What are some of the best new and used vehicals for chronic lower back pain and disc problems?
Back pain when driving?
· By: Drivers.com staff
· Date: 2000-06-14
Comments (30) Join conversation
Like oil and water, driving and back pain are not an ideal mixture. Not only can chronic back pain make life miserable for drivers, particularly if driving is one's occupation, but the very act of sitting in one position for hours on end can aggravate and even be a leading cause of back pain.
According to the Mayo Clinic, back pain is ranked second only to headaches as the most frequent cause of pain. Four out of five adults will experience a bout of back pain at some time in their lives. And, even though back trouble is rarely life-threatening, estimates of its total cost to society range from $20 billion to $50 billion a year in the United States.
Back problems affect all kinds of people, men as much as women and young as well as old. Even among 16 to 24-year-olds, one in three experienced back pain in the past year. It's most common among the middle aged: almost half of those aged 45-64 had back pain in the same period. Young people are more likely to have brief, acute episodes of back pain, while chronic pain is more characteristic of older people. Just over one in four people over the age of 65 suffered back pain for the whole year.
Professor Mark Porter, of Loughborough University in the U.K., believes that cars are responsible for a substantial portion of back ailments in his country. Porter is leading a project called "Reducing Back Pain in High Mileage Drivers," for the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive project, together with the ergonomics specialists HJ Consultancy.
In an interview with the London Times , Porter says: "Your back may be telling you a lot about the state of your back and its relationship with your car. And it is worth listening to because it can give you an early warning of serious problems that may start with minor discomfort."
Porter has found that absence from work because of back pain is six times higher for drivers who are at the wheel for more than four hours a day-and with congestion and delays increasing, that means more and more of us.
"Long periods at the wheel can seriously damage your health, particularly if seats do not allow optimum posture and drivers do not 'fit' their cars," he says.
Porter hopes his project will persuade manufacturers to upgrade the specifications of seats and steering wheels. He wants every driver to have, as a minimum, a comfortable, optimum driving posture; as well as the usual adjustments that cars currently offer, the seat cushion should be independently adjustable for height and tilt, and the steering wheel should adjust for rake and reach. Furthermore, the seat structure and upholstery should be better designed to fit the human anatomy.
You might reasonably think that this was done already, but Porter says not. Unfortunately, he says, seating is a styling element, so a good design may be sacrificed to freshen up the look of a car's interior to the detriment of the driver's health. Porter also believes seat suppliers may not become involved sufficiently early with the design of a new car: "Seats are integral to vehicle design. But my understanding is that suppliers sometimes get only scant information on what is needed."
The British emergency support and rescue organization, Green Flag, found from a recent survey of its members that more than one in three male drivers sits with his legs fully extended, which can strain the back muscles as he reaches for the pedals. And almost a third of women sit too close to the wheel, which is also bad for backs.
Establishing the "ideal" driving position is a problem because people's height and weight vary so widely, says Porter. While some people are more comfortable in hard seats, others prefer soft: "If you sit in an armchair watching TV, you subconsciously adopt a variety of postures; you react to a mild amount of discomfort and change position. The best sitting position is always the next one. In a car, that is difficult, but try adjusting the seat to one position for town driving and another for the motorway."
In a pamphlet on back pain, Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says poor ergonomic design is only part of the problem, particularly for occupational drivers, who may spend many hours a day at the wheel of a truck, bus, or industrial and construction machinery. Vibration, says HSE, is another important factor that can lead to injury and disablement.
"Regular exposure to whole-body vibration over many months or years can lead to damage and back pain. The longer you are exposed and the higher the level of whole-body vibration, the greater the chances of you suffering a back injury," HSE writes. "Once you begin to suffer back pain, continued exposure to vibration is likely to make the pain worse."
Hazardous exposure to whole-body vibration can be found in various forms including driving off-road too fast or over a rough route, and driving on badly-paved surfaces in vehicles with poor suspension.
Other factors which can cause or increase back pain include: poor driving posture; poor design of controls making them difficult to operate; poor driver visibility making it necessary to twist and stretch; and personal factors such as level of general fitness, being overweight, and choice of leisure pursuits.
If you drive a lot and suffer from chronic back pain, or even if you wish to forestall the onset of back pain, the application of a little common sense can help. For instance, try to avoid driving for more than two hours without taking a break to stretch your legs. This will help to prevent fatigue, and relax your back. Secondly, try to change your driving position by adjusting the seat from time to time-providing you can still handle the controls safely. Various seat cushions and back supports can be purchased from independent suppliers and one of these may help. Short drivers can purchase pedal extensions from some car manufacturers. On the highways, cruise control can be a useful option.
