The issue of seat design came and went briefly and raised the question "Why do my legs go to sleep and is it sometimes hard to walk upon exit from the boat?" I argued for the essential necessity of *lumbar* support in paddlecraft unless posture is held correctly at all times. This is easier for me in a canoe. The numbness is caused by an increase in the lumbosacral angle, "slumping", which in turn causes nerve root impingement. This is easy to see in a few simple sketches and I recommend Rene Cailliet's "Low Back Pain Syndrome", F.A. Davis, Philadeplhia, especially Chapter 2. Referred numbness and pain in your legs does not likely start in the thighs but in pressure on nerves in L1-5, S1-2 region of the spine. Certainly bent knees is part of achieving proper paddling posture but lumbar support is the weak link for many. What did the Inuit use for seats? RGM -- Richard G. Mitchell, Jr. (541) 752-1323 phone/fax mitchelr_at_ucs.orst.edu *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Dec 08 1998 - 01:48:53 PST
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