Please help me debug my car ergonomics
December 12, 2019 5:17 AM Subscribe
I get bad back pain within five minutes of sitting in the driver's seat of my car. How can I fix this?
The car is an old Honda civic I recently bought. I don't remember it hurting when I bought it, but someone else drove it, and then I moved the seat back to where I thought it had been, and it's been causing me back pain ever since, no matter how much I try to fiddle with seat height/recline/distance.
I am not limiting the solution to those controls - if I can buy something to fix this I can do that also, assuming it's not expensive.
I am shortish (5'3"). I do not have this in all cars - I sent the Honda for repairs after an accident and drove a different car for a week, no back pain, and as soon as I got the civic back from repairs and started driving it again, boom, back pain. I don't remember experiencing this with other cars I've driven in the less recent past, either.
My efforts at fixing the problem were mostly at random - move seat forward, move seat back, see if things improved, no, raise seat, no, recline seat, no... If anyone has a better algorithm for how to get a seat to optimal ergonomic positioning, please share it. If anyone knows how to identify what seat trait is causing the extremely fast-acting back pain, please share. Basically any information that might help me solve this.
The car is an old Honda civic I recently bought. I don't remember it hurting when I bought it, but someone else drove it, and then I moved the seat back to where I thought it had been, and it's been causing me back pain ever since, no matter how much I try to fiddle with seat height/recline/distance.
I am not limiting the solution to those controls - if I can buy something to fix this I can do that also, assuming it's not expensive.
I am shortish (5'3"). I do not have this in all cars - I sent the Honda for repairs after an accident and drove a different car for a week, no back pain, and as soon as I got the civic back from repairs and started driving it again, boom, back pain. I don't remember experiencing this with other cars I've driven in the less recent past, either.
My efforts at fixing the problem were mostly at random - move seat forward, move seat back, see if things improved, no, raise seat, no, recline seat, no... If anyone has a better algorithm for how to get a seat to optimal ergonomic positioning, please share it. If anyone knows how to identify what seat trait is causing the extremely fast-acting back pain, please share. Basically any information that might help me solve this.
No clue how to actually fix it but a “rice sock” in the small of my back (even I heated) has improved my back on drives
posted by raccoon409 at 5:54 AM on December 12, 2019
posted by raccoon409 at 5:54 AM on December 12, 2019
Best answer: Did the head rest get adjusted? I got a new-to-me car a few years ago and I couldn't figure out why the seat was so damn uncomfortable, and then I realized the headrests went clicky clicky. For me even one click too far forward caused me problems.
posted by phunniemee at 6:17 AM on December 12, 2019
posted by phunniemee at 6:17 AM on December 12, 2019
Another thing to check is if the mirrors are proper for where you sit. If you are often sitting funny to get a good eye on the mirror, that could easily lead to back pain. I share a car with Dr. Advicepig and try not to move the mirrors, but if I have to drive for more than forty minutes, I need to move them.
posted by advicepig at 6:32 AM on December 12, 2019
posted by advicepig at 6:32 AM on December 12, 2019
So it sounds like you had it and it was fine, then someone else drove it, and ever after it has hurt you. That seems like the other person adjusted *something*.
The "adjust things at random" approach hasn't worked, so here are a few ideas:
-Think about the other driver in comparison to you. Are they taller, shorter, thinner, fatter? Do they like to drive sitting further up or leaning further back than you do? That might give you some clues. When you drive, aside from back pain, does any particular motion, action, or body part feel weird or uncomfortable? It's entirely possible for some misalignment in your legs or arms to end up making your back hurt; I sometimes get back pain that can be relieved by massaging tight muscles in my hips.
-Look at other stuff besides the seat - mirrors, and the headrest, as previously mentioned, but the one that gets me is the steering wheel. I like to drive with my seat pretty far back and the steering wheel forward, because I have a knee issue so I need to drive with my leg extended.
-Your driver's side seat may also have more adjustment points than the other seats - sometimes they have adjustable lumbar support or seat height or similar. Check your manual to see if you're missing one.
Otherwise, maybe try adjusting just one variable at a time and keep track of what is better/worse, because it might also be a combination of stuff.
Good luck!!
posted by oblique red at 6:43 AM on December 12, 2019
The "adjust things at random" approach hasn't worked, so here are a few ideas:
-Think about the other driver in comparison to you. Are they taller, shorter, thinner, fatter? Do they like to drive sitting further up or leaning further back than you do? That might give you some clues. When you drive, aside from back pain, does any particular motion, action, or body part feel weird or uncomfortable? It's entirely possible for some misalignment in your legs or arms to end up making your back hurt; I sometimes get back pain that can be relieved by massaging tight muscles in my hips.
-Look at other stuff besides the seat - mirrors, and the headrest, as previously mentioned, but the one that gets me is the steering wheel. I like to drive with my seat pretty far back and the steering wheel forward, because I have a knee issue so I need to drive with my leg extended.
-Your driver's side seat may also have more adjustment points than the other seats - sometimes they have adjustable lumbar support or seat height or similar. Check your manual to see if you're missing one.
Otherwise, maybe try adjusting just one variable at a time and keep track of what is better/worse, because it might also be a combination of stuff.
