Nerve issues with CCW??

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All the symptoms you state are what I have.

I have Spinal Stenosis. A mild case yet extreme pain from time to time. Core exercises are the real cure. Tho I admit I certainly dont exercise when I feel ok, as I should. I drive a lot, and that doesn’t help.

I’ve switched to a Crossdraw holster for my main most often type of carry. Of course a Shoulder rig is helpful as well. My normal 3/4 o’clock carry really wasn’t great in a vehicle anyway.

Once you carry across you tend to appreciate the defense position against someone taking your firearm… Most don’t carry in that position. It’s like putting your wallet in your front pocket, a unlikely place that’s unexpected.

I’m sure someone will have opposition to this type of carry, Yet it’s what I prefer and what works for me. Plus I can draw pretty fast.
 
OWB high ride forward of 4:00 might really help. My carry belt is a Wilson Combat sharkskin purchased a good decade ago that’s still day-1 stiff and doesn’t require me to cinch in like softer or thinner options. Sometimes a good ‘ol pancake and lighter option does the trick.

I should also mention that size-wise I’m not overly generous in the midsection, being 6’2” and floating between 200-220 lbs. Body shape can make a difference but on a long enough time line most everyone will age poorly when it comes to hauling around gear.

My own father spent a significant amount of time lugging revolvers around on his duty belt with all the accompanying gear and his final dozen years of a full lug 6” 686 convinced him to seek other prospects after retirement. I bought him a nice Kahr CW9 that worked out well and he’s now transitioned to an S&W Shield9-EZ. That much his 74 year old hip can bear with ease.
 
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These belts I get from Versacarry are pretty stiff. I'm gonna have to look into/try the cross draw I think. Could possibly do owb, but idk if I'd be comfortable with that. I really like my WLW holsters - expensive but very comfy as IWB. They do OWB as well - gonna have to look into some different things....
 
Racinfan83 said:
These belts I get from Versacarry are pretty stiff. I'm gonna have to look into/try the cross draw I think. Could possibly do owb, but idk if I'd be comfortable with that. I really like my WLW holsters - expensive but very comfy as IWB. They do OWB as well - gonna have to look into some different things....
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Many new style OWB holsters ride significantly higher than an old-school pancake, leaving very little barrel (even on a 5” 1911 or the like) below the belt line. Once you get comfortable with the idea it’s there and can’t be seen, the nerves ease, you forget about it because it’s comfortable, and it stops being a source of anxiety to fiddle with, breaking concealment.
 
Do not wear modern jeans and slacks that are tight and cut below the waist, hold those pants up with a belt, and then try to carry a gun in that same belt. This is an extremely bad habit, like smoking. Doing so will severely restrict freedom of movement, particularly in the hips, and lead to all sorts of problems from joint and back pain to poor balance and athletic performance. People do this because they spend 99% of their time walking on flat, paved ground or sedentary and they don't realize how badly their clothing and gear actually fits them.

Do this instead: wear pants that do not restrict your freedom of movement in any way, such as stretch fabric joggers or sweatpants a size or two larger than you'd typically wear, hold them up with suspenders, and carry your pistol on an elastic belt worn COMPLETELY ABOVE THE HIPS, about where you'd secure the hip strap on a hiking backpack. Wear a combination of magazines, knives, lights, or other gear on the opposite side to keep the weight balanced. Apply some tennis racket grip to the back sides of your holsters so that skin friction can help support the weight somewhat and prevent the holster from riding up on the draw.

If you're not a weight lifter, look up videos to teach you proper squat and deadlift form. If you cannot perform a squat and a deadlift as comfortably as you could completely naked without pulling your pants up and shuffling your gear around, you are doing something wrong, and it's going to have a subtle but cumulative impact on your health and your effectiveness at everything you do in life.

An added benefit of this style is that, because the barrel of the pistol will now easily clear your buttocks while seated, and because the grip is higher up in your kidney hollow, you can easily conceal full-size pistols, even competition sized guns or 1911 government. You may never see any need to carry compacts or subcompacts ever again, except perhaps as backups.

To draw from this style, utilize more of a forward motion with the wrist slightly bent, as though you were trying to stab a tall man under the rib cage. Press the holster against your skin so that it does not ride up with the gun, a leg tie is not necessary. You can even push the gun down initially to create more clearance space. Do not jerk the weapon straight up at 4 or 5 o'clock, this could aggravate your rotator cuff. This style also works well with crossdraw.

I developed this style as a result of spending hours every day bushwhacking through the mountains and swamps of northern New England for my entire life. My lower body was basically starting to drive me insane, and necessity is the mother of invention.
 
