GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: gelshocker on 17 April 2015, 12:44
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Hi, was wondering if anyone has back/lumbar pain and that the GTI seat (leather in my case) just couldn't be adjusted to deal with the pain? Has anyone gone so far as to change the seats (Recaro?). Thanks,
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I've had this before in other cars but not the GTD.
The main remedy was to make sure you take everything out of your back pockets - and this worked for me :smiley:
Are you unusually short or tall? Are you prone to issues with your back?
The Golf does not seem to have an offset driving position like some... which another common cause
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I'm 6' (183cm). I have a history of lumbar pain. If I drive smoothly it's not so bad; not so much when I repeatedly try out the turbo lag :rolleyes:
I'm getting closer to a comfortable pain-free position. I think one culprit may be the headrest that cannot be inclined. I'll be looking into neck cushions to take the stress out of the neck. Cheers,
Cheers,
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I had this. Retract the lumbar so the seat back is flush. Sorted it for me
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I had this. Retract the lumbar so the seat back is flush. Sorted it for me
Thanks, will try this out. When you mean flush as in: make the seat back flat as a plank? Or completely retract the lumbar support fully in?
I have had a hernia in my lumbar (L3-L4) area, and so the lumbar support and how to set in up properly for best comfort is important.
Cheers,
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I've got two disc bulges in my lower back and have eventually found a comfortable driving position. I've got the lumbar support fully retracted and find the worst part is the seat height. Also the seat base doesn't tilt which would be helpful so I'll be going leather again next time.
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That's the conundrum: VW make a young mens car and sell it to old folk with bad backs :whistle:
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I had this. Retract the lumbar so the seat back is flush. Sorted it for me
Thanks, will try this out. When you mean flush as in: make the seat back flat as a plank? Or completely retract the lumbar support fully in?
I have had a hernia in my lumbar (L3-L4) area, and so the lumbar support and how to set in up properly for best comfort is important.
Cheers,
Seat back flat. Not necessarily retracted fully. Like mcmaddy said, seat height plays a big part too. I'm 6ft and have it set a handful of pumps above lowest setting. Tbh getting it right takes some experimentation.
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I had this. Retract the lumbar so the seat back is flush. Sorted it for me
Thanks, will try this out. When you mean flush as in: make the seat back flat as a plank? Or completely retract the lumbar support fully in?
I have had a hernia in my lumbar (L3-L4) area, and so the lumbar support and how to set in up properly for best comfort is important.
Cheers,
Seat back flat. Not necessarily retracted fully. Like mcmaddy said, seat height plays a big part too. I'm 6ft and have it set a handful of pumps above lowest setting. Tbh getting it right takes some experimentation.
I don't have a problem with the Golf but the Corsa Van I use for work ergonomically is a nightmare. I am 6 1" and one of the other chaps at work suggested I raise the seat base height. It has made a massive difference for me.
The only problem I have on longer journeys in the Golf I sorted by accident. While going away a couple of years ago I took my wallet out of my pocket to give to swmbo and noticed I had no twinges when I reached my destination. Never have anything in my back pockets now when driving.
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Or anything in your wallet when you arrive :grin: :grin:
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Or anything in your wallet when you arrive :grin: :grin:
Hmmm !! Two pronged attack from the car and the wife :embarrassed:
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I don't suffer from any back issues but find having any amount of the lumbar support active actually gives me back ache. I always have it fully retracted as others have suggested, with the seat back fairly uppright, but on the occasions my partner adjusts it and I forget to take it off, I get an aching back.
You can spend ages adjusting it all to get everything just right, and then someone else gets in and buggers it up.
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You can spend ages adjusting it all to get everything just right, and then someone else gets in and buggers it up.
Memory seats and mirrors for each key would be a great option to have.
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You can spend ages adjusting it all to get everything just right, and then someone else gets in and buggers it up.
Memory seats and mirrors for each key would be a great option to have.
Agreed, maybe one day VW will consider us worthy of such highbrow options :whistle:
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If you don't want back pain, they want you to buy an Audi.... and spec the three different options you require at 2k per option ;-)
Cunning people those Germans...
