Hip/Sciatic nerve pain from kayaking?

Hi,

I have been having some issues with hip/sciatic nerve pain after kayaking for prolonged periods of time (4-6 hours) and am trying to figure out how to make it stop . I have had similar sciatic nerve issues from  biking commuting every day and was able to fix it by stretching and getting a different bike and having it fitted properly. Anyone have hip pain from kayaking? Any suggestions on how to remedy? I fear that one aggravating factor may be the restrictive foot wells on my Dorado which seems to effect the angle of my legs and hip joint. I do use a seat/back cushion in the molded seat but it doesn't seem to help. Perhaps I need to buy a Hobie .

Thanks,

Thomas

I have arthritis in my hip and found the Jackson big tuna I chose doesn't bother my hip or low back even on extra long days 6-8 hours the seat is adjustable as well as the foot pegs.

Try piriformis stretches before, during (if possible), and afterwards. 3x30" holds each time. Icing the area may help too.

I have the same trouble with sit in kayaks but since I've gone to sit on top (Hobies) I don't have that problem.
T2

Having survived a dehabilitating back injury, I can tell you that strengthening your core and abdominal muscles will help you maintain a beneficial posture in your yak and help prevent & treat any further back issues. I saw a Physical Therpist for a short time for this to learn a repertoire of exercises I could do at home. Hope this helps.

My wife has had hip resurfacing surgery, and she can peddle our Hobie with no problem at all.  Before the surgery she could barely walk.  Amazing what a good doctor can do.

The only back support in whitewater kayaks is an adjustable back band which runs across the back of your hips.  I have found that if my back band gets just a little loose, I start to get a sore back. If I tighten up the back band, the problem goes away.

My Trident and my Revolution have nylon seats with high backs.  With these fishing kayaks, as with my whitewater kayaks, hip and lumbar support is important to me.  The angle of the seat is also important.  If I get my seats adjusted right, I can spend 8-hour days in my kayaks with no discomfort.  If I have my seat adjusted wrong, or the straps which support the seat slip, my back lets me know about it.

The plastic bucket seat in your Dorado is a bit like a high version of the plastic seat of a whitewater kayak, but it doesn't have a back band or any way to adjust the seat.  And the bucket seat may be tilting your hips and bending your back in a way which is putting pressure on nerves coming out of your backbone, creating the sciatica problems.  So if your back doesn't like the seat in your Dorado, try adding foam padding to the bottom and/or back of the bucket seat to change the shape of the seat, and in particular to increase the lumbar support and/or the pressure on the back of your hips.  For example, you could try installing a strip of closed-cell foam, similar to a back band, across the top of the back of the bucket seat in your Dorado, in a effort to provide lower back support which will straighten your spine and help you sit more upright in the bucket seat, rather than slouched over.  You could try temporarily installing strips of closed-cell foam with duct tape, and experiment with different thicknesses of foam in an effort to determine what (if anything) reduces your back problems.  Once you figure out what helps, you can glue in some foam permanently.  You may discover that you need to sculpt a back support out of Ethafoam or some other rigid closed-cell foam. Whitewater kayakers want their kayaks to fit their hips like ski boots fit your feet, and I have sculpted hip pads out of foam in many whitewater kayaks.