely an important cause is pelvic tilt caused due to a wallet. or due to odd driving position like offset pedals.
And no an SUV will aggravate the problem. Sitting is the worst position for the back. Of the different sitting positions, the best is reclining with legs stretched ahead, slight bend in the knee. Most car seats are well designed to protect the back and if adjusted correctly should not be a problem.
And no I don't believe an MRI is the solution. A detailed examination to eliminate emergencies, back exercises and mitigation of aggravating factors would be the first step.

[Dieselritzer]

I work in supply chain management which is a desk job too. Working for a decade + having a bad posture + driving Ritz for 80k+ Kms had all resulted in me having severe occasions of backache. Visited many doctors who suggested a lot of back exercises but nothing helped. Even tried yoga but that only gave temperory relief like physiotherapy.

Then I met a doctor in Andheri who after doing a through examination told me that the problem was my hamstring which had become stiff. He gave me 2 exercises that helps stretch hamstring and in 2 weeks my back pain is almost gone. So YouTube hamstring stretching exercises and try doing it and see if it helps. Q

[drpavan]

Originally Posted by GrandTourer

Can it also be caused by keeping the wallet in one's back pocket and sitting on it while driving?
I used to experience pain on long journeys with that practice, but now since I make it a point to remove the wallet from my pocket first thing when I enter the car, there's no pain whatsoever.

Hi, I am little late. As mentioned by our other fellow member and orthopedic surgeon, definitely there must have been a pelvic tilt depending on the size and thickness of your purse which you have kept in your back pocket. For very short journey it should not be a problem, it must have been inconvenience. If the journey is long definitely it will cause a disturbance in the muscle balance on either side of your spine.

Always make sure you sit on a flat base, I intend to say that your right gluteal region and left gluteal region should be at same level.

[R2D2]

I always remove the wallet whilst driving and keep it in the glove compartment or in one of the cup holders in the centre console. It's much handier when paying tolls in the pre-Fastag days. And of course, it adds to the comfort whilst being seated for long durations in a fixed position.

[Swapnil4585]

Off topic to this post, but does driving for hours together without a break by a person who has a good amount of belly fat can cause Hernia? I have developed one, and I don't find any other reason to develop it other than continuous driving. My car is an MT, the left leg is hardly used and I have the habit of keeping my cell phone and a handkerchief in the left pocket and drive.

[arindambasu13]

Your sciatic nerve issue may have very little to do with the car, and more to do with your lifestyle, posture and body mechanics (i.e. the way you lift objects or weight etc). What you need to do is to go to a good doctor and start a regime of appropriate exercises which will strengthen your back muscles and your core. Typically, these are yoga exercises which are targeted at back muscle rehabilitation. This is the only long term solution, and will strengthen your back and prevent future occurrences of back pain (or at least minimise them to the extent possible).

Driving for long hours without breaks, or generally sitting in incorrect stooped positions (common with most people having a desk job) is also detrimental, so posture correction is essential. Also, taking regular breaks whenever you are in a situation where you have to sit for extended periods, whether during driving or at work.

In my experience, the leg and back pain has nothing to do with driving an AT versus an MT. It has to do with posture and back muscle weakness, among other things. Consult a good doctor asap.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Dieselritzer

Then I met a doctor in Andheri who after doing a through examination told me that the problem was my hamstring which had become stiff. He gave me 2 exercises that helps stretch hamstring and in 2 weeks my back pain is almost gone. So YouTube hamstring stretching exercises and try doing it and see if it helps. Q

Hurrah to your doctor. And yay, because I've had a miracle cure myself just recently

Who would've thought that a tighter/shorter hamstring muscle could be causing so much back pain? I actually have jammed lumbar vertebral discs, so I ambled into a physiotherapist's clinic with a self-diagnosis. She inspected the discs by touch and said the discs are actually fine. She then took out some pins, pricked me in the back and in the hamstrings - and voila! I was cured. Her technique is called dry-needling and very few physiotherapists are qualified to perform this therapy. What it did is prick a few neuro-muscular joints and induced spasms in my hamstring muscle, thereby loosening it.

No more back pain for me. Glad to hear of one more person who had been cured of a tight hamstring here

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by Dieselritzer

Then I met a doctor in Andheri who after doing a through examination told me that the problem was my hamstring which had become stiff. He gave me 2 exercises that helps stretch hamstring and in 2 weeks my back pain is almost gone. So YouTube hamstring stretching exercises and try doing it and see if it helps. Q

Thank you so much for this. Since last two weeks I've started getting back pain every time I get up in the morning. The doctor has advised me to walk and get some sunlight (I am another IT bloke working indoors mostly). But I am changing my lifestyle. My back pain has not subsided, but this thread and this post of yours is likely going to help me a lot. So thank you!