As already mentioned, personal health plays a major role in alleviating problems
in the first place. It's important to avoid being overweight, which places
additional strain on the back. And there are all sorts of exercises to strengthen
the muscles and increase back flexibility. Disciplines such as tai chi and
yoga, for instance, are excellent for toning up the spine and back muscles.
Comments
Steve Linton, on Tuesday, 15. August 2006 at 04:06 PM
Judy, on Friday, 20. October 2006 at 03:38 AM
I have had pain in the leg and now back pain due to driving my 2005 Ford Escort (leather seats).The problem, I believe, comes from the driver and passenger seats not being able to sit straight up, but most importantly is that the seat was higher up on one side when it was purchased from the car lot. I think a very heavy person test drove it and it weighted down the left side of the seat. This has caused me pain which first began in the lower leg and knee and has now travelled to my hip and lower back. My pain as of late is not when I'm driving, but for several days after driving, so that I'm nearly unable to get up out of a chair and so that I'm very uncomfortable when sitting or walking for several days after driving the car. I've tried to use the lumbar support which comes with the car, but it only makes me feel nauseous.
I was much more comfortable in my old 1994 Ford Escort wagon which had cloth seats that were able to adjust to a straight position.
What's odd is that my young adult son who has been recovering from a right-sided stroke
has sever pain in his right leg while driving his 2005 Ford Focus Wagon. I used to be able to drive his car before I got my car. Now I find that I can't even drive his car as it causes me pain while driving!
Do you have information telling about the various seat manufacturers for the old cars like my 1994 Escort, versus the new seat manufacturers, which seem to have caused us tremendous pain. Neither one of us ever had the pain driving our older cars (me-the 1994 Ford Escort, and my son had a 1998 Mercury Tracer).
We are both very tall--especially my son and he is scrunched in the car like the cartoon character, "Marmaduke the dog".
I am looking at SUV's, and yet find it too expensive, however, my situation is deteriorating where it seems to be crippling me, and my son has to drive in cruise control in traffic to help alleviate his pain, and I have felt the need to help him by driving him back and forth a long way to his work, and then have to drive my car quite a distance to teach, so all in all it is becoming quite a painful experience for both of us.
Do you know of any car recommendations or car magazines that are truthful regarding car types with the better or poorer seating positions of cars? Thank you.
Jonathan Daniel, on Sunday, 22. October 2006 at 10:21 AM
Dear Judy,
I am a Physiotherapist working in the uk. It sounds very much like you are suffering from a bulging disc in your low back which is irritating the nerves that exit from your spine and travel down your leg. You are describing classic symptoms of this condition. I am currently setting up a low back exercise class for industrial drivers who spend up to 12 hours a day driving. They tend to suffer from bulging discs due to the amount of time spent sitting.
I would get checked out by a physiotherapist who can advise you on exercises and postural advice to try and help your pain.
Good luck, Jon
Hol, on Sunday, 31. December 2006 at 12:40 PM
I, too, suffer low back pain (bulging disc) from driving. Exercises are good, but finding a car that has better back support is necessary to avoid continued damage. I'm looking for another car and have read dozens of car reviews, but have found nothing more than a casual comment about overall comfort - not a real opinion about real back support by someone who knows. Low back pain is such a common problem - it seems like it would be easier to find a suggestion or two about which cars are better for those of us with bad backs.
Where to look? Anybody???
Don, on Monday, 01. January 2007 at 11:01 AM
Personally, I think the best solution to back problems is good posture, and that means knowing how to sit and building the muscle strenght to sit that way ALL the time - no slouching!
Don't drive too long. If you find yourself slouching, stop and take a little walk for a while.
However, some seats make good posture difficult. Soft seats are not good. Lot's of people sink into a nice soft seat and think it's great but after a while the back ache comes.
A nice firm seat is best, and if it is shaped the right way that's even better. One solution that worked well for me is the ergonomically designed "Obus form" seat. I just fixed it in place and left it in the drivers seat.
Diane, on Friday, 09. February 2007 at 01:19 PM
I have recently started driving. For the first few weeks I was fine, now even after a short 10 minute journey to work I am noticing a pain in my right hip. I drive a fiat punto (uk right hand drive) With Lumbar support. It only happens when I am driving & the pain goes after 30 mins or so after my journey. I was wondering if anyone else has any problems with hips whilst driving.
