R44 and Sciatica nerve pain: any tip or tricks?

[172510]

I plan to fly helicopters as a side career, I'm now training for the CPLH. I usually fly fixed wings, corporate and instruction.
In a fixed wing I don't suffer from sciatica nerve pain: you can move your legs, change your posture etc.
In a helicopter you need your feet all the time, so no way to move your legs, and it gets very painful. Doctor said that the sciatica nerve gets pinched and that's it.
I'm reasonably healthy (not overweight, no booze, exercise etc.). I do every day the recommended stretches and exercises to ease sciatica pain.
When I go for the FI rating, may be it will be better from the other seat?
Could you share your experience and give me some tricks if there is any?

[PPRuNeUser469990]

Originally Posted by 172510

When I go for the FI rating, may be it will be better from the other seat?

yes, as when you teach you very rarely touch the controls, so you can have your feet off the pedals, unless you are in a hover

[Uplinker]

I only have general advice, because I am ATPL (A) licensed, and have not flown helicopters.

Keep doing the exercises, they will eventually work. I had bad pain in my shoulder, (not caused by flying), to the extent that I could not lift my arm high enough to put a coat on any more. I also get a (different) pain in my shoulder blades after I have been on my iPad for a time.

Here in the UK, it is almost impossible to see a doctor, so I had no access to medical intervention so instead I did shoulder exercises, and my shoulder pain has now completely gone - I am now back to normal and can put a coat or a jacket on now.

The pain between my shoulder blades only happens when I have been slouching over my iPad for an hour or more. If I make sure my posture is better, that pain does not occur.

So, my suggestions are to continue the exercises, and maybe talk to a physiotherapist to make sure they are the correct exercises for you.

Secondly, in the helicopter, experiment with your seating position. Try setting the seat higher, lower. Seat tilted more backward or forward. Try the seat moved forward, then backward. I don't know if pedals are adjustable, but if they are try different pedal positions. Try changing your feet position on the pedals.

I am sure that you will eventually find some position that works for you, helped by the exercises.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on

[Nescafe]

Take that ‘Fixed Wing’ wallet out of your back pocket, it’ll help to even out your posture 😉

[212man]

I'm not a doctor, but it sounds to me like there is another underlying issue here, rather than you just can't move your legs around. Maybe it's your general sitting posture and some excessive muscle tension? It's pretty easy to get tense when in the early training stage. I did a vertical reference course a few years ago, at a stage where I had about 8,000 hours on multiple types, and was a TRE on 4 types. It was like being a zero hour student, and I would get back from each trip with aching muscles from being so tense! Mind you, hanging out of an open door didn't help.....

I've also flown multi-hour flights (Longest was 7:45) which just resulted in a bit of stiffness after, which stretching cured

My basic point is, that with 45 minute trips, I don't think it is natural to get sciatica.

[Stosh]

2nd opinion

I recommend finding another doctor. There are treatments and physical therapy that may help quite a bit.

[Hughes500]

get some heated seat pads , i use them when doing Vertical ref flights with no door on, fantastic

[albatross]

Look closely at your posture.
I bet you are sitting slightly bent forward with your right shoulder forward and your neck curved slightly back.
You probably have more weight on one butt cheek and one foot forward of the other.
Note too that you are probably very tense. Being in pain isn’t helping.
You don’t need anymore than slight toe pressure on the pedals…in cruise you just need your feet on the pedals to keep the them from moving.
Do not however fly with your feet flat on the floor..

Relax ….Have a good time. Easy for me to say.

When I had about 2-3 hours and the poor machine was gyrating like a dervish while I was gripping the cyclic like I was trying to strangle an angry, venomous serpent, pumping the collective like a water pump, twisting the throttle like I was grinding pepper while attempting to push the pedals out of the nose of the helicopter the instructor took control, put one finger on top of the cyclic, one on the end of the collective, and the toe of his boots lightly on the pedal. He then did a perfect hover pattern, looked at me with sadness and lamented…” Its really just not that hard, you’re making it difficult for yourself!”

A little added humour Photo of one technique to make folks not grip the cyclic too hard ….worked even better when folks smoked…use the student’s cigarette. It worked.




.

[mechpowi]

Originally Posted by albatross

I bet you are sitting slightly bent forward with your right shoulder forward and your neck curved slightly back.

I did that and to fix it I needed a pillow behind my back to comfortably reach to the cruise positiion of the cyclic. But it was never realy comfortable for 3+ hr cross country flights per day. Now things are so much better with a helicopter that has an adjustable seat!

[albatross]

Originally Posted by mechpowi

I did that and to fix it I needed a pillow behind my back to comfortably reach to the cruise positiion of the cyclic. But it was never realy comfortable for 3+ hr cross country flights per day. Now things are so much better with a helicopter that has an adjustable seat!

