[LMK5]

Originally Posted by shadowyman

I've found lumbar support in our cars to be too high to support lower back. I'm curious how the germans' body shaped so they designed the car this way. I'm no means short but lowest lumbar support is still too high to provide any relief.

You do realize that the lumbar support can also be adjusted vertically as well as horizontally, right? Makes all the difference in the world as most car seats that have only the horizontal adjustment tend to put it around your tail bone rather than the lower back.

[DougInSurbiton]

Got my new 120i M Sport and found I was getting lower back pain even a short drive (couple of miles) - not happy.
Read the threads on here and realised I'm not alone. Anyway, by adjusting the seat to be flat (i.e. rocked forward not back) although possibly a little bit less comfy when driving - it fixed the back pain. Hope this might help someone else with similar issues.

[NOITALL]

This is bad:
_/

This is good:

\/

[vlad the impaler]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I tried a chiropractor. It seemed that all he wanted to do was to sell me supplements. When he placed a device containing a red LED on my chest and told me it was a laser treatment..through my clothes, no less...that was enough nonsense for me.
Also, I found sitting in s straight back chair was bad, especially as I work at a computer 5 hours a day. I switched to a Norwegian recliner with a laptop table, much better, as it spreads my weight up my back rather than concentrating it at the hips.

I too have had very poor experiences with Chiropractors. I got the distinct impression I was getting ripped off; and eventually I bluffed them both to see how they would react when I told them that my Hospital Consultant had told me not to have any more 'invasive' work done by them until my epidural injection. The reaction was priceless; 'Well, keep coming every week anyway, and we just do some non-invasive maintenance'. The focus was on 'keep him coming every week; regardless of if he needs it or not'. Never again.....

[vlad the impaler]

Originally Posted by x5mad

I'm sure quite a few members here can relate to this problem.

I have quite bad issues with my back and am finding that for car journeys more than 30 minutes in the F30 my back starts to complain.

I had a weekend test drive and thought it would be ok although I admit I didn't take it for extended drives.

I have ordered a memory foam back cushion designed for car seats but am not optimistic.

I would really like to change out the drivers seat for BMWs comfort seat (eg as in 7 series). I am willing to pay up to $5k.

Anyone know if this can be done and what alternatives there are?

Before someone says just change the car, remember I'm from Australia and for my 328 I paid approx $90k. Depreciation would be about $30k so at this stage changing the car is not an option.

Don't lose heart! I severely damaged my lower back when I was 26, now 40. Driving was hard to describe - the pain in my leg and buttock grew as I drove to the level of the crescendo of pain one gets from cramp...except that that pain just did not stop until I got out of the car. Driving with sweat pouring off me, and grey pallor tanked up on v strong pain killers = bad times.

I am a lot better now; but every time I change my car, or bed, or office chair; my back starts playing up. I knew my new M3 would set it off; and it did. However it normally settles again; I am just getting back to normal levels of background pain, 8 months later.

Don't muck about with seat inserts, or indeed change anything about the seat. Set it up how you like it, and then let your back settle down. Give it time (months, not weeks), and don't keep changing things; as you will be back to square one again. Just find a comfortable position and get settled. Take you pain relief to get through it if you need to, but you will, just like I and almost everyone with back issues that are 'in remission' always do. Next time, buy another F30 with the same seats as this one.

I hope this helps you; you will get through this, just learn about looking after your back.

[WHL102]

Has anyone tried using a lumbar roll or pillow? Most of the ones I see online look too big.

The mckenzie roll looks promising, but I don't know how well it will stay in place.

[RedlinePSI]

I see some talk in here about Chiropractors and the like. I also see a lot of talk about the car seat setup. I think you should focus more on your physical ailment and what it might actually be. More often than not, the issue with lower back pain is simpler than most think. Unless you have a pre-diagnosed spinal issue, your lower back issues are soft tissue related, and will almost certainly be dramatically improved with a combination of stretching and a foam roller. And if you can make it happen, proper weight training. But my main point is you should forget about focusing so much on the seat, and take care of your lower back. Use a foam roller on your lower back and I guarantee if there is any tightness in there it will feel tons better after doing it just once. Honestly, the first time I used one on my lower back I was amazed. If you do this, and stretch, you'll feel like new.

[jmschnur]

For me acupuncture has truly helped.

[drexplode]

Thank you for the recommendation on turmeric! I've been using it for the past few months and feel great. On my third bottle of the organic version. Definitely helps with small pains.

[DrivenByE30]

I have the same issue...

Any trips over 25min and i start feeling my lower pain...

35yo
mT driver
Regular seat non sport with lumbar support.
Base is as tilted as much as possible to replicate a sport seat.
I dont think that is the problem...

I just think the back support is just too firm.
With My old e36, i never had such issue... Or is it due to my old age? But i dont think i am old...

[AndDown]

This is what finally worked for me for my E46 with sport seats:

[MikeTerp]

Interesting thread. I have had an E39 and E90 and never had a back problem with either. I recently got a new F30/340 with sport seats and almost immediately started having pain in the back and sciatic pain down the back of my legs. I have played around with all the seat adjustments and lumbar settings with little improvement. Some good suggestions in this thread so will try them.

[CIWS]

I went for a spirited drive on some back roads a few weeks back and woke up the next day feeling 80 (lower back did). I'm highly confident it was the drive in the car that did it. Seat was adjusted down low with some rear leaning V angle vs flat. Will have to try some of the suggestions here.

[elbmw]

Originally Posted by MikeTerp

Interesting thread. I have had an E39 and E90 and never had a back problem with either. I recently got a new F30/340 with sport seats and almost immediately started having pain in the back and sciatic pain down the back of my legs. I have played around with all the seat adjustments and lumbar settings with little improvement. Some good suggestions in this thread so will try them.

Any luck?
I'm in the exact same boat-loved the seats in both e90 and e39.The seat in the f30 has been hurting me for over a month already.

[drexplode]

Originally Posted by elbmw

Any luck?
I'm in the exact same boat-loved the seats in both e90 and e39.The seat in the f30 has been hurting me for over a month already.

To me - the seats in the f30 lci feel softer than the ones from f30. Both sport seats. Prefer the seats from non-lci. Anyone else notice this? Also I find myself trying to adjust the lci seat more to find a comfortable position. Non-lci was almost set it and forget it.

[drexplode]

received a 328xi LCI with saddle brown interior as a loaner - seats definitely felt different and firmer compared to black leather in my 340i. Definitely strange... maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

[daberlin]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

My back is the worst, twenty years of recurring bouts of sciatica until I started taking two of these every day:
http://www.puritan.com/antioxidants-...-800-mg-051441

It's a low dose anti-inflammatory. Since I stated taking it 3 years ago when I've had back pain flare ups they've lasted only a third as long as before, and I haven't had any sciatica. I used to have to take up to six Vicodin a day for relief. I haven't had to take any since going on the turmeric. Being low dose it takes about a month to fully kick in.
I routinely drive four to six hours with my standard seat, no issue at all.

I have same thing and empathize! Blown L4/L5, L5/S1 here. One solution - Spinal Decompression. Most amazing 5 week process ever. Can't play ice hockey or run 10k's anymore, but no back surgery either. Feel wonderful 6 years on. I sit on airplanes - 150,000+ miles a year. No issues. Spend the $5K on decompression instead. 👍

[bueller]

This works for me...

B.