Long Road Trips and Back Pain

[Talus1]

I'm 54, 6'2", 200lb. The longest I've driven the BRZ in one "sitting" is 3hrs. I don't get back pain in the car but I do get 'numb butt'. I have a bad back but I also do stretches and crunches every weekday morning. I've noticed the numb butt is worst on days after I've been going hard on my bicycle, so maybe that's the real culprit. I've also noticed that I spend as much time wiggling around trying to get comfortable in my wife's 3-series on a long drive as I do in the BRZ, and the sport seats in the 3-series are pretty awesome.

[SquadRon]

Originally Posted by RickyBobby

HA HA Since I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago I don't need stool softener.

Yeah. I'll have to get me one of them seat cushions for long trips.

I installed the OEM sliding arm rest a few months ago and that helps.

As a side note, driving 75-80 MPH I averaged, according to the trippy thing, 36.9 MPG.

Why did you remove your gall bladder?
I know many people who have had their gall bladder removed I just don't understand why..

[RickyBobby]

Originally Posted by SquadRon

Why did you remove your gall bladder?
I know many people who have had their gall bladder removed I just don't understand why..

Getting OT but I'll answer your question.

I didn't remove my gall bladder, the surgeon did. Why, frequent and very painful attacks caused by gallstones blocking the cystic duct, which drains bile from the gallbladder to the small intestines. The bouts of pain come and go as the gallbladder contracts and expands and last from 15 minutes to several hours.

An ultrasound test confirmed that I had gallstones and I had my gall bladder removed laparoscopically as an out patient.

You can live without your gall bladder. It is mainly a storage organ that helps in the digestion of fat and helps to make bile more concentrated to increase its effect on fat cells. Bile that is produced by the liver travels into the gallbladder through channels known as bile ducts and is stored there. Food that contains fat enters the digestive system and stimulates hormones. These hormones cause contraction of the gallbladder and this contraction of the gallbladder, allows the gallbladder to release the bile into the small intestine to allow for absorption of fat to take place.

Without your gall bladder bile is secreted directly from the liver into the small intestine. You sometimes get what's called the "Dumping Syndrome". About 15 to 30 minutes after you eat you gotta go and it's usually loose.
I have found that certain foods trigger it and that if I delay drinking liquids for about 30 minutes after I eat helps prevent it.

Ok, maybe a bit too much info but I think this answers your question.

[RickyBobby]

Originally Posted by humfrz

THAT'S GOOD!

You must have an AT and use cruise control a lot .. ??

Yep, like mentioned above:

* wallet out of back pocket

* proper seat adjustment (no slouching)

* appropriate supplemental seat cushions

* install an arm rest

* use cruise control as much as much as possible

* make frequent stops, stretch & walk around (I never met a rest stop I didn't like)

* cut off the freeway and take the "old/business/scenic" route from time to time

* if you have a co-pilot, allow him/her to drive for a spell (don't be stubborn)

* limit your mileage by the age chart below:

16-25 ..... 900 miles/day
26-35 ..... 800 miles/day
36-45 .... 700 miles/day
46-55 .... 600 miles/day
56-65 .... 500 miles/day
66-75 .... 400 miles/day
75-85 .... 300 miles/day
86 - ..... stay home or take the train


Happy trails .........


humfrz

I think you summed it up. One thing you left out, and several have mentioned it, is the need for us older (and younger) folks to do daily back exercises and/or go to the gym/fitness center at least 3X a week.

In my younger days I thought I was invincible and my back is paying the price now, been to PT twice. Got the usual old age compressed disks and sciatica.

I do daily back exercises and my wife and I started going to the gym this year. One advantage of old age is the "Silver Sneakers" program from Humana. It pays for the gym membership.

And yes I do have an AT and use cruise control as much as possible. I drove a stick for years but after test driving the FR-S AT chose the AT over the manual.

[MuseChaser]

A lot of good tips in this thread. The thing about NOT keeping your wallet in your back pocket is a biggie, and not just for driving. A wallet doesn't weigh much, but having one in your back pocket can wreak havoc upon your spine and pelvic alignment over time. I had a bout of nasty lower back pain in my 30s and my regular doc told to me to stop carrying my wallet back there and put it in a front pocket. Helped a LOT, and I was sure it wasn't going to. To this day, I still usually keep my wallet in the back, but if I feel a little tightness coming on in my back or hips, I increase the core workouts and stretches I do and move my wallet to the front for a few days. I never drive w/ my wallet in the back, even for a few miles.

I must be one of the lucky ones; the seat in my FRS fits me better than any car I've ever driven... 5'7", 150 lbs. I did a 500 mile trip a few days ago (and averaged 39.9 mpg!! I was so bummed when I saw it slip below 40 during the last three miles... ) and felt great the whole time other than being a little stiff until I stretched out afterwards. For long trips, though, I adjust the seat a little different than the relatively upright position others have described here. I find that position good for aggressive driving, but not for the long haul. My seat is set more like a recliner; I try to distribute as much weight as I can to as many contact points as possible, rather than having the weight of my torso more concentrated on my butt. Think of how an astronaut's chair is probably designed to distribute g forces during takeoffs. By reclining the seatback a notch or two more than normal, moving the chair forward a notch or two to compensate for the pedal reach, then pulling the steering wheel all the way back, you can set the seat so that even your upper back and mid back bears at least some of your weight. This, for me anyways, is a very comfortable way to drive, and it does require you to use your core muscles to sit up a bit once in a while, either just to shift your position 'cause it feels good to move a bit, or to see better around the side mirrors during sharp turns (am I the only one whose sightlines get blocked by the side mirrors when taking sharp corners driving around town? There's times I simply have to remember where the curb is or lane lines are 'cause I sure can't see'em). I like to feel the entire seat, from the front of the seat bottom to the top of the seat back, giving me support.

Another reason I bought this car is that it's one of the few newer cars that DOESN'T have a headrest that feels like it's forcing my head forward at a ridiculous angle, smashing my chin to my chest. I rented a Nissan Versa once; driving that thing was a nightmare. My head was shoved so far forward my windpipe was constricted and I could barely breathe. SOoo... that government-mandated (don't get me started) whiplash-preventing headrest spent the entire trip in the back seat, DEFINITELY not preventing whiplash.

Happy road trips to all.

Barry