burton06

Just got an 2015 is350 fsport, love the car design, love the drive, hate the seats (2 weeks old)...

My first car to have very sporty bucket seats and it became a problem. A little history i guess.. I got into a car accident years ago, my lower back has never been the same..

Here's my issue in the IS. Whenever I drive for 30mins + i start to get pain in my back/ left legs. After a ton of googling this pain is called Sciatica. I played with the seats a bunch, adjusting angles, lumbar etc. etc. I can't seem to get a good position. I can get it to wear only my legs feel achy or my back feels achy. A lot of people online suggests sitting on a pillow or a foam pad. I'd really like to not do that with a brand new IS, looks kinda tacky. Anybody have any other suggestions here?

I think the problem is that the seats angle too low. By that I mean, when you sit, your knees are pointed upwards, higher than your butt. Has anybody ever taken a look at the seats? Is there a way to make the front part of the seat go lower? Maybe some custom work to cut off some metals?

I'm 6'1 195 pounds, so making the seat higher is highly unadvised.

Thanks!!

Lex2133

Have you tried adjusting the lumbar support? And yes, you CAN make the front part of the seat go lower.

ddvette9

I also have sciatica if I drive for too long. I have tried a lot of different angles and not much helps. Happened in my last 3 cars. Wish I could find a solution.

brendanf

I just crank up the lumbar for my back and give it lots of support.

Those seats adjust in just every way imaginable so you should be able to find a suitable position.

The seat heater should also help with your discomfort.. Try turning it on.

Sexis350

Took me months to get use to the seats. At first i thought i was pretty tall 6ft and needed it to be all the way down but was so much more comfortable raising the butt higher until 2 inches from the roof(just enough to never touch/notice it). Makes getting out of the car easier too! Also recline a lot, sux for anyone behind me. Seat warmers are actually really soothing sometimes when you feel crappy. I use when if i feel bloated.

One thing these seats dont have that is a definite must is the adjustable thigh thing. A lot of other cars have em and makes a huge difference in longer drives.

burton06

What have you done to solve the issue?


I have tried the lumar support, but I think it's too high for my lower back

manchild

Same issue here, right new I'm trying more bolster and a higher seating position.

k3vn

Hmm you should be able to tilt the front as you mentioned.... I didn't even realize mine were able to until recently. Try rotating the entire switch (both ends simultaneously) counterclockwise:

link13

My advice is to fix the issue causing the sciatica, because it probably bothers you in other situations and not just while in the car. When I was 33, I took a weird hit playing roller hockey, which broke 2 ribs and caused pretty chronic pain in my back. At the time, a guy on another message board was completing training and opening an Egoscue clinic in Austin, Texas. I mentioned the back pain and he suggested buying the book Pain Free by Pete Egoscue and doing the back e-cises.

http://shop.egoscue.com/Pain-Free-A-...-MB-2400-A.htm

You can buy the book for less that $10 on amazon.com.

The back exercises are pretty simple and have cured me of chronic back pain. I am 44 now and was dreading having back issues 11 years ago when I was first injured. I haven't had chronic pain. I did injure my back this Summer moving a piece of furniture and the back exercises took care of that problem as well.

brendanf

Your right.. Better to fix the problem at the source..

Myself I have a bulging disc between L4 and S1.. It only bothers me if I really stress it.. I was lucky though.. I just needed an anti-inflammatory to get rid of my pain..

Flares up the odd time though.

tC2IS350

I spent months trying to get my seats just right to avoid awful lower back and neck pain. Finally I was able to find a comfortable position. Make sure you lift upward on the back of the bar (the bar that moves you closer to the steering wheel or further back) to lift the back of your seat upward. This should fix the issue of your knees being higher than your butt. I also play around with the lumber support.

dolfan13

I know this is way off topic on this forum but for the folks battling sciatica (like I have) or symptoms of sciatica, a combination of the below daily routines have really helped me personally so thought I'd share:

1) Light stretches every morning and night (google stretches for sciatica)
2) Inversion for 15 minutes every day

The inversion has been the one activity that has helped me more than anything. You can buy an inversion table online or at retail stores and the one I purchased was only about $200'ish. I was skeptical at first but after making the very tiny investment in this and using it, I'm a 100% believer. My understanding based on my research of how this helps people with sciatica is that when you're inverted, your spine stretches out, relieving bulging discs and allows for more oxygen flow into the spine, which speeds up healing. It won't do miracles overnight but after persistent use, it should help! You do not have to invert 90 degrees upside down to gain the benefits for anyone who thinks they will get light headed. A 45 degree inversion should be sufficient since there is no weight being put on your spine. Good luck with healing and sorry for the rant. I hope this helps at least one person because sciatica is the WORST.