Hello everyone, so the cover band I'm in we do long shows and I believe it is sciatica and my lower back and left leg, sometimes both legs, get in extreme pain and sometimes completely numb when playing out or rehearsals and I was going to get an Anti Fatigue Mat and wanted your input as I'm looking to get one this week because we have shows next Tuesday and Saturday. I play guitar and have in front of me a pedalboard, not too large and wedge floor monitor and then my mic stand is usually placed off to the front side of my monitor.
Anyone have experience with these and what size, brand, material, etc do you recommend? Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
I have a lot of sciatica issues with my lower back and left leg myself. Guitar has exacerbated it, but my posture while playing is a big part of the issue. In short, I tend to put all of my weight on one leg or the other for extended periods of time, particularly while playing guitar. This gets my hips out of whack and leads to muscle (gluteus medius) fatigue, soreness/inflammation, and squeezing the sciatic nerve down the butt into the leg.
Strongest recommendations I'd have for you (if they are possible/practical
1. Go see a doctor about it if you haven't already. Get some scans of your lower back, hips/butt to try and get a better track of the root-cause issue.
2. Unless surgery is absolutely necessary, try to avoid it. Instead, go get some physical therapy, and then (this is important) keep up with the stretches and exercises they teach you.
@midnightlaundry is likely correct. Unless you've got other issues, PT is going to work on building muscles. Most sciatica is related to core muscle weakness or imbalance. Hamstrings, glutes, abs, obliques, etc. A therapist can help target and address these issues.
As for the fatigue mat, I'm not sure how much it will really help to be honest.