Good luck!!
posted by oblique red at 6:43 AM on December 12, 2019
Does the steering wheel adjust? I get pain in my neck if I move the steering wheel up to the higher position, probably because I then hold my hands a bit higher and there's tension. That's something I think many people don't think of adjusting often.
posted by xingcat at 7:00 AM on December 12, 2019
posted by xingcat at 7:00 AM on December 12, 2019
You might consider getting new foam for the seats. If the car is old and it’s broken down, that could be the problem.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 8:12 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 8:12 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A visual guide to adjusting your seat is here.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 11:14 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 11:14 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
That visual guide missed one adjustment that's available in (some? most?) cars: the pitch of the seat itself. It's not just raising or lowering the seat, but if the seat is flat, tilted back or forward. This adjustment made a significant change for me.
And perhaps before buying something, you could look for someone to do an ergonomic assessment of how you sit in your car. I found this post on adjusting your car seat for comfort from an ergonomic point of view. That company is an office ergonomics outfit and I'm not specifically endorsing them, but linking to them as a top search result with decent suggestions, and to point out that an office ergonomic evaluation person might also be able to help you sit more comfortably in your car. I'm surprised there's not more catering to car ergonomics, given how much time people spend in them.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:41 PM on December 12, 2019
And perhaps before buying something, you could look for someone to do an ergonomic assessment of how you sit in your car. I found this post on adjusting your car seat for comfort from an ergonomic point of view. That company is an office ergonomics outfit and I'm not specifically endorsing them, but linking to them as a top search result with decent suggestions, and to point out that an office ergonomic evaluation person might also be able to help you sit more comfortably in your car. I'm surprised there's not more catering to car ergonomics, given how much time people spend in them.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:41 PM on December 12, 2019
I'm a 5-foot-6 woman and I had the same problem with my 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid when I bought it, when I took it home after my test drive. The problem turned out to be the placement of my non-pedal foot. You have to extend your left leg and set your left foot solidly flat on the angled foot rest, even if you're not used to doing that. You'll need to adjust the seat forward as well, using the lever on the front of the seat, to the point where you can do that (and adjust the steering-wheel height/angle if you then find yourself bumping your knees on the wheel).
It caused me some anxiety at first to have both my feet stretched out in front of me like that, as well as to be so close to the wheel, but I got used to it. Sitting any other way will definitely cause back pain for me almost immediately.
Other things to adjust: the head-rest height, the mirror placement, and the angle of the seat back, using the handle on the left side of the seat (I personally prefer mine to lean back at a very slight angle, as it makes me hunch in a very uncomfortable way if it's angled forward or just straight upright).
Let us know what fixes it!
posted by limeonaire at 3:03 PM on December 12, 2019
It caused me some anxiety at first to have both my feet stretched out in front of me like that, as well as to be so close to the wheel, but I got used to it. Sitting any other way will definitely cause back pain for me almost immediately.
Other things to adjust: the head-rest height, the mirror placement, and the angle of the seat back, using the handle on the left side of the seat (I personally prefer mine to lean back at a very slight angle, as it makes me hunch in a very uncomfortable way if it's angled forward or just straight upright).
Let us know what fixes it!
posted by limeonaire at 3:03 PM on December 12, 2019
I actually discovered for myself that car seats that are less deep (measured from the front to the back of the bottom part of the seat) are less back-friendly. Somehow less support under my legs causes more strain on my back. Not sure if this is your situation but thought I'd mention it.
posted by Dansaman at 10:28 PM on December 12, 2019
posted by Dansaman at 10:28 PM on December 12, 2019
This may sound odd, but do you carry a wallet or something similar in your back pocket? As of a year or so ago, I've found that I need to take my wallet out of my pocket or it will make my back hurt while driving.
This weirdness came on very suddenly too, and I spent a couple weeks adjusting everything in the car before looking at my own body for possible causes.
posted by PlantGoddess at 2:20 AM on December 13, 2019
This weirdness came on very suddenly too, and I spent a couple weeks adjusting everything in the car before looking at my own body for possible causes.
posted by PlantGoddess at 2:20 AM on December 13, 2019
Response by poster: Thank you everyone, and I will definitely be looking into everything suggested for further tweaking to maximize comfort and good posture, but I'm also happy to report that adjusting the headrest seems to have made the pain go away* so I'm marking that answer as best.
* (how???? I never would have guessed the connection headrest -> lower back pain)
posted by Cozybee at 4:05 AM on December 13, 2019 [2 favorites]
* (how???? I never would have guessed the connection headrest -> lower back pain)
posted by Cozybee at 4:05 AM on December 13, 2019 [2 favorites]
One more possibility for adjustment that made life better for someone your height is that many steering wheels telescope in and out and also move up and down. The control to do this in my Subaru is a lever to the bottom left of the steering wheel column; your mileage may lost certainly vary. I find it most ergonomic if it's as low and as close to my body as I can get.
posted by deludingmyself at 8:58 PM on December 18, 2019
posted by deludingmyself at 8:58 PM on December 18, 2019
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I don't have a scientific explanation, but my trainer said something about it aligning the pelvis position in the proper way. It's not something I'd call comfortable, but it beats back pain.
posted by pyro979 at 5:27 AM on December 12, 2019