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IWB Causing Lower Back Pains?
- Thread starter barret_munkey
- Start date
OMG, yes!
I carried IWB when I first got my CCW and had a big problem with sciatica in that leg and buttock. It took me a while to link the pain in my leg with carrying the gun, but when I did I stopped carrying IWB and now pocket carry for daily CCW with no more carry related sciatic issues. I only resort to the larger handgun IWB when I think I might have to go into a higher risk environment.
I carried IWB when I first got my CCW and had a big problem with sciatica in that leg and buttock. It took me a while to link the pain in my leg with carrying the gun, but when I did I stopped carrying IWB and now pocket carry for daily CCW with no more carry related sciatic issues. I only resort to the larger handgun IWB when I think I might have to go into a higher risk environment.
WANT A LCR 22LR
New member
Something else to consider. I've read that improperly fitting shoes can cause back pain even if you can feel the shoes causing a problem.
Yes, you can start having symptoms of back probs @ your age. I did. Tight belts, with or without stuff hung on 'em, have always been an aggravating factor. Like a previous poster said, after trying various belt and shoulder holsters, I have gone to pocket carry. If you feel belt carry is what you must do, and loosening the belt causes sag problems, look into adding suspenders. There are a couple of makers of heavy duty suspenders in various styles and colors. Google concealed carry suspenders, heavy duty suspenders, etc.
Get a GOOD holster and a GOOD belt and all the troubles go away.
Not always. This was not true in my case. There's not always a cure-all. Pressure on a nerve is pressure on a nerve. Until you've been there you have no idea how bad it can be.
Having a gun IWB can cause lots of problems, including sacroiliac joint dislocation. Even a wallet in your back pocket can do this. The bottom line is you need to disperse the pressure as much as possible, or carry a different way. I carry in my pocket most of the time, and most of my gun-related back issues are gone. Another helpful move was to only buy IWB holsters that are large and spread far across my belt, such as the Comp-Tac MTAC or the Crossbreed style. When I carry IWB, those are the ones that keep me from aching. (I also took the wallet out of my back pocket and moved it to my front pocket, or a cargo pocket, when I have one.)
Get a GOOD holster and a GOOD belt and all the troubles go away
I don't know about this curing all problems, but I agree that in my case, two things happened when I took the advice of somebody else on this forum and invested more money than I wanted to at the time with Jim The Beltman.
1.) I found that I began routinely carrying a much larger pistol lots more often with much more comfort
2.) More significantly, I quit the constant buying of holsters hoping they would provide the kind of comfort the good belt did.
So is bellydance, though I suppose it's a little non-masculine for lots of guys. Best back exercise I've ever come across.Yoga is good.
I don't know about this curing all problems, but I agree that in my case, two things happened when I took the advice of somebody else on this forum and invested more money than I wanted to at the time with Jim The Beltman.
1.) I found that I began routinely carrying a much larger pistol lots more often with much more comfort
2.) More significantly, I quit the constant buying of holsters hoping they would provide the kind of comfort the good belt did.
Sure, but were you carrying IWB? Wide belts help with OWB carry as it distributes the load that the belt is carrying across a larger area, but I fail to see how your body cares whether it is a thin belt or a wide belt that is pushing that bulge directly against it while carrying IWB. Pressure is pressure. I can see how the width of the holster could help though, as .357SIG said. In my case, though, I was carrying a revolver, and that was probably the biggest part of the problem because of the cylinder.
This comment has no practical application to most situations but the only style holster I have found to be really comfortable all the time is an old style military holster that hangs from the belt on a wire hanger, like the old army .45 holster or the old leather holster that was used for a Victory model revolver. Similiar ones were used by the Air Force, I think, for their K-frame revolvers. But except for field use, you wouldn't want one and they are anything but fast on the draw and they are a little in a the way when seated. But when you're on your feet you barely notice them, no matter how heavy the handgun. They are also practical if you're carrying a pack or other gear.
In comparison, a belt holster tends to press against my ribs (they all seem be sit a little high) and they squeak. Sometimes, depending on the handgun, an inside-the-waistband is marginally more comfortable and might even be marginally faster. All of these concealment holsters give up speed for concealment but I expect speed is over-stressed, since I imagine the need to out draw an opponent is a rare thing. More important, I think, under any circumstance is security of the handgun from loss, by which I mean actually losing the gun but simply to prevent the gun falling out of the holster, which would be mortifying.
Having said all that, however, I can still manage a fairly decently fast draw (even at my age) from concealment with an IWB holster, provided I am standing. It also simplifies matters if you don't actually have to hit anything while you're at it. In any other position it is hopeless and a pocket carry is beyond words. There is a lot more to be said about fast draw, which doesn't seem to be discussed much in detail here, surprisingly, but it won't help your back pain.
In comparison, a belt holster tends to press against my ribs (they all seem be sit a little high) and they squeak. Sometimes, depending on the handgun, an inside-the-waistband is marginally more comfortable and might even be marginally faster. All of these concealment holsters give up speed for concealment but I expect speed is over-stressed, since I imagine the need to out draw an opponent is a rare thing. More important, I think, under any circumstance is security of the handgun from loss, by which I mean actually losing the gun but simply to prevent the gun falling out of the holster, which would be mortifying.
Having said all that, however, I can still manage a fairly decently fast draw (even at my age) from concealment with an IWB holster, provided I am standing. It also simplifies matters if you don't actually have to hit anything while you're at it. In any other position it is hopeless and a pocket carry is beyond words. There is a lot more to be said about fast draw, which doesn't seem to be discussed much in detail here, surprisingly, but it won't help your back pain.