[gkveda]

Hey, I am an old patient for this disease. I am experiencing this issue since almost 4 years and I have undergone all kinds of treatment except surgery.

In Kannada, they say, "hosa vaidyanigintha hale rogi lesu" which means, Old patient's advice is better than new doctor's advice. So, you can take my suggestion either right now or later once you realize yourself.

I have exactly same problem but it is nothing to do with any of the type of cars seat, or bike riding. It is just that muscles become weak in that area and start compressing the nerves.

Believe me, there is no treatment for this either in Allopathy or Homeopathy or Ayurvedic. I have tried all these three methods only to know that there is NO treatment.

After some time, you will get used to this pain and it becomes part of life. Doing certain exercises like stretching backwards, lying down on stomach and lifting legs backwards etc will calm down temporarily but there is no cure.

I am not sure if surgery can help, but, I decided to live with it without surgery.

I am sorry if Doctors get offended, but, I am not blaming doctors here. it is about lack of medical advancement in this area. it is a hard reality that there is NO medicine to cure this back ache.

So, my last word is, you have got your dream car after a while and hence just focus on it and enjoy the drive. Use lumbar support available in the market to give support to the lower back. Do all the exercises suggested by Doctors.

Just do not attribute the cause of back ache with car. They are two disjoint entities.

One more word of caution: I got pain in right leg first and later within 2-3 months, got on left leg too. Hence as precautionary measure, kindly do exercises on both the legs even though you may not have pain in other leg at this moment.

[nishsingh]

Originally Posted by spirits999

Is there anything that you suggest or you did to solve this problem.

Try taking an Uber/Ola for a few days and see if that helps.

• If it does, then the problem is surely with the car/driving position.
• If it doesnt, then the problem is medical.

Obvious as it may sound, I was reluctant to take a cab myself in a similar situation, as my office (like yours) wasnt far either. I thus did this very late when I had my cluster headache bouts a few months ago. It definitely helps to do the obvious.

[Maverick14]

Hi,

I felt a similar experience years back when I got a E46 BMW 3 series. Even though it was a manual, I used to feel acute lower back pain on long drives but when I used to drive an accord/camry, they were really comfortable. So in my opinion, this could be a posture issue, given the way the seats are laid out, and the ground clearance/seating position.

[RoadMonkey]

I'm experiencing the same but with a manual rather than automatic. I've drive more upright cars without any issues but since I got Baleno MT, I've started experiencing severe pain in left leg, especially around knee area. I've tried consulting doctors, one of them brushed it off and the other told me I have weakening knees at the age of 23

I've been planning to get an AT to solve my issues. Hah. Looks like I'd be better off consulting another doctor before doing that.

[ToothyPetrohead]

“Listen, at times to your body’s warning signals, it may be telling you something before it is too late”.

What I’d say is before you put onus on the car be it automatic or manual you have to consider other factors or root cause that could lead to this situation.

It more commonly occurs in age groups 41 to 60 and 60 plus individuals.

Do consult your orthopedic doctor after an MRI is what I would suggest. Get an opinion at least once to know the reason and all is well within.

One important fact till then avoid keeping your wallet in your back pocket when sitting be it the car or anywhere else so as to prevent deviation of the posture and pressure on the spine.

A small summary below:

Risk factors for sciatica include:
• Age. Age-related changes in the spine, such as herniated disks and bone spurs, are the most common causes of sciatica.
• Obesity. By increasing the stress on your spine, excess body weight can contribute to the spinal changes that trigger sciatica. Weak gut muscles (Core muscles) or a pot belly leads to pressure on the spine.
• Occupation. A job that requires you to twist your back, carry heavy loads or drive a motor vehicle for long periods might play a role in sciatica, but there's no conclusive evidence of this link.
• Prolonged sitting. People who sit for prolonged periods or have a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to develop sciatica than active people are.
• Diabetes. This condition, which affects the way your body uses blood sugar, increases your risk of nerve damage.


Prevention
It's not always possible to prevent sciatica, and the condition may recur. The following can play a key role in protecting your back:
• Exercise regularly. To keep your back strong, pay special attention to your core muscles — the muscles in your abdomen and lower back (Core Muscles) that are essential for proper posture and alignment. Ask your doctor to recommend specific activities.
• Maintain proper posture when you sit. Choose a seat with good lower back support, armrests and a swivel base. Consider placing a pillow or rolled towel in the small of your back to maintain its normal curve. Keep your knees and hips level.
• Use good body mechanics. If you stand for long periods, rest one foot on a stool or small box from time to time. When you lift something heavy, let your lower extremities do the work. Move straight up and down. Keep your back straight and bend only at the knees. Hold the load close to your body. Avoid lifting and twisting simultaneously. Find a lifting partner if the object is heavy or awkward.

"The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good health lies in successful adjustment to changing stresses on the body".

- Harry Johnson