Tirod said:
Appendix works ok in all the photos online selling them. Buffed out abs are the key. If you are trying to lift an extra 25# + up out of the way, not so much. There has to be flat real estate with a belt line up near the belly button. Those purty gun models are hired precisely because of that.
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AIWB isn't my "thing", but some of the most respected AIWB holsters on the market are those from Keeper's Concealment. The owner/maker of those holsters is not what most would call a "purty gun model" (though perhaps is wife would disagree), but he uses his holsters for guns such as the Glock G35 or Beretta 92.

http://keepersconcealment.com/#
 
Risky buisness said:
Sciatic pain, wrecked back, yea. Carried on the belt line at 4 for years untill it doesn't work anymore unless its a bitty little J frame. Around the homestead its fine. Going anywhere else its Appendix with a spare mag for a glock 19.
It's more training work doing 2 types of carry and as I dont step outside, or inside for that matter without a carry gun it's just what I have to do.
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How do people sit down and drive while appendix carrying? I can't even do it with my G43.
 
Their are things that help, i use a nextbelt thats really heavy duty, instead of Wranglers im wearing carhart pants 1 size larger. It's really about modifying something to achieve something else.
For me, its not about finding the littlest bitty pistol, worrying about printing, or griping about not being perfectly comfy, for quite awhile I carried, and drove carrying my 17. It's a tradeoff, im not invested in tiny handguns and appreciate a reasonably sized handgun that i can conceal, present reliably and actually engage a target with.
 
Hartkopf said:
Try three or four magazines in a belt carrier on the opposite side of your gun to balance the load. Or a second gun on the opposite side. :D
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This is probably an extreme example, but I worked as an electrician for close to 30 years. Carrying a tool pouch on one side never bothered me, but there were two or three other electricians that I knew that went to double tool pouches (one on each hip) because of their lower back pains. One of them even bought a pair of suspenders to hang his tool belt and tool pouches from.:thumbup:
 
You might want to see a "gun-friendly" chiropractor. Mine is. But NE Wisconsin is a long way. If you want to touch bases with him he might be able to recommend a DC in your area. PM me if interested.
 
JTQ said:
My Spencer Keepers comment above caused me to find this Massad Ayoob article in GUNS Magazines

"The Orthopedic Holster" https://gunsmagazine.com/gear/the-orthopedic-holster/

This one from Lucky Gunner

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Shoulder holsters can be far more comfortable and healthier than IWB, I'm always self conscious about my shirt blowing open though. I used to wear one with a mag and a large fixed blade hanging upside down in a magnetic sheath on the other side.

My current system accomplishes the same goal of taking the weight completely off the moving parts of the hip and disconnecting it from the legs, but is much simpler, works with any pistol and holster, and is more compatible with clothing.
 
mcb said:
Sound like sciatica, move the pistol forward so it does not aggravate that nerve in your lower back and hip. My father has delt with that for years can't carry anything in the 4 or 8 o'clock position on his belt or it aggravates that nerve.
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I have sciatica and the same issues.
 
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I realise internet advise is cheaper than seeing an orthopedic or neurological doctor. However they will have the correct answer. I have no advise to give as my right hip hurts carrying or not. I have done the doctor thing. Surgery is not recommended so I live with it.
 
Racinfan83 said:
I've never tried appendix carry - seems like the barrel end would poke you when you sit down? Not extremely fond of the idea the barrel points at some sensitive body parts either?
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UrbanHermit said:
How do people sit down and drive while appendix carrying? I can't even do it with my G43.
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When I switched to appendix I moved from a P938 to a revolver because I didn't like the idea of an energized hammer or striker pointing at me. As to being poked, it seems to be a function of finding the right gun and holster combination based on where exactly you carry in the "appendix" position. I carry at about 12:30, so when I sit down the barrel naturally guides itself between my legs instead of poking me. I've talked to other's who carry closer to 1:30-2:00, and they require a high-ride holster so the barrel doesn't poke them. I've also found that leather is more comfy than kydex for me carrying lower, it probably matters less if you carry higher.

Tirod said:
Appendix works ok in all the photos online selling them. Buffed out abs are the key. If you are trying to lift an extra 25# + up out of the way, not so much. There has to be flat real estate with a belt line up near the belly button. Those purty gun models are hired precisely because of that.
Click to expand...

Not entirely true. I'm 5-8 and 208 lbs and should be closer to 165. Needless to say I'll never be an underwear model but carrying like this is the most comfortable for me.
 
bassjam said:
When I switched to appendix I moved from a P938 to a revolver because I didn't like the idea of an energized hammer or striker pointing at me. As to being poked, it seems to be a function of finding the right gun and holster combination based on where exactly you carry in the "appendix" position. I carry at about 12:30, so when I sit down the barrel naturally guides itself between my legs instead of poking me. I've talked to other's who carry closer to 1:30-2:00, and they require a high-ride holster so the barrel doesn't poke them. I've also found that leather is more comfy than kydex for me carrying lower, it probably matters less if you carry higher.



