Braced for launch

Finally, further to the merits of braces over belts in preventing heartburn, a former RAF pilot and regular belt wearer reports a similar experience. For several years he has been troubled by discomfort in the region of his right hip. Until a few months ago, he spent four days at an air show standing by an aircraft wearing his customary flying suit – the weight of the garment and whatever is in its pockets being taken on his shoulders.

Realising subsequently that his discomfort had been resolved, he suspected this might be due to his not having been wearing a belt. He switched to braces and has been pain free ever since.

His doctor apparently was “really rather sceptical”, unaware this is a variant of the better known “skinny jeans sciatica” where tight fitting jeans around the waist can cause pressure on the sciatic nerve at the base of the spine.