Saddles and Sciatica

I suffer on & off from sciatica. I'm slightly suspicious (but have no
proof) that the saddle on my bike (a Marin Mill Valley) might be part
of the cause.

I swapped it for a more 'gentle' saddle from an old bike and that may
have helped. That saddle broke yesterday so I need to buy a new one.
My question is whether anyone's got any advice or recommendations
around buying a saddle which might reduce the risk of sciatica?

Thanks,

Michael

wrote:
I suffer on & off from sciatica.

Ditto.

My question is whether anyone's got any advice or recommendations
around buying a saddle which might reduce the risk of sciatica?

I've always found that gentle cycling alleviates it, provided that the
saddle is set at the correct height. My usual saddle is a medium size
"traditional" plastic-covered saddle, nothing unusual. I've never had
the sciatica exacerbated by any other saddles.

However, if it is a sciatica month, I find I do need to take particular
care about keeping warm.

R.

in message .com,
') wrote:

I suffer on & off from sciatica. I'm slightly suspicious (but have no
proof) that the saddle on my bike (a Marin Mill Valley) might be part
of the cause.

I swapped it for a more 'gentle' saddle from an old bike and that may
have helped. That saddle broke yesterday so I need to buy a new one.
My question is whether anyone's got any advice or recommendations
around buying a saddle which might reduce the risk of sciatica?

Saddles are an odd issue. What looks comfortable usually isn't and vice
versa. Personally (and I'm by not means alone in this) I've become a
believer in minimalism: what you need is a saddle with a skirt wide
enough to support /your/ ischeal tuberosities ('sit bones'); with
minimal or no padding; and with a narrow nose.

Different people's sit-bones are different distances apart and there's
no way to tell where they are just by looking at someone - you actually
have to prod around, which is considered rather impolite in our
culture. 'Specialized' (the brand) dealers now have a special pad you
can sit on which measures your sit-bone width. This helps you select
the right width.

FWIW, in my opinion and experience the Brooks range of leather saddles
are the most comfortable of all (although they do not look it and take
a little while to get used to).

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; It's dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
;; Voltaire RIP Dr David Kelly 1945-2004

whizzed past me shouting
I suffer on & off from sciatica. I'm slightly suspicious (but have no
proof) that the saddle on my bike (a Marin Mill Valley) might be part
of the cause.

I swapped it for a more 'gentle' saddle from an old bike and that may
have helped. That saddle broke yesterday so I need to buy a new one.
My question is whether anyone's got any advice or recommendations
around buying a saddle which might reduce the risk of sciatica?


Sciatica's caused by inflamed tissue in your spinal joints which presses
on the nerve that goes down the middle of your spine (the pain isn't
really in your leg) - so it's most unlikely that your saddle's causing
it directly.

An uncomfortable saddle or seat can aggravate back problems by forcing
you to adopt a posture that avoids the pain in the seat but isn't good
for your back.

In short, get any saddle that's comfortable for you and you should be
OK. If you ride with a club, borrow some bikes and see how the saddles
feel. Many blokes swear by the Brooks type. If you're looking at gel
or other padded saddles, make sure the padding's firm enough that you
won't feel the frame through it.
Ultimately it's trial and error though.

--
Sue ]

What goes down must come up again - Confucius' Law of Mountain Biking

Sue White wrote:

Sciatica's caused by inflamed tissue in your spinal joints which presses
on the nerve that goes down the middle of your spine (the pain isn't
really in your leg) - so it's most unlikely that your saddle's causing
it directly.

An uncomfortable saddle or seat can aggravate back problems by forcing
you to adopt a posture that avoids the pain in the seat but isn't good
for your back.

Which is why overall riding position is more important than choice
of saddle IMO. This included the position of the handlebars, and the
fore/aft position and tilt of the saddle.

(I'm speaking as someone who used to suffer from back pain during and
after cycling, but a combination of resistance training and careful bike
setup eliminated it).

--
jc

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