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If you don't want back pain, they want you to buy an Audi.... and spec the three different options you require at 2k per option ;-)
Cunning people those Germans...
Cheaper to suffer the back pain and do a Pilates class every week :wink:
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Pilates that's what I need to do I find if I move the position of the seat slightly while I'm driving that helps :smiley:
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Pilates? Can't you get cream for that?
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Pilates that's what I need to do I find if I move the position of the seat slightly while I'm driving that helps :smiley:
Charlie, it can be very effective for people with back problems provided it is tailored to your specific needs and the teacher is good. Most of my fellow Pilates class mates have back problems of one sort or another, I'm one of the few who doesn't.
Pilates? Can't you get cream for that?
Nope :tongue: And it was of course invented by one of your aforementioned 'cunning Germans' :wink:
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I don't suffer from any back issues but find having any amount of the lumbar support active actually gives me back ache. I always have it fully retracted as others have suggested, with the seat back fairly uppright, but on the occasions my partner adjusts it and I forget to take it off, I get an aching back.
You can spend ages adjusting it all to get everything just right, and then someone else gets in and buggers it up.
I am speculating that the (excessive) lumbar support may have aggravated my lumbar injury. I have retracted it fully now but use a flat thin pillow for support instead. The seat itself maybe a bit too soft, like a soft couch, which is never good for back pain. I will play around with the lumbar support later and setting it to flush, once my lumbar heals.
I am now setting the seat further back to allow my legs to stretch a bit more. I will try setting the seat higher.
The pilates is an interesting suggestion, I have heard many good things about it. Supposedly it builds your 'core' muscles around the pelvic area? When I used to do yoga (the light version not the human pretzel) it helped with the stretching and building thigh muscles. You feel a lot looser in the back and with the body feeling flexible there's less strain build up. Basically your body is not solid as a brick and you can actually bend your back!
Stretching your hammys in so far as to allow it to stretch right up your lumbar is also good for back pain. I feel kinda silly doing warm up and cool down stretches after driving the GTI. But it's all worth it to relive a bit of youthfulness right? :tongue: I refuse to drive a bimmer or audi just yet and will hold out as long as possible!
The cream for instant relief is Biofreeze. The spray form is what the professional football players use.
Cheers,
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The pilates is an interesting suggestion, I have heard many good things about it. Supposedly it builds your 'core' muscles around the pelvic area? When I used to do yoga (the light version not the human pretzel) it helped with the stretching and building thigh muscles. You feel a lot looser in the back and with the body feeling flexible there's less strain build up. Basically your body is not solid as a brick and you can actually bend your back!
Yes, Pilates helps to build core strength, not only in the pelvic area, but throughout the body and with an emphasis on improving alignment and breathing. It also improves flexibility and joint mobility and muscle endurance. And because it is a low impact form of exercise, the risk of injury is low and it is good for all ages. But anyone with existing problems should check their doctor first to see if it might be of benefit.
It is very important to find a good, qualified teacher. I've done it for years and years and there are a lot of classes on offer (mainly in leisure centres) that are very poor, doing the exercises incorrectly at too rapid a pace, which provides little or no benefit and may actually aggravate existing back problems. So if you are tempted to try it, take the time to seek out a good practitioner. Any teacher worth their salt will carry out a proper appraisal of your existing health and be able to say whether it would be suitable.
I'm fortunate that my Pilates teacher is a also qualified (paediatric) physiotherapist in her day job, which helps. All the exercises (some using resistance aids) are done very very slowly, with her adjusting you where necessary to ensure you are keeping your alignment. Classes are small, no more than 8 people, so the teacher can monitor and assist each person.
I also do yoga (gentle form) but find I get more lasting benefit from pilates, though last night's yoga session has helped ease out back stiffness I had as a result of my full on car detailing session last week to rid my car of the Sahara sand!
