Back pain when carrying inside the belt?

A

adrian44

New member
Over the past few weeks I have been suffering back pain on the right side of my back that increases on the days I drive with my Glock 19 holstered. I can really feel the pressure of the gun against the car seat, then at night the suffering begins. The holster is very small and fits the gun perfectly, and I can't move its position closer to my side because then the gun would stick out and print.

Have you ever had of that happening? What should be done about it? For three days now I've carried inside my suitcase and the pain is vanishing, but I need to carry on my body again because I can't move around with a suitcase. Thanks.
 
adrian44 said:
Over the past few weeks I have been suffering back pain on the right side of my back that increases on the days I drive with my Glock 19 holstered. I can really feel the pressure of the gun against the car seat, then at night the suffering begins. The holster is very small and fits the gun perfectly, and I can't move its position closer to my side because then the gun would stick out and print.

Have you ever had of that happening? What should be done about it? For three days now I've carried inside my suitcase and the pain is vanishing, but I need to carry on my body again because I can't move around with a suitcase. Thanks.
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There are many bags on the market for concealed carry. If you don't prefer that then I would look at a 380 or 9mm that is about pocket carry size. Personally I would just unholster the weapon, and put it somewhere within reach.
 
Small holsters can be great, but if it only has one point of contact with the belt then all your weight is on that one point. A wider holster with two contact points with the belt can make a big difference in terms of distributing the weight. Another factor can be the belt. A good sturdy belt is as important as the holster IMO, if not more. I use 1.75" Desantis belts and a Crossbreed SuperTuck. Sometimes it takes a bit to find a winning combination. For the car, you might also want to consider putting the firearm in the glovebox or mount a holster somewhere that is easy to access to make you more comfortable. As always, be mindful of the laws in your state and if you do go with the glovebox make sure your insurance and registration are not in there.
 
If you really don't want to change the carry position, you may be able to get some relief with a much wider and stiffer belt that will still support the gun/holster weight without having to be worn as tight.

Another option is shifting the carry position on your belt--you may have to go with a heavier cover garment if the new position isn't as optimal for concealment.

A smaller, lighter gun is always an option that might help. Combine this with a sturdier belt and you can probably make a significant improvement. Carrying a gun small and light enough to pass for as a pocket pistol in good IWB holster on a sturdy belt is generally very comfortable.

The final option is to get it off your belt, as you have done. There are a number of ways to do this. Smart carry, shoulder holsters, holster bags, etc.
 
I can't help you with specifics of holster choice as I lack the experience in those, but I have far more experience than I'd like with back pain.
I have suffered from general lower back malaise with, at times radiating leg pain and I was also operated on for a lumbar disc prolapse after the most extrutiating 7mths of my life.

SO, all that to say that if your G19 is giving you grief in your current set up. I'd also advocate the likes of Pilates as a core muscle strength exercise regime.
I would not want to sacrifice the ability to run the hell out of there for the ability to shoot, hobble a bit, and shoot some more, unless you want to appeal to an assailant's sympathetic side!!

However it may be that your back, in itself, is fine and only gets aggravated by pressure from the gun. If only when driving, then remove it from the holster perhaps. As long as it is not visible, it is probably more accessible that way anyway. Holster... I also have small IWB holster. Bought it for the G19, kept it for the SP-01.
Ever considered OWB? Not my choice, but works for many on here.
 
I am not a medical professional, but your condition sounds similar to mine: sciatica in my right leg.

MUCH of my pain has been alleviated by losing the belt and wearing 2"-wide suspenders (Duluth Trading has the best selection available, either clip or button style).

My only carry gun is an all-steel 1911 .45 Government Model clone and I use a Clipdraw https://www.clipdraw.com/ specifically for this model, but they have other styles.

I can already hear all of the naysayers against this improved style of "Mexican Carry" but it works for me.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=550990
 
Yes, I think you're pinching your sciatica nerve and that sends pain down the leg as well as in the hip/back.