Eric, on Saturday, 10. February 2007 at 05:08 PM
Diane,
If your seat is OK ergonomically then I would look to posture. Are you sitting properly and using the controls properly. A good place to go for help is
http://www.driver-ed.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
They specialize in such problems.
bruce, on Saturday, 24. February 2007 at 08:37 AM
I have 3 bulging disc's at t8-9, t11-12
t12-L1 I suffered a severe fall from 14' and suffered a t9 wedge fracture
my tailbone looks deformed as I had much swelling ( felt like I had a dogtail sticking out of my butt)
It has been over 2 years and I still cannot sit without pain?
I have had a mri which showed the probelms in my thoracic, and had further mri of coccyx/sacrum the resultd were ............
Fracture not identified but loss of disc signal at lumbo sacral Junction
Will I ever get out of pain?
Bruce
junknjunk@sasktel.net
Doug, on Tuesday, 10. April 2007 at 06:35 AM
I have experienced lower back pain most of my life when driving long distance. In the last few months I have started to have pains in my right leg when driving even fairly short distances. I have also experienced this leg pain when sitting through a movie. I am wondering if I may have a pinched nerve which is causing this. I know watching my posture while sitting in the car is important, but is there some sort of a back support that can be used to help this. Also is there some diatery cause that could contribute to the problem. Any recommendation for this?
This has become such a problem I have to limit my driving and get someone to drive for me when possible.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Doug
Marie, on Tuesday, 24. July 2007 at 08:58 AM
I have had four back surgeries, two of them were fusions,and I have a pretty bad back problem. To me after driving every supposedly comfortable car, the one that has the best ride is the Lincoln Town Car, the air suspension helps with the little bumps and jolts that aggravate a bad back. I've tried out several cars trying to go with a smaller car, but I have to go back to the Town Car, it really is the best. Marie
Emma, on Saturday, 28. July 2007 at 07:42 AM
I'm five foot and find I often have to sit crookedly to reach the pedals in cars and this gives me back pian. Does anyone know which cars are best for me???? I'm sure my Ford Ka encourages me to sit crookedly though I can reach the pedals in that!
Emma
DK, on Saturday, 28. July 2007 at 10:37 AM
Emma, I believe some of the car companies have services that adapt cars for special needs and custom requirements. You should talk to your dear, or call the manyfacturer customer service.
chuck, on Sunday, 02. September 2007 at 08:58 PM
I have lower back pain while driving
a short distance, lets say a half hour or so, I cannot go on a long trip without taking brecks along the way.
ISthere something that I can buy over the internet to put in the seat to help stop the discomfort?
Zach, on Friday, 26. October 2007 at 05:59 PM
I have been suffering lower back pain and numbness in my legs for over 4 years now from my company car. the only solution i have found so far is either not to drive it or to take a break every hour and walk around for 10-15 mins.
the strange thing is it is only in the Vauxhall Vectra and Astra i have been using. All my private cars ranging from a Daihatsu Fourtrak to an Opel Manta i have had over this time have never been a problem.
Whilst modern manufacturers are providing more adjustment in the seats they are failing to look at the basic ergonomics behind the wheel and taking in to consideration we are all a different shape and size.
Josh, on Wednesday, 31. October 2007 at 01:13 AM
I started a new job where 2 to 3 hours of driving is required daily. i started out fine but after a couple weeks i started to upper back pain near my right shoulder. should i get a back pillow w/ lower thoracic support? do these pillows give you proper driving posture?
Mike Son, on Friday, 25. January 2008 at 01:45 PM
I am a London Taxi Driver with serious back problems. Other that giving up the job which a enjoy, what remedy’s can be suggested.
Don, on Friday, 25. January 2008 at 11:41 PM
My personal experience with back pain says do the right exercises, don't be overweight, eat right.
Oh, and check out the "Back Doctor", Hamiltn Hall
http://www.amazon.ca/New-Back-Doctor-Hamilton-Hall/dp/0770426190
Mike, on Thursday, 31. January 2008 at 01:14 PM
I have experienced much back pain in my life and like others have found that driving can certainly exasperate the discomfort. I have found that driving a vehicle in which the seat is both upright and higher (ie: mini-van, SUV) rather than a sedan will allow you to drive in better comfort. The key is getting your butt up higher than your legs so that the weight of your legs do not press back onto your lower spine. Think in terms of the difference your back feels when you sit upright in a chair versus lying back in low level couch with less support. Now if I could only find a small car with seat like I described that I can afford.
