Myles, I had some sciatic (sp?) nerve problems a few years back, and
here is what I found out. The #1 biggest piece of advice they gave me
was GET YOUR WALLET OUT OF YOUR BACK POCKET. Believe it or not, this
simple act can do wonders for preventing recurring sciatica. The
typical US male carries an unbelievable amount of crap wadded up into a
fat bundle they call a wallet, and then they stick it right under their
butt on one side, right where the nerve makes a bend. Suicide. This is
particularly bad when driving, as you are stuck in one position so long.
I went through physical therapy for a while, and they gave me some
exercises to do as well. The other big piece of advice for preventing
back problems was to exercise the abdominals. Weak abdominal muscles
put extra strain on the back muscles, leading to spasms, pain, etc. As
you have more injuries to heal, I would say work up to it slowly. They
gave me a great starting exercise called the Dead Bug. Lie on the floor
with your back straight (or as close as is comfortable) and your legs
and arms in the air. Slowly move your arms and legs like a dead bug.
Imagine there is a string between each hand and the knee on that side.
Move the hands and knees together in a scissor motion. Even when my
nerve pain was at it's worst, I could do a few of these. The next step
after you are more or less healed is sit-ups. If plain old sit-ups are
not your cup of tea, get one of those ab-blaster type gizmos you see
everywhere. One that supports the neck is probably preferable. I have
some old gymnastics exercises I prefer, but that's just me. As they
say, ask your doctor.
As to driving, I would say get to the point where you can drive around
on the street for an hour or so, then racing should be no problem. You
can probably arrange even better lumbar support in a race car than a
street car, and you are belted in more securely which helps. Make sure
you have some cheap help to lift all those heavy Cortina parts. ;=)
Get well soon.
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