I recently started developing some pain in my right leg when I drive for more than an hour. Oddly this doesn’t occur in my office chair or anywhere else, just the car. I have not been diagnosed but the pain extends exactly along where the sciatic nerve runs, from the middle of my right butt-bone down along the back of my leg to above the knee (no back pain involved). The pain resolves quickly when I get back on my feet.
Can you recommend any seat cushions to use for long drives? I am thinking something like memory foam, or some sort of gel, that evenly distributes the pressure. I would prefer something not too thick so it doesn’t mess with my overall seating position too much.
I recently purchased a desk chair seat cushion from Purple, one of those companies that makes a “bed in a box” you can order online.
Been a couple of weeks, haven’t gotten it yet. So I can’t tell you how it is. But, I read a ton of reviews before I ordered and I was convinced, so there’s that.
They don’t mention sciatica on their Seat Cushions Page but they do have a blog article about it where they do recommend their Royal seat cushion for sciatica.
When my sciatica went from bad to worse, I went to a store in Beltsville that specialized in products for people with back trouble. There they created a custom-molded seat cushion for me that gave me all the support I needed for long drives, and was worth every penny of the not-inconsiderable sum I paid for it (understand that your leg trouble is stemming from a problem in your lower back, AIUI). I’m pretty sure that same chain has a local store in your neighborhood, where you could also shop for a seat cushion, I’d imagine.
It didn’t stop me from also needing to stretch my lower back several times a day, but it helped a great deal.