Sciatic issues from TRD seats

I've had sciatic nerve issues in my right leg for quite a while. Certain car seats can really aggravate it. I've sold cars before because of it. I got a 2014 Tacoma not long ago and it started causing me problems again. It comes from too soft of a seat and too much side bolstering causing pressure on the side of my leg.


I know I can't be the only one who's had this problem before so I figured I'd share what seems to have fixed it for me. I looked into getting new seats but then I'd loose the airbags and possibly have warranty issues. Instead I took it into an upholstery shop and had them replace the foam in the bottom of the driver's seat with a much firmer foam. It made it so I didn't sink into the seat so much and the bolstering doesn't hit me wrong now. It cost me $85 and I'd have to say it's the best money I've spent in a long time. The seat still looks totally stock too.


Hopefully this can help someone out.

 

Great idea.

Thanks for sharing, I'm sure there's many others that will benefit from this!

 

I'll have to keep that in mind. I've got horrible back and leg problems. I actually think the trd seats feel pretty good at the moment, but well see how things pan out.

Did toyota change to a softer material in the newer trucks? My 06 feels rather firm to me.

 

My dad complained of this exact same thing in his TRD. His company eventually bought him a GMC instead because of the firmer seats.

I hated loosing that Tacoma but he drives almost 100k miles a year so he needed something to alleviate the pain. I bet he never though of this though!

 

There are times when my right leg bothers me more than others in my 2011 TRD. I love my truck but that is one thing I wish I could figure out how to make better. It's always on drives of 2 or more hours.

My wife has a Highlander, which we also love but the seats in that REALLY bug my back and legs. The seats are softer, so maybe that's it but I find it harder and harder to get comfortable when driving it for longer distances. It doesn't seem to bother her. My hands also get numb quicker driving her Highlander.

I also have an '05 Mustang GT....I won't lie.....VERY comfortable seating position, seat comfort. I've driven that 4 hours and was like sitting in a recliner.

 

In any of my vehicles and I own a fleet of five, I carry a few rolled up hand towels for use on long drives. I place a towel in the small of my back no matter how hard, soft or adjustable the base or lumbar support on the seat may be.

Not an expert, not suggesting anyone else tries this to alleviate pain from driving, but this works for me.

 

I few years ago I had a SR5 Tacoma and while it bothered my sciatic a bit it wasn't nearly as bad as the TRD seats. Before that I had an Audi A4 that was so bad I couldn't drive home 20 minutes without being in serious pain.

Like I said, I hope this helps someone. I love my Tacoma too much to let this stop me from driving it.

 

100k miles a year no wonder he hurts. But I at times have had back and leg issues that I always wondered if it was caused by my Tacoma.

 

I've tried that before and it helps some. For me though it's not lumbar support that I need but a lack of pressure on that nerve.

 

You can actually buy cushions that are molded to do just this, and stay fastened to the seat back with a velcro strap. I loved mine, it made all the difference when I was doing rehab for my dislocated vertebrae. They are about $20, and many PT places will give them away to their patients.