Companies tend to order the cheapest crew seats and don’t maintain them.
My suggestion that the desk chairs in the top floor of headquarters be replaced with the seats the company had purchased for our new 24 million dollar “Bung Verti-Leap 5000”s.
Our beloved senior executives, wearing immersion suits and life jackets, would then be securely strapped into them with a 5 point harness for 6-8 hours a day ( one 10 minute bathroom break allowed ) while loud punk rock music be played at 100 Db + . while supposedly carrying out their vital tasks. This would have focused their processes on crew comfort and avoidance of debilitating work related injuries.
This brilliant idea was, strangely, rejected out of hand. They refused a vote on the matter that included the affected field crews.

I really thought such a regime would greatly enhance their decision making capabilities re seat selection and purchase.

[212man]

The first time I saw the trick, with the pencils, was in the late great Shawn Coyle’s book! Must be a Canadian thing…..

[albatross]

Originally Posted by 212man

The first time I saw the trick, with the pencils, was in the late great Shawn Coyle’s book! Must be a Canadian thing…..

Actually a Vietnam Vet , home only 6 months, Kelly Graham from Allons Tennessee demonstrated it in a tent on the James Bay Power Project in winter 1974. Said he had been shown it in USA flight school.

I was still a fixed wing driver at the time.
Hope you are doing well.

[212man]

Originally Posted by albatross

Actually a Vietnam Vet , home only 6 months, Kelly Graham from Allons Tennessee demonstrated it in a tent on the James Bay Power Project in winter 1974. Said he had been shown it in USA flight school.

I was still a fixed wing driver at the time.
Hope you are doing well.

All good. My sciatica comes from bar stools now 🤣🤣

[J.A.F.O.]

Lumbar support can help. Either a rolled towel at the bottom of your back or you can buy proper ones.

[Radgirl]

Many people get back pain but if you do have compression on a nerve root none of these suggestions will help. Talk to your doctor. If he confirms nerve root compression is likely demand an MRI to confirm or otherwise. If confirmed discuss with a spinal surgeon or a chronic pain consultant. We normally start with injections of local anaesthetics and steroids. The earlier you manage it the better. Meanwhile avoid bedrest, and keep active. Some drugs will help but they would ground you. Good luck

[EMS R22]

Try a “Roho” seat cushion. I never fly without one.

I had really bad sciatica and had to get a discectomy due to disc bulge.

[albatross]

If you are a side sleeper a pillow between the knees is helpful as it aids in lining up the spine and pelvis.
Anti-inflammatory drugs can help but consult your flight surgeon.

[Uplinker]

I know we cannot give medical advice but I've had severe back problems in the past and I now do a simple exercise every morning when I get out of bed:

Lay on the floor on your back, with both legs stretched out flat.

Bring your left knee up slowly, and gently pull it into your chest with your hands and hold for 5 seconds feeling the stretch in your back. Put the left leg back out straight and repeat for the right leg.

Do this five times for each leg, 10 movements in total.

Then, still lying flat; bring both knees up together so they are at 90° to your body, pointing to the ceiling, your feet are flat on the floor and and your ankles are near your bum. Keeping your body and shoulders flat on the floor, gently turn both knees together to the left to touch the floor, thereby rotating your hips. Hold for 5 seconds and return your knees to the vertical. Repeat in the other direction. Repeat this five times in each direction, 10 movements in total.

Do all this slowly and gently, and gently stretch your joints at each hold. If you feel resistance or pain, don't push beyond that point, just gently hold it there.

These simple and easy exercises take just a few minutes to do every morning. They keep my lower back pain-free, and I recommend them to anybody. They might help with your sciatica.

[CISTRS]

Exercise, physiotherapy, osteopathy treatment, chiropractor treatment.
Stretching exercises are particularly helpful.
If painful, short term anti-inflammatories will help with the stretching exercises.
All these are preferable to long term drugs and surgery.

[Agile]

Originally Posted by CISTRS

Exercise, physiotherapy, osteopathy treatment, chiropractor treatment.
Stretching exercises are particularly helpful.
If painful, short term anti-inflammatories will help with the stretching exercises.
All these are preferable to long term drugs and surgery.

not an expert but, I would say surgery is preferable to long term drugs.
I had similar repair surgery 6 week ago, still a bit sore but previous pain problems all gone.
they remove the inflamed tissues, grind the bone a bit to make more space for the nerve.
I was glad to stop the intake of anti-inflamatories, they work at first and start to taper off.
as always, risk of complication is lower and recovery is easier if below 55-60 yr old.