I've bought Perry suspenders which are hooked at the bottom to hook onto a belt. Now I wear a belt very loose and the suspenders do the work. My sciatica pains have generally eased. However, even with this rig if you wear your gun in the same hip position, the sciatica while sitting may still be
affected.
 
My fellow back pain sufferers, I wish you luck. With the help of my doctor, I discovered that my wallet was a major contributing factor in my back pain. I kept my wallet stuffed with old receipts, business cards from people I don't remember, gift cards, plastic, cash....... It all added up. NO MORE. Thin wallet for me.
 
Inside the waistband is not comfortable for me, regardless of gun weight, holster ,belt, etc. I don't get pain, but it is just not comfortable. Pancake holster (paddle sticks out too far) or pocket carry for me
 
Inside the waistband is not comfortable for me, regardless of gun weight, holster ,belt...
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Interesting. What's the smallest, lightest gun and widest/stiffest belt combo you've used?
 
"...would stick out and print..." Who cares, if it hurts to carry there? Either move the holster to where it stops hurting or use a cross draw. You can't get at the pistol where you have it when you're driving anyway.
Highly unlikely to be anything to do with sciatic nerves. If that was the issue your back and leg would hurt all the time. Changing belts etc. doesn't fix it either. It's the vertebrae(Usually lumbar. That's at about belt level.) that are pushing on the nerve. Not a belt.
Losing frontal weight helps. So does stretching and strengthening one's gut muscles(your beer belly will be stronger and hold your back up better. As daft as that sounds.).
Sitting is the worst thing you can do. If you drive a lot, get out and walk around a bit regularly.
I'm not a medical either, but my back has been buggered up for eons. Deteriorating disks and nearly everything else. Daft thing is I can lift and tote with no fuss. Sit too long and I'm toast.
 
The OP can also find an inexpensive Fobus holster, and attach it somewhere under the dash or on the firewall, and keep the gun THERE while driving, reholstering it when he gets out. (In some ways it make more sense than leaving the gun in the holster while you drive -- as getting to it can be a real challenge.) I've seen special assemblies for sale that made it easy to mount a holster like that.
 
@Walt Sherrill

I did a quick search and couldn't find the type of Fobus mount you described for sale. It looks like these mounts were discontinued at some point not too long ago. Do you know of any currently for sale? If not do you have any other recommendations for how to mount a Fobus Holster in a car?
 
Do you know of any currently for sale? If not do you have any other recommendations for how to mount a Fobus Holster in a car?
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Ebay still has some: http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=FOBUS-UVM-Universal-Vehicle-Holster-Mount-4-Car-Home-

If you don't like what you see there, and you're right-handed, you can probably mount a Fobus belt holster (for the left hand) to one of the panels (on the gas pedal or safety brake side) using some short, larger diameter wood screws that would grab into the fibre or carpet on those areas and into the backing... You just want to be sure you're not attaching to something that matters (that leaks, shorts, etc.) A paddle holster would probably work, too, but take up a bit more room.

Left handed shooters would have to think about something else. My car has a pocket in the door I'd use if the holstered gun was very uncomfortable when sitting in the car.

.
 
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The joy of getting old....lose everything in your back pockets, try suspenders or and OWB. ....sounds like classic sciatica problems. My short term solution was a shoulder holster with my EDC reduced and more stuff hanging off my shoulder rig...lol.


Look up stretching exercises for the lower back and sciatica, they can really help! I went through the same thing...
 
Good video -- and he does what I suggested, but does it very effectively and in way that looks professionally installed.

Heating the holster base will work, and if you ever decide to take it out of the car, the backing piece can be heated again to form a new curve in the plastic.

Harbor Freight has those guns -- which have a real value if you have poly-holsters. The sell for under $10 most of the time, and they put them on sale frequently for less.
 
JohnSka, I have carried a Glock 19, Ruger Sp101, several J frames (including a 642), several S&w third gen semi autos (3913,6906,CS9), S&w Shield, and now a Ruger LC9. It's not the weight of the guns. The LC9, Shield, and 642 are all light guns. It's just having a foreign object between my pants and my body. Like having a pebble in my shoe just don't like it.
 
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