I have been training a little bit for longer distances. I have a problem and need help. The lower section or end of my spine, or lowest vertebra ends up sore after 4 or more hours on my seat. It seems like my cushioned sides seem to flatten down and all the load goes into that bone or so it feels. On the first day the pain was gone after few minutes off the kayak. On the second long training the pain lowered but reappeared soft but constant during the following day. One friend suggests a thick neoprene with two holes, one for each side bone, so that the center ends up cushioned. Others suggest a donnut shaped air inflated piece that floats the center. I'd like to hear the experts opinion. Opinions like get yourself a sailboat, and the like are not acceptable, :-) Best Regards, Rafael Mexico www.mayanseas.com <http://www.mayanseas.com/> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Jan 29, 2008 10:54 AM, Rafael Mier <silidriel_at_prodigy.net.mx> wrote: > > The lower section or end of my spine, or lowest vertebra ends up sore > after > 4 or more hours on my seat. Like the guy who broke his arm in two places... the doctor told him to stay out of those places. :) It's probably unreasonable to expect no pain from sitting in the same position for many hours; there is always going to be some discomfort. As we get older it takes less to make things hurt; a lot less! Some seats are worse than others but body position while paddling can make a big difference. If you are slouching (leaning backwards) then you might be more likely to have lower back pain. I have adopted a paddling position that puts me leaning forward with my knees raised. This moves the sitting pressure-points away from the lower back and more onto the area where the gluteous maximus connects with the backs of the thighs. Pushing against the footpegs on paddle strokes also helps move your body in the seat and keeps circulation going. Vary your leg position to move the pressure points around. You haven't given us any information about the seat you are using now. I'm assuming it's a hard plastic bottom (or fiberglass bottom) seat. I've had a few of those and in every case adding a neoprene cushion to the bottom has made a big difference. I learned this when I bought a used w/w kayak that had the pads and noticed a difference right away. The pads I've used have been 1/8" or less thick. Sometimes, when the seat back is also hard plastic, my lower spine will get sore from being pressed back into the hard plastic back so I add a pad there, too. But it's interesting that sometimes just adding pads on either side of the pressure point - but not on the pressure point itself, helps the most. In other words, don't pad the spot where it hurts; pad the spots on either side. The pads will need to be moved around to find the "sweet" spot for sitting so I just dab a dot or two of silicone on the bottom to allow it to be moved around - and then mark it - before I set it in place permanently. The best stock seat I've ever used is the one Nimbus installed in my Telkwa. It's remarkably comfortable. The best seat for sea kayaking paddling action, so far, has been the Mariner sliding plastic seat (with neoprene added). Good luck, Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Quoting Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>: > On Jan 29, 2008 10:54 AM, Rafael Mier <silidriel_at_prodigy.net.mx> wrote: > >> >> The lower section or end of my spine, or lowest vertebra ends up sore >> after >> 4 or more hours on my seat. > > > Like the guy who broke his arm in two places... the doctor told him to stay > out of those places. :) > > It's probably unreasonable to expect no pain from sitting in the same > position for many hours; there is always going to be some discomfort. Through evolution, I have adapted sort of a strategy to combat back pain. My boat came with a very hard fiberglass seat, and guaranteed pain within 1-2 hours of paddling. So I did the following: 1. Bought a nice back rest from a kayak shop. 2. Place a water bottle under each knee (for knee pain). 3. Eat lots of cookies and brownies. This increases my natural padding. The only problem is that because of 3., I can barely fit in my cockpit anymore. Maybe there's a better way. Also, I learned on a white water canoe trip to always leave an air pocket in your water bottles, otherwise they sink. BRC *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
You reminded me of Mary Poppins, with the story of a Man with one leg called John, and somebody asked, "and what was the name of the other leg"? Thanks for the advise. My seat is fiberglass with some cushing made out of cloth and some carpet bottom layers. I will take care to follow your idea of padding the sides. Best Regards, Rafael. Craig wrote: Like the guy who broke his arm in two places... the doctor told him to stay out of those places. :) Sometimes, when the seat back is also hard plastic, my lower spine will get sore from being pressed back into the hard plastic back so I add a pad there, too. But it's interesting that sometimes just adding pads on either side of the pressure point - but not on the pressure point itself, helps the most. In other words, don't pad the spot where it hurts; pad the spots on either side. The pads will need to be moved around to find the "sweet" spot for sitting so I just dab a dot or two of silicone on the bottom to allow it to be moved around - and then mark it - before I set it in place permanently. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The other leg was a girl, her name was Peggy! -----Original Message----- Cc: 'Paddlewise' Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] My lower back hurts You reminded me of Mary Poppins, with the story of a Man with one leg called John, and somebody asked, "and what was the name of the other leg"? Thanks for the advise. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Jan 30, 2008 7:34 AM, Mark Sanders <sandmarks_at_ca.rr.com> wrote: > The other leg was a girl, her name was Peggy! > > This thread lasted longer than most before it deteriorated into silliness. :) Craig Jungers Kinda likes silly in... Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Rafael wrote: >The lower section or end of my spine, or >lowest vertebra ends up sore after 4 or more >hours on my seat. G'Day Rafael, I had a similar problem and followed a similar strategy to Craig on two boats now. Something that made a huge difference was to cut two 4cm to 5 cm diameter holes in the padding to match the two "bum bones" (ischial tuberosities I think they are called but doctors on the list might confirm this) and a smaller hole to match the base of the spine My "friends" of course made much of the possible ways I might have located these holes, making reference to sitting in buckets of rouge and then sitting on the seat to see where the pressure points were. None of this is true, honest! I found the pressure points by examining an old seat pad and looking for the indentaions that were left after a long and uncomfortable week or so of paddling. This reference might help. http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/DEA325notes/sitting.html All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Mike, The problem is that my back is not very ample. The amount of material between skin and bone is not a lot, and after half an hour, the little existing spreads to the side, and my spine starts reaching the bottom and supporting the weight. I sit usually pretty straight. I don't lean backwards. If I loose weight it should be in other places, where there is something to loose, like my stomach. :-) I have received some very good hints, and I have some homework to do to find the best. Best Regards, Rafael. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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