Left leg issues when driving - help?

Zeffy94

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Last week I got stuck in stop and go traffic due to an accident. After about 20 min of crawling (and I was keeping a decent distance to avoid stopping too much) and I had serious pain in my entire left leg to the point where it almost went fully numb. Since that moment, I’ve been noticing recently that operating the clutch seemingly is straining my leg more and more. This hadn’t happened really even when I was learning how to drive stick.

I have extremely flat feet and I also have a hard time finding a good seating position - the one I found is the most comfortable I can get. My shoes are large (13) and I don’t have much room to push the clutch without running into the top of the firewall behind the pedals. Where my foot makes contact with the clutch is right near the toes, which is an area that constantly gives me pain when pushing the clutch in and out repeatedly. Since I have no arch in my foot there’s nothing really cushioning the impact.

I’ve read that Honda and Acura cars are known for having not enough seating or wheel adjustments to where they can become problematic for certain people over time. I wouldn’t think my body (125 lbs 5’11) would have issues there but it’s becoming more of an issue and it’s worrying me. I get anxiety about getting stuck in another jam like that because by the time traffic started moving I could barely operate the clutch with any precision.

I’m scheduling something with a podiatrist to figure out if I have some undiagnosed condition that would cause leg issues when driving (note that it’s primarily the left leg only) but in the meantime is there anything you guys can suggest? The shocking part is I’m only 25 years old so you would think I shouldn’t have issues like this.

Really wish the seat, although very comfortable, had more adjustability, because I can’t go too far back without feeling like I don’t depress the clutch all the way. At the same time, since it’s not power operated, I only have a limited number of positions I can use to start with. I also tried the Porsche seating position video which helped but does not alleviate the leg pain.
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Andjoo

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Honda Civic 10th gen Left leg issues when driving - help? 3044


In all seriousness, just something you'll get used to and conditioned for :)
 

PAX CTR

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Don't skip leg days.
 

NapalmEnema

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Being serious - you just need to get stronger in that leg - clutch + stop and go traffic = I still have a defined calf for years after fighting traffic in a stick and no longer doing it anymore lol.

No pain - no gain

or if you prefer -

Pain is weakness leaving the body

Aside from that, if you have a reach issue there are pedal extenders you can get that I looked into for my wife at one point due to her being shorter and having issues with the clutch. Perhaps if you added that, you wouldn't have to extend so far, and things would be more comfortable?

Something like this -

https://www.amazon.com/Sonour-Drivi...t=&hvlocphy=9027671&hvtargid=pla-813066732703
 


kevv_FK8

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Deff missing out on leg day.
 

JayDiem

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Sounds to me like you are experiencing some blood flow issues in your leg like Deep Vein Thrombosis.
 


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Zeffy94

Zeffy94

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Is there any particular reason that it’s happening now? I would’ve thought when I was learning stick it would have been more prevalent, but even when I first experienced a traffic jam it wasn’t as bad as it’s been.

The pain starts in the left foot and then slowly affects the ankle which in turn then starts affecting the leg.

I would hate to see your reaction to a stiffer clutch, as the factory clutch is almost not there.
So I hear, since I haven’t driven anything else I don’t know what a heavy clutch feels like but at least to me this one requires a decent amount of push to fully depress it.

Aside from that, if you have a reach issue there are pedal extenders you can get that I looked into for my wife at one point due to her being shorter and having issues with the clutch. Perhaps if you added that, you wouldn't have to extend so far, and things would be more comfortable?
I can look into those but I have no clue which ones will work for the CTR. Kinda dumb I have to mod the car to get around this not gonna lie...
 

swah_fk7

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Is there any particular reason that it’s happening now? I would’ve thought when I was learning stick it would have been more prevalent, but even when I first experienced a traffic jam it wasn’t as bad as it’s been.

The pain starts in the left foot and then slowly affects the ankle which in turn then starts affecting the leg.



So I hear, since I haven’t driven anything else I don’t know what a heavy clutch feels like but at least to me this one requires a decent amount of push to fully depress it.



I can look into those but I have no clue which ones will work for the CTR. Kinda dumb I have to mod the car to get around this not gonna lie...
I think you just need to exercise more because the factory clutch is basically nonexistent in pressure.
My legs get sore from work, I drive home and in stop and go traffic I can feel uncomfortable sometimes, I work out, it goes away.
 

boosted180sx

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yeah the CTR's factory clutch is basically like pushing on air compared to other cars so it's not too bad.
maybe when you were learning how to drive, your mind was concentrating on driving and moving the conscience away from your legs?

I adjust the seats to make it comfortable for me to push down on the clutch. Adjusting that way, makes the brakes a little more closer than what i like but can't do anything about it. I'm a short guy so gotta make that sacrifice lol.

When i got stuck in a stop and go for miles on the Z though, ouff that was painful.
 

diakonia

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Is there any particular reason that it’s happening

I have the same problem with my left leg. When I’m in the same situation, I stay in neutral as much as I can . When the traffic moves I move up and then right to neutral . Then so on... first gear , move up, neutral
This method helps me allot.
 
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Zeffy94

Zeffy94

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yeah the CTR's factory clutch is basically like pushing on air compared to other cars so it's not too bad.
maybe when you were learning how to drive, your mind was concentrating on driving and moving the conscience away from your legs?

I adjust the seats to make it comfortable for me to push down on the clutch. Adjusting that way, makes the brakes a little more closer than what i like but can't do anything about it. I'm a short guy so gotta make that sacrifice lol.

When i got stuck in a stop and go for miles on the Z though, ouff that was painful.
No, the pain started about a few weeks ago and crescendoed last Thursday. I’ve had pain before even when learning how to drive but it’s been ridiculous as of late. I’m using comfort mode too which all around helps me be smoother with the the clutch.

This morning traffic was fairly light so the pain was relatively restrained but I did feel soreness in my foot when I got out at work. Gonna have to see what it feels like going home where there’s no usually more traffic to contend with.
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