Has anyone had hip or back problems from carrying?

[Reyn]

I carry a gun on duty and an IWB off duty. Glock22. I have done this for years. Outside of showering and sleeping i have had that gun on me.

Lately i have been having a slight annoying ache in my hip area. Im wondering if carrying the gun constantly all these years is the culprit. It has been waking me up some at night.

Anyone else experienced this?

 

[Redlg155]

Tactical Suspenders...nuff said.

I jest, but belts are just to the point where they are overloaded. Weapon, cuffs, 2 extra mags, Asp, Taser, cell phone, keys, gloves, radio...and the list goes on. I've seen a lot of officers go the way of ths suspender.

 

[Texan Scott]

My (not inconsiderable) experience with load-bearing gear and orthopedic issues leads me to think otherwise. If you'd been carrying an extra 2 lbs on one hip for 2 months, you might be compensating for the weight and suffering a problem on the compensating (opposite) side. If you've been carrying for YEARS without a problem, I doubt it's the gun. Your body has no doubt adjusted long ago; if you were going to have a problem, you'd have had it before now. Hate to say it, but the problem is less likely to be the gun youve carried all these years, and more likely just the years.

Then again, I'm not doctor, just a patient getting older. See if your dept. offers a physiotherapist.

 

[lemaymiami]

Like most retired cops I vividly remember the various aches and pains that I had before I left that line of work. My great surprise was how quickly they faded away when I'd been off the job for about six months and quit carrying sidearm or any other gear, period. Can't say if it was a physical or mental thing (I also felt about five years younger when I quit carrying all the stress that a career in policing brings - but that's a purely subjective proposition....).

The only physical reminder I carry from those years (retired out in 1995...) is some permanent bruising on the inside of the ankle I used to carry a weapon on. I actually wore a medium to standard sized auto on my ankle for years...

Have to note that I haven't carried a weapon once in the years since I left police work. Best decision I ever made, period.

 

[Ogreon]

I tried carrying an M1 tank and it was a killer. I should have stayed with the M2 machine gun.

You might try a different position or a different carry method for off duty. Is the IWB holster near the problem hip. Maybe it's pressing on a nerve.

You might also experiment with keeping the firearm near you rather than on you while at home (especially if you don't have to worry about kids).

If these experiments cause any change in the pain you'll have some data to work with.

 

[rcmodel]

Yep! Years ago.

What fixed me right up is:

1. New shoes or boots with good arch support, and without the heels worn off rounded on one side.

2. A chiropractor to put you and your back back in place.

3. A new firmer mattress that isn't worn out & sagging.

4. Suspenders to help spread the load on both sides.

No more problems the last few years.

rc

 

[Salmoneye]

Ayuh..

Once I hit forty, I could only carry a full sized 7.5" Ruger SBH so long on my right hip before my sciatica acted up...

Cure is/was cross draw on my belly...

I'm right handed with a single action hung lower left belly facing my right hand...

Rides fine when driving too...

Legal here, but then everything is legal here...

 

[hso]

I carry a gun on duty

I'd guess that you also carry a lot of other duty gear on the belt as well that could cause a problem. Add sitting in a vehicle wearing that gear and I would expect a lot of officers have lower back problems.

 

[RaceM]

Already had the bad back. Packing the magnum around just aggravated it. Lighter gun helps.

 

[postalnut25]

I've made a few adjustments to helps back feel better. I've moved some gear off my belt and into my cargo pockets. That lets me have the back of my duty belt relatively flat. Also, my Crown Vic had some "Surgery" done to the driver's seat that allows my holster to sit naturally on my belt instead of having to sit in an awkward manner to accommodate the gun.

 

[postalnut25]

RCmodel is spot on with his comment. Good orthotics in my boots made a huge difference, too. Once I got them, my back, hips and knees didn't hurt as bad after an extended time on foot like they used too. Traffic control used to kill me, but now it's not so bad.

 

[Mr Woody]

Don't forget to watch your weight and work out a bit. Even walking or bike riding will help. That belt is a killer with all the junk we carry. The new plastic belts don't conform to the body like the old leather ones did which does not help this problem.
Woody

 

[FROGO207]

I was worried that this was going to happen due to my wallet full of cash causing undue stress there. But the gun gods have seen to it that the deals are spaced out so that my safe grows and my wallet stays rather thin. Honestly I do not carry 24/7 or even anything close to that so feel that I am not qualified for giving an honest opinion---I seem to have no problems here with anything when I carry (Commander size 1911).

 

[gym]

Mine is very bad, surgeries and all. But the CCW breakaways are the best carry method I found. Carrying didn't cause the problem, but 42 years of of didn't help.
Sometimes I use the Fanny pak, only because I can't wear a belt if it is flaring up. So a pocket carry is the next best thing.

 

[Devonai]

I have tendinitis in my left hip thanks to the Army, and I can forget about carrying my 92FS or a 1911 on my belt ever again. When I did armed security, I wore suspenders; without them I could not have worn the duty belt.

I can still carry a smaller pistol on my hip, like my S&W 3913 or Makarov, but larger pistols must be carried in a shoulder bag or in a "photographer's" vest.

It is a little frustrating, as I'm in reasonably good physical condition other than the chronic injury.

 

[Zundfolge]

No hip or back problems, but back when I first started CCWing daily I packed in a Belly Band and I'm convinced it caused a bout of IBS ... once I switched to a quality IWB holster the problem went away.

 

[WardenWolf]

If the way you're carrying is giving you problems, find a more comfortable way to carry. For me, I concealed-carry at 8 or 9:00, cavalry-style (handle forward). This way the gun does not inhibit movement in any way, and when I sit down, I'm not sitting or leaning on the gun. If I was right-handed, I would do the same at 3:00 or 4:00. Note that you need an opposite-hand holster to do this. Left-handed if you're a righty, right-handed if you're a lefty.