Peter, on Monday, 04. February 2008 at 10:54 AM
I currently drive a Mercedes 180. I find the seat very low which is giving me a great deal of pain. Iam short which is part of the problem so, to get in an out I have to twist my body which is causing the problem. Could any one recommend a car with a high driving seat? I thought of a 4x4 but feel embaressed in these days of climet change and the enviroment
Any suggestion of cars please
AL, on Monday, 04. February 2008 at 06:48 PM
I've had somewhat the same problem as Peter with low car and knee pain. I think much of it came from putting my weight on one foot and then twisting to get in or out. I think my next vehicle will be an SUV, but an economical one.
Mike, on Thursday, 07. February 2008 at 03:15 PM
I found this site www.comfortmotion.com it looks like their working on a solution. Check it out.
Carl, on Thursday, 07. February 2008 at 10:24 PM
Yeah, Mike that does look interesting. I hope it becomes available soon!
Ron, on Tuesday, 26. February 2008 at 04:00 PM
I injured my hamstring playing sport over a year ago and struggled for the whole year with this injury trying to get back to full fitness. At approx the same time i started a new job which involes at least 4 hours driving during the day. I started getting this pain down my left leg which during the year got worse and more and more uncomfortable each day. Getting through a day without the constant pain was a victory. Ive got an MRI on my spine and it didnt show any damage to my discs or spine but this daily pain down my leg does not go away. I dont know what to do?
brian t, on Sunday, 09. March 2008 at 06:35 PM
I have this lower back pain every time I drive short or long distence I`m thinking of byeing a honda crv because of the upright seats and good suspention.Has anybody any other cars thay might suggest
janine, on Saturday, 22. March 2008 at 09:29 AM
Never had any problem while driving my old 1995 buick skylark. One month ago I switched to a 2006 toyota camry and even when I drive short distances I feel discomfort and pain in my right leg. Tried changing the seat position or twisting my leg while driving, but none of this has worked so far.
Andy Q8, on Sunday, 23. March 2008 at 05:48 AM
Depending on where you are in the world, I would recommend the GMC Acadia. I lived in the UK and now am in the Middle East. I have driven so many different models over the years, but the combination of suspension and upright,stable seats is a winner for me.
Totally agree with Janine - I got a 2007 Camry and suffered loads. Sort it out Toyota!
Judy, on Friday, 30. May 2008 at 12:08 PM
I bought a new 2005 Subaru Forester (LL Bean) with leather seats (somewhat a bucket seat). At the time, I was commuting about one hour to and from work. Within 6 months, I started to notice issues with my neck ROM as well as left sided hip/back pain. I suspected the car, but thought maybe it could be other issues I had (mild scoliosis), too. Now 3 years later, still driving the car (which I even paid off!) and am sure that sitting in my Subaru triggers extreme pain. I've had confirmation through an MRI of disk bulging in L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1. I am also waiting for results from hip Xrays from last week. But I can't argue with the fact that sitting really aggravates the pain. Standing or lying is fine. I've tried sitting on cushions (tempurpedic) which can help some, but since I travel for my job, I'm in a real difficult situation. At least I'm no longer commuting 5 days a week. I am currently trying to find a car that provides better seating support so open to any suggestions. Thanks
Wayne, on Tuesday, 24. June 2008 at 08:17 PM
Judy, I got rid of our forester because of the poor seat and driving position it offered. Was really disappointed because otherwise it was a great car. We now have a not as good Ford Focus but it has a great driving pos. Adjustable reach steering colummns should be mandatory!
I have to drive a Toyota Hiace van for work, and it is killing me! I'm 6'2" and I simply cannot get comfortable behind the wheel; the seat doesn't go back far enough for starters. A physio has looked at the seating pos and said 'no wonder you're in pain'. My boss said 'bad luck'. Anyone got any ideas for this situation?
towncar backache, on Friday, 11. July 2008 at 07:49 PM
Would you like to enjoy disability payments from the government ? Try a Lincoln Town car with slippery leather seats. Designed folks as tall as 6'5' and about 780 ponds. It is like a lazy boy on wheels. Good to watch TV but not good to control a 5 liter engine, even in air suspension.
Kate, on Thursday, 04. September 2008 at 11:11 AM
Hi everyone,
I used to have TERRIBLE posture, and still wondered why I was having backpain. I'm young (25) and just assumed that I shouldn't be having backpain at that age?! Dumb!
I worked a lot on core muscles (abs etc) and that really helped the pain, and my posture A LOT!
I have a backrest in my car, which has also been a blessing. It is the new Moller backrest, usually around $189, and well worth it.
They are on super sale at this website if anyone is interested...
www.shopbestdirect.com
There is also the seat attachment available there, which I don't have, but apparently improves the function of the backrest?!
Take care of yourselves...And SIT UP STRAIGHT!
Kate
