Heavy gun causing back trouble?

W

wvshooter

New member
I always carry IWB at 4 o'clock. For the past couple years it's been a variety of semi autos all of them varying shades of heavy. Last couple months it's been a Sigma 40ve with 14 + 1 rounds of 40 caliber. I don't know what the total weight is but it's pretty heavy. Before that it was a CZ 40P all steel with 10 + 1 in 40 caliber.

About a week ago I noticed I had developed a chronic lower back pain directly across from my weapon in the lower back. Not real painful but always there and not fun. I've switched to my Kahr CW9 and it's making a difference. I hate it because I'm a big fan of full size guns with ample magazines but I'm beginning to wonder if I can handle it.
 
Belt/holster

What kind of rig were you using? If you were already using a purpose-built gun-belt, then the only other thing I might suggest is that I find OWB stresses my body less than does IWB. If only it concealed as well...
 
About a week ago I noticed I had developed a chronic lower back pain directly across from my weapon in the lower back. Not real painful but always there and not fun
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What kind of pain? Sharp or dull? Intermittent or constant? Is it present in the morning, or does it set in during the day?

There are really many factors. The gun may not be a direct cause. It could be aggravating something else.
 
What kind of pain? Sharp or dull? Intermittent or constant? Is it present in the morning, or does it set in during the day?
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It's constant but comes and goes in intensity. It's getting better since going to the lighter gun.
 
Don't know your age, physical condition or medical history (prior injuries, etc.) but at 54 I am approaching middle age :) and have had one spinal fusion surgery so far. No fun.

I am just 5'9 and 150-ish, and have abused my body vigorously for at least 50 of those years. Regrets? Yeah, maybe a few. Little late for that now :)

A 43+ oz (loaded) gun (5" steel 1911, 4" steel S&W revolver) causes me some pain after carrying it all day...especially if I carry it every day... which this time of year, I tend to do.

Our winter season is short, and I will soon be back to carrying an alloy Commander or Officer, and wondering why I keep those big, clunky guns that I can only carry three months per year.

One day, I will have to make that choice, and divest myself of those that are no longer practical. As I sit here with a Commander sized steel Kimber on my waist, I revel in the fact that today is not that day. :)
 
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Try an OWB and move it forward a bit. I have 2 herniated disc in my lower back and carrying IWB just behind my hip was really giving me problems. The OWB and the change in carry position helped me a great deal.
 
sure

I can tell you that a duty belt loaded with gear will kick your butt, and different pants styles, putting the load at different levels on my hips, can make a difference.

In my 50's and feeling it.
 
I've had some back issues aggravated by wearing a pistol. Nothing major, but when I'm having back problems I have to be careful about positioning my IWB holster or it can make things worse.
 
I've heard of people developing back issues from too large a wallet, so getting them from a gun is no surprise.
My favorite form of carry was OWB at 4o'clock tilted forward. I used a Bianchi holster with 3 slots so it could be tilted forward or carried vertically.
When I started to feel a twinge in my back after a couple days, I would switch it to vertical and put it at 10 o'clock in a cross draw position.
I found bouncing it back and forth occasionally eliminated any issues.
 
It's constant but comes and goes in intensity. It's getting better since going to the lighter gun.
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Do you have a history of problems? If not, it could just be an alignment issue.

Are you using a proper gunbelt? That makes a world of difference.
 
As a medical professional, I feel obligated to point out that you need a doctor rather than an internet gun forum.

My hunch is that a gun on the belt is highly unlikely to be the primary cause of back pain, but as several have pointed out it is easy to see how it could exacerbate an existing problem. You need to get to the bottom of this so that you can take steps - perhaps including changing your means of carry - that make your future include less pain. Back problems very frequently get worse and more difficult to treat when they are not addressed early.
 
Right, it may not be so much what you carry or how much it weights, but how you are carrying it. We had a guy with back issues when he carried a gun on his belt and it turned out to be an imbalance issue and not a weight issue. He moved his cell phone and keys to the opposite side and added a couple spare loaded magazines and balanced out his load and the discomfort left.

There is a reason you see people switching between shoulders on carrying a pack on one shoulder or the other. Carrying on one side tires one side more, strains it more, because of the imbalance.

As noted, talking to a real doctor in person might be a good consideration.
 
I too have noticed that I have been having more back pain lately. I had 2 back surgeries last year to fix where a chiropractor ruptured a disc in my lower back while adjusting me. I have been pocket carrying my LCR and leaving the 1911 at home the last week to see if it gets better.

I hope yours gets better.
 
wvshooter said:
About a week ago I noticed I had developed a chronic lower back pain directly across from my weapon in the lower back. Not real painful but always there and not fun. I've switched to my Kahr CW9 and it's making a difference. I hate it because I'm a big fan of full size guns with ample magazines but I'm beginning to wonder if I can handle it.
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You know, if you're that unhappy about going lighter, you could go heavier instead -- getting a second, identical firearm to balance out the first and keep the pressure on your back even from both sides.

Tom Servo said:
Are you using a proper gunbelt? That makes a world of difference.
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Excellent point.

pax
 
I actually feel better carrying one on each side...than just one on the right.. now i carry a 4006 on the right and 4506 on the left...
 
I've heard of people developing back issues from too large a wallet, so getting them from a gun is no surprise.
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The wallet thing made me see my doctor, who found "an arthritic condition between L4 and L5." Switching rear pockets once in a while helped, and when I started carrying, changing to a cross-draw position on the opposite side helped. Finding a light gun helped best.
 
Wallets...

... my dad had back problems caused, or at least exacerbated, by his habit of carrying big fat wallets in his hip pocket.

He stopped doing that, and voila! Much less pain.

I normally opt for cargo pants, with a standard wallet, because I hate having things in my hip pocket. Irritates my back, while seated, to have something there. Or I stick a wallet in an inside jacket pocket.

Last year, picked up a front pocket wallet, from a company called Rogue Wallets, up in Maine. It's cut with a curved contour, to match the curve at the bottom of a front pocket. It's good for ID, 3-4 cards, and some cash. But it works with regular pants or blue jeans front pockets.

Meanwhile, with regard to the recommendations already made to the OP about seeing a doc - good idea. Catching an injury or inflammation early will often allow it to be fixed with bed rest, better shaped chair backs, and Motrin. Waiting longer may escalate things to steroid injections, or worse yet, surgery. (BTDT, not so much fun...)
 
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