Hi - sorry I didn't mention had the full suite of physio/osteo/chiro - MRIs, steriod injections and although much improved I am still finding sitting on anything a pain (soft squidy sofas are particularly bad for me). I spend most of my time on a kitchen bar stool on a raised desk so I get the "knee/hip drop" that takes the load of my sacroilliac joint.

Thanks

Hi Adampr - I didnt even have the Peageot on my radar so will check that out thanks.

Yes funny you say that about the vans - my builder's ford transit was so much more comfortable...

I even resorted to taking out the carpet from my lexus to get that extra inch of height for my legs - that didnt make enough of a difference so thats back in now.

MPVs are an option but as I learnt sometimes manufacturers make the footwell level with the rest of the interior floor and some of the big MPVs (Estimata) dont' give you as much height as I thought as the whole floor is much higher.

@badbusdriver I was of course joking :)

72Trombones - Wow thanks for sharing your journey. I saw a consultant had injections on my left/right side as a nerve block (my issue is L5/S1 with some annular fissure, disc degenration and wear and tear)- we dont know exactly what triggers the pain but its mainly lying down on my left side and also sitting down especially when in bucket type seats (I dont remember the last time I sat on a sofa)... I dont feel any pain standing or moving around or even bending forwards/backwards... SIJ fusion would be a last resort for me and 3 years on from my back issue its settled down a little and I have learnt to live with it...Good to hear you are cured.

Apparently as you get older the discs become more fibrous (maybe more "stable" according to my osteo) and the brain/neurons rewire so the pain becomes more manageable. I hope this is the case.

Sat in a load of cars last week - Tiguans, Volvo XC40/XC60s, S-max, Range Rover... - few more before I take the plunge. Found the tiguan with the electric seats and lumbar (the massage function was a bit his and miss for me)...

Thanks all again!

SIJ fusion would be a last resort for me and 3 years on from my back issue its settled down a little and I have learnt to live with it...

V wise. I have always been sceptical about alleged SI joint dysfunction and operative work done to 'cure' it. The sacroiliac joint is fused anyway as part of the very stable bowl of the pelvis.

From what I've read, the SI joints aren't fused, they are connected to the pelvis by very strong ligaments. They can move but not by very much. The ligaments become more relaxed during childbirth which can cause pain as the joints move too much, or they can become injured.

I have some SI joint disfunction on the right side which is controlled by strengthening and stretching the muscles around it, and a support belt when doing physical work. I don't usuallty have pain, though it frequently inflames and I get nerve side effects which make you feel pretty lousy. I also have muscle atrophy on the right side of the back. I assume it is because my body has learnt to compensate with the left side to shy away from the weak side, which then of course produces it's own problems of muscle imbalance.

You are right about professionals though, and I regret spending as much as I have in order to get relief. In my view, chiropractors are a 'quick fix' to get you mobile again, but if your muscles are tight and weak, the joints will just get stuck again, then the cycle continues. I have an osteopath who I see occasionally, and that seems to work for me.

I can't imagine that a massage fuction on a car seat would be much good, because it would not be able to adapt depending on where the tightness is.