Not entirely true. I'm 5-8 and 208 lbs and should be closer to 165. Needless to say I'll never be an underwear model but carrying like this is the most comfortable for me.
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The right holster as @bassjam concludes will always make the greater difference. With so many people of varying size in the world, surely most of us are NOT underwear models and yet for all those who do carry there are still many who have found a comfortable solution once the search began in earnest. Some get lucky with homework, others have a holster box full of empty promises.
 
Back and hip pain can be caused by anything that causes a misalignment of the spine or a twisting of the joint. My examples;
1. Had increasing hip pain years ago. X-rays showed no joint damage. The Doc asked mf I carried my wallet in the back pocket in that side. I did. He asked to see the wallet. It was pretty packed. Told me carry it in my front pocket for a couple weeks to see if the pain subsided. It did. I was sitting at work most of the time when that happened. The pain stopped. Now I have a small wallet with the least I need to carry in it in my front pocket. No pains.
It the gun if long enough it could be making you compensate by shifting. That could cause hip or back pain. Same is true with the back. If you are twisting to be more comfortable when wearing the gun it can stress the spine. That can cause spinal pain and lower extremity pain because it could affect the nerves to the leg. The thing is that you do not realize you are shifting it twisting.

I had a bit of hip pain carrying my SD9VE. I carry at 4 o’clock IWB. When I went to my Security 9 compact the pain went away. The Ruger is .6 inch shorter than the S&W.
 
Racinfan83 said:
Anyone ever had or have nerve pain issues in lower back, glutes, and/or legs when carrying concealed? I usually carry IWB at 3 - 4 o'clock. My pain problems seem to be worse when carrying. Just curious if anyone else has noticed this, or maybe there's a doc on here that could weigh in??
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YUP!
I carried a S&W 640 .38 Spl for a few years in my left rear pocket as an on duty backup.

After a while my left leg started going numb at work. I switched to an FEG PPK clone and moved my back up to a spot under my right arm attached to my vest. (Tear-away Velcro instead of buttons on my shirt allowed emergency access.)

To this day I can’t have a wallet or carry anything in my rear pockets. :(

Stay safe.
 
Maybe it's not a "acceptable modern" solution but I've never like the current "normal" Kydex offerings.
Long ago it was said to use a holster with the "FBI cant". Tilts the grip forward and the barrel back away from the joint.

I don't have a problem with pain per-se, just uncomfortable. I don't think any of the "normal" IWB kydex holsters are comfortable. I elongate or add slots as much as possible to get more forward cant and it helps, but sometime I would like to get a custom holster made.

Arguments are made it "prints" more but reality is they all do unless your standing still in front of a mirror. I really do make reasonable effort to stay concealed, I even run a claw. But if I'm out and about and someone happens to notice when I'm reaching up for a bottle of ketchup I don't care.
 
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Racinfan83 said:
Anyone ever had or have nerve pain issues in lower back, glutes, and/or legs when carrying concealed? ...
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yeeeeeeah ... I concluded several years ago that that must be the source of my (minor) periodic lower-right back pain (sciatica?).

At home I am always carrying a pistol in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster in the right-rear pocket of my 501s ... and 95%+ of my life is spent in & around my home (rural setting & I am retired). ;)

For awhile now my carry pistol has been a 45acp XDs Mod2 (6rds 1#12) but I periodically swap that out (for many months at a time) for a 45acp Glock 30S (10rds 2#0).

I have found that some reverse leg lifts usually provide extended relief. :)
 
M-14 - Look into Wright Leather Works. Lots of options, not too expensive, all leather. I have 2 of their IWB and they are super comfortable.
(Other than the nerve issues I have with ANY holster, and I've tried several brands/styles)
 
GBExpat said:
yeeeeeeah ... I concluded several years ago that that must be the source of my (minor) periodic lower-right back pain (sciatica?).

At home I am always carrying a pistol in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster in the right-rear pocket of my 501s ... and 95%+ of my life is spent in & around my home (rural setting & I am retired). ;)

For awhile now my carry pistol has been a 45acp XDs Mod2 (6rds 1#12) but I periodically swap that out (for many months at a time) for a 45acp Glock 30S (10rds 2#0).

I have found that some reverse leg lifts usually provide extended relief. :)
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Maybe a lighter gun?

I too am retired living on the family homestead and my carry gun has been an LCP pocket carried.

Just upgraded to the LCP max and when I leave for town I would trade out the .380 for a Shield40, truth be told I plan on carrying the max more locally at least during warm weather months.
 
huntsman said:
Maybe a lighter gun?
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Perhaps. I have a feeling that it may be more of a case of load balancing ... or lack thereof. Maybe if I carried a pound, or so, of mags in my left-rear pocket. O'course that may just result in stereo sciatica. ;)

I like .45acp (low-pressure, slow moving 230gr ball), I shoot these two pistols very well and I find them to be quite comfortable shooters (especially the G30S). If the sciatica ever get bad I will probably have to switch to G43/G42/P3AT if I want to continue with the Nemesis in the back pocket approach. :)
 
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