SonomaS2K

Thanks for the last round of comments - I think there's a difference between people experiencing low back/muscle pain who respond well to lumbar support versus sciatica/disc driven symptoms.

Currently I've taken a break from driving my S to let the symptoms go down - been about 2 full weeks, and making progress.

Just had an epidural last night, but the first MRI I can get is next week. I'm in a chronic pain/spine center so I'm seeing a few docs - orthopedic surgeon + a few others.

I agree, flare ups tend to resolve over 6 weeks. When I had my surgery, it was after all the conservative care failed to produce results, and quality of life was really hurt. In that case, my disc had extruded so much, that there just wasnt enough to work with, so fusing the level was the step after a microdiscectomy cured the sciatica, but it was then bone on bone in my spine - really painful and required MS Contin to manage pain levels.


Currently, Chiro and Deep Tissue Massage helped some but driving for more than 10 minutes, was still giving flare ups. Ie, I'd feel pretty ok - then do a 25 minute drive and start getting that sciatica sensation.

Obviously with a desk job, and sitting, it is truly impossible to isolate it's the car. The only thing that really made me feel like the car had something to do with it, is I only got the symptoms after my first long drive the second day I owned it basically felt it coming on by the time I arrived home and then it was pretty bad that night, into the next day. That was about a 2hr drive, and had sciatica for the first time in years since I had surgery 5 years prior.

I'm definitely feeling caught in the middle of investing more to see if better seats and modifications can help versus, cutting my losses, selling it and hopefully losing as little as I can on it. I do not wish to resign myself to tiptronic/paddle shifters the rest of my life, but as anyone knows from having chronic pain - sometimes it's just not worth it.

Ah, life is good when this is the worst problem I have...

NATURAL JOCK

Obviously one of the major cause (triggers your pain) is the prolonged sitting which put pressure on your buttocks/glutes. I'm sure you've already been advised over and over that maximizing mobility is one of the best thing you can do. I really don't think that you can eliminate nor minimize the pain by getting rid of your S. It seems to me that by sitting for more than 10 minutes triggers the pain. If this is the case, then any car you drive (when you spend more than 10-15 minutes) will cause the same problem even if it's equipped with state of the art seats.

I have worked with patients with various back problems from minor low back pain to severe scoliosis (for almost 17 years). I don't know what type (if any) physical/exercise therapies you have been doing, but I can honestly tell you that you need to be consistent and dedicated with your exercise therapy. It may not completely get rid of your pain, but possibly manageable.

I'm sure your Orto as well as PTs have introduced you to various exercise therapies. Just be patient (no pun intended) and consistent with the therapy. Strength training (focus on hip flexors, hamstring, lower extremeties) in conjunction with proper medications from your Orto are the best advise I can give you.

I've had osteoarthritis since I was 6 years old probably got it from my MOM or DAD, not sure since they both had them. I was a gymnast (til sophomore in college). Also played volleyball and a swimmer. Somehow, I was able to manage the pain. There were numerous times that I was ready to throw in the towel, but I'm glad I didn't quit. Of course, everyone has their own tolerance to pain. I still have my ups and downs, but I always look on the bright side. I still have my family sans (DAD & MOM) and we're not homeless.

Again, good luck and I wish you the best.

Ral

SonomaS2K

Thanks Rale -
Currently, driving my automatic bmw causes no problems and has never been an issue for drives that are many hours in length. seems to only be an issue when I drive the S. it's hard to test when i'm already in a flare up, so I've taken a break from driving it, hoping to eliminate the sciatica and then retest from that baseline.
in terms of PT and back care - yes, candidly, I know I could do more - but also since I've had surgery 5 years ago, I probably do 4+ sessions a week of core stability training along w/ resistance training and it's actually been a fairly uneventful 5 years of post surgery from 2001. This was really the first big flare up, and it all started a day or two after driving the S - I did drive it alot the first few days, and maybe should have eased into it, but I mean, how can a guy not drive it when you first get one!

Anyways, points well taken... and giving me good food for thought. Thanks for the well wishes and ideas.

archtop

The s2k offers very few seating adjustment options.If you want a sports car I would check out a C6 with the a6 (paddle shift auto).I owned a C6 and the seats are way more comfortable with lots of adjustments from the power seats,tilt and telescoping wheel with a much smoother ride.You'll probably have to sell the S with a chronic back problem,it is rough on the lower back. Good luck.

HOTRODS2000

Check out this lumbar support. It takes all of five minutes to install. I used these in my previous Miata and in the S2000 for four years.

http://www.miatamania.com/Shop/ViewProduct...279&SortOrder=1

SonomaS2K

It may come to this.... I had had 5 years of really pain free living and feeling like I had a healthy back again. So it did take me by surprise. It was not like I went out with a a herniated disc -- I saw getting the S2k as my gift for 5 great years of healthy back recovery and actually feeling like everything was back to "normal" for daily basic living. So yeah, coming to terms with reality - no need to make it dramatic - may just not work for my physiology. So far, lumbar inserts and so on have not actually made much of a difference - though I may have not found the right one. I definetely appreciate the multiple seat positions of my BMW, and it's a bummer that the S2k has so few positions.. But again, not to fault the car, it's awesome.. just hard to work with with my physiology.

Hope this thread is serving other people too - I noticed alot of the previous posts were really highlighting lumbar support, whereas this feels like something about the seating position in the hip position and the action of stepping on the clutch and angle of how that happens is causing some kind of nerve impingement.