At the risk of a severe mocking, I have to ask... Does anyone else find that their backs are getting pounded by the equipment they ride all day? I mean the kind of thing where when your muscles tighten up to the point of pain, especially overnight; and then they loosen up and become less painful as you begin moving around. I should say that I'm not particularly young or old ( 50 ) but I am a fat bast**d and I have a three level spinal fusion as the end result of a parachute accident while I was in the Army, but that's skeletal, not muscular. I curious about who else has muscle paid from their machines and more importantly, have you found anything that mitigates it? ( I don't mean drugs, I mean the equipment )
I get it more when I sit in a hoe all day loading trucks where I'm not in and out of it a lot. My lower back has hurt me for years and I'm only 28. 6'5" and yes fat too not super overweight but losing weight sure would help. Running dozer or anything else doesn't really bother me as much. Still hurts though. I have a heating pad in my lazy boy at home usually use it for awhile before bed. Really helps with sleeping and being loose the next morning.
Good suspension seat, preferably air, with adjustable lumbar support, good solid footrests, and the seat positioned right both fore and aft and vertical. The ability to take some of the load on your feet, when they're not on pedals, and having the seat low enough so that your knees are slightly bent, making your knees a bit higher than your hips, and being able to sit pretty well erect. A lot of hoe operators tend to work leaning forward, for better visibility especially into a ditchline, etc., it's hard as hell on your back and neck, not good for your internal organs either to be bunched up like that for hours at a time. I also see some machines where the operator has the seat back tilted way back so he's sitting like he's in a recliner... not good that way either.
I Just read your earlier post... have you noticed any changes depending on what machine your running? I know my ctl pounds the operator pretty good if your on it all day.
Try doing some stretches daily. The more limber you are the less you will stiffen up.
Tracked loaders give me a belting nowadays. If I have more than an hour without getting out to walk round, it's a real effort to move. When I'm on an excavator, I try to get out of the cab as often as possible, even if it's only to stand on the track and hang from one of the grab rails. None of these machines are good for us long term, if you get rooted in the cab. Seen too many larda**es on machines sitting reading, phoning or eating between loads, then wonder why they can't keep the weight off.
I don't know anyone who has had a spinal or cervical fusion who doesn't have pain of some sort from it now.
Bad backs, knees and wrists I just put it down to the "cost of doing business", bad backs and aching joints are just a couple of the health issues that are associated with operating equipment, factor in the dust with all the residual chemical additives from over the years, the sun burning down on us and the fumes and contact from shop chemicals, it's a wonder any of us reach an age where we can retire The new machines are much more operator friendly than the older stuff I came up on, air conditioning, canopies, air ride and suspension seats!!!!!!!!!! but with all the possible health issues I still wouldn't change a thing, I loved being outside and not cooped up indoors. Just my humble and usually worthless opinion......Clyde