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Thread: Can’t carry on my side anymore

  1. #1

    Can’t carry on my side anymore

    I have been carrying a handgun almost daily for 15 years and over this past year I have given up on strongside carry.


    I’ve always had a little sciatic irritation after a long week of all day IWB carry and have been part time AIWB since ‘07.


    It started with IWB getting uncomfortable after a long day, so I went to OWB, same thing after awhile.

    Now, I put on any strongside holster and can’t even get out of the house before I go back to the safe and change everything out for AIWB.

    I can move the holster around a little bit and get a tiny amount of relief but nothing I want to deal with all day.

    I carry in Milt Sparks Nexus or VMII, and OWB is either a Raven Phantom or Perun.

    I’m 40, not overweight at all. Any remedies or just want to call me a puss or complain with me?

  2. #2
    Four String Fumbler Joe in PNG's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    Papua New Guinea; formerly Florida
    What kind of belt are you using?

    ETA: do you keep your wallet in a back pocket? I've personally found that it caused me pain back when I was in my 20's.
    "You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
    "I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Joe in PNG View Post
    What kind of belt are you using?

    ETA: do you keep your wallet in a back pocket? I've personally found that it caused me pain back when I was in my 20's.
    THis. And....

    Have you seen a doctor? PT can make a big difference. I had sciatica and meralgia parenthetic, and PT helped a bunch.
    I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.

  4. #4
    Member EMC's Avatar
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    Jan 2012
    Location
    Utah
    While every physical ailment is different and backs and back issues incredibly diverse, I have found relief of some lumbar disc issues with a nightly routine on the "back block" (google Sarah Key physical therapist ). A cork yoga block or even a stack of books works for this.
    https://youtu.be/O3wSHxXTEsg

    Also making sure I stretch each hip flexor often by stepping one leg back at a time straight with the heel flat on the floor and leaning forward on the other leg slightly bent for 15 -20 seconds each leg (which also helps stretch the calf muscles too). Keep the torso upright during this stretch. Really helps my pelvic tilt alignment of the lumbar discs. Also keeping the ham strings stretched (not by bending over and touching toes, but by putting one leg at a time straight out on a chair or bench with a slight forward lean - safer than the toe touch). Check out Bob and Brad's physical therapy youtube channel for other good sciatica relief options.
    Last edited by EMC; 12-20-2020 at 11:28 PM.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Joe in PNG View Post
    What kind of belt are you using?

    ETA: do you keep your wallet in a back pocket? I've personally found that it caused me pain back when I was in my 20's.
    Wilderness 5-stitch.

    Never put anything in my back pocket when sitting.

  6. #6
    If you indeed have a sciatica, I'd get an eval, up to MRI. 40 and not overweight, having nerve impingement symptoms is not too reassuring. I would want to know what exactly is happening there.

    If your avatar shows the type of gun that you've been carrying off center for 15 years, there should be zero surprises. Three pounds of asymmetric lumbar load for 15 years don't come free. If you've been carrying a lighter gun, then altogether more reasons to get the back imaged.
    Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.

  7. #7
    I feel your pain, literally, for several years now. Went the AIWB route, but between the pandemic and other mitigating factors and a 30lb increase, that’s becoming uncomfortable.

    BTW, I’ve always used quality gun belts. It’s the pressure of the gun on the side for me, and perhaps the OP as well. If anything, perhaps the stiffer belts hinder the discomfort as they hold the gun very firmly in place, increasing the pressure as you move.

    Fortunately, I can still tolerate an offset holster for 6 to 8 hours, so I can still play in USPSA.

  8. #8
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
    Can you pocket carry?

    I've tried both a P365 and P365XL in a Desantis Nemesis. I carried the P365XL for a two-week driving vacation out to the Mountains this summer. We started and stopped in Salt Lake City, and drove a rental up to Glacier National Park, through Wyoming and Montana, for about 2,400 miles. It was surprisingly comfortable.

    I also carry my wife's P365, same holster, from time to time. For 10+1, it's an amazing little package and quite a reliable, accurate shooter.

    Like say, not sure this is an option (I get Sig is not on everyone's radar) but maybe worth thinking about.

  9. #9
    Yep, doctor time, including MRI and the best PT you can find that works with injured athletes and not just old people. They will tend to have a mindset towards restoring function rather than making do.

    Can you carry on the other side/how's your off-hand shooting? Suspenders to help support the weight? Lighter gear?

  10. #10
    Site Supporter
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    Jan 2012
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    Fort Worth, TX
    As a guy who knows first hand, +100 for "Go see a doctor ".
    Adding a few of the right PT exercises to your workout routine might stabilize or reverse the problem.
    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

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