Anyway, hope that making some slight seat adjustments makes a difference to you and eases your GTI lumbar pain :smiley:
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The pilates is an interesting suggestion, I have heard many good things about it. Supposedly it builds your 'core' muscles around the pelvic area? When I used to do yoga (the light version not the human pretzel) it helped with the stretching and building thigh muscles. You feel a lot looser in the back and with the body feeling flexible there's less strain build up. Basically your body is not solid as a brick and you can actually bend your back!
Yes, Pilates helps to build core strength, not only in the pelvic area, but throughout the body and with an emphasis on improving alignment and breathing. It also improves flexibility and joint mobility and muscle endurance. And because it is a low impact form of exercise, the risk of injury is low and it is good for all ages. But anyone with existing problems should check their doctor first to see if it might be of benefit.
It is very important to find a good, qualified teacher. I've done it for years and years and there are a lot of classes on offer (mainly in leisure centres) that are very poor, doing the exercises incorrectly at too rapid a pace, which provides little or no benefit and may actually aggravate existing back problems. So if you are tempted to try it, take the time to seek out a good practitioner. Any teacher worth their salt will carry out a proper appraisal of your existing health and be able to say whether it would be suitable.
I'm fortunate that my Pilates teacher is a also qualified (paediatric) physiotherapist in her day job, which helps. All the exercises (some using resistance aids) are done very very slowly, with her adjusting you where necessary to ensure you are keeping your alignment. Classes are small, no more than 8 people, so the teacher can monitor and assist each person.
I also do yoga (gentle form) but find I get more lasting benefit from pilates, though last night's yoga session has helped ease out back stiffness I had as a result of my full on car detailing session last week to rid my car of the Sahara sand!
Thanks for the detailed information, much appreciated. Definitely seems worthwhile to look into.
Anyway, hope that making some slight seat adjustments makes a difference to you and eases your GTI lumbar pain :smiley:
^^^ THIS ^^^ :smiley: Thanks! The quest continues..
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Interesting, I managed to get a 48 hour test drive and couldn't get comfortable, it was the only thing stopping me from getting one.
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This sounds like I'm resigning, but it could be the nature of the beast. The GTI is a small car and a 'hot hatch'. The cabin is cramped compared to a SUV, Saloon etc. The suspension is stiff and the tires are thinner with the 18" wheels. Handling at the expense of comfort. The seats may also not be firm enough to support the spine (though they may have to be softer to cushion the ride).
The only comfort I have right now is that I haven't experienced any back pain from a Honda Jazz that I drove a few times before. So I know I can drive a car without pain. But that car was SLOW :wink:
Would sitting more upright, closer to the steering wheel help against back pain? Thanks,
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There is much more padding on the MK5 compared to the MK7 and the seats are narrower.
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This sounds like I'm resigning, but it could be the nature of the beast. The GTI is a small car and a 'hot hatch'. The cabin is cramped compared to a SUV, Saloon etc. The suspension is stiff and the tires are thinner with the 18" wheels. Handling at the expense of comfort. The seats may also not be firm enough to support the spine (though they may have to be softer to cushion the ride).
The only comfort I have right now is that I haven't experienced any back pain from a Honda Jazz that I drove a few times before. So I know I can drive a car without pain. But that car was SLOW :wink:
Would sitting more upright, closer to the steering wheel help against back pain? Thanks,
You could be right. I also think it very much depends on what you are used to. If you're coming from some big wallowy cruiser then it's going to feel cramped and a bit confined. My old boss, who was of big build and very tall, used to hate going in my old mk5 GTI, he found the bucket style seats narrow, cramped and very uncomfortable compared to his Ford Mondeo. Similarly I went in a mates Mondeo Estate at the weekend and thought it was awful, seats too flat, seat and seat back hard as rock. I'll take the body hugging GTI seats any day of the week.
I always think a fairly upright back position is beneficial but I think it's a case of try it for a few days and see. Don't forget you can adjust the steering column position too. You might have to try multiple combinations of seat incline, seat height, lumbar support etc, and keep a note of how you fare with each. If you don't jot it down you can guarantee you'll stumble across one you prefer but won't rremember what you did to acheive it. The range of adjustment is both a blessing and a curse really - it gives you lots of variables but you could spend forever trying different things out. Good luck.