100hrs on NVGs=20% Disability?

[busdriver]

Ref what OverTQ was talking about:

Most of what he was talking about is probably limited to helo guys. Due to the design of the flight controls and seats, we (pilots) are forced into an non-ergonomic seating position. We're basically all hunched forward and leaning to the left. Add to that, the normal cruise attitude is 3-5 degrees nose low (speaking 60 specific now), so your center of gravity is even further past your butt. As a result the spine is not in it's normal curvature. As a result of that plus helo vibrations, one of two sets of nerves tends to get pinched and the nerve bundle "casing" gets inflamed. Either the nerves that leave your spine for your arms, or the bundles leaving for your legs. The resultant tingling/numbness in the arms or legs is basically the same thing as tennis elbow, some road bike riders also experience this in their arms. The problem is that long term irritation of that nerve "casing" can result in permanent damage. The backenders tend to have similar problems due to leaning out the window while kneeling in the back, same problem due to spine position. Adding weight to the head exacerbates the problem but isn't the root cause. I haven't had any problems, but I do know a guy that had to have help getting out of the cockpit after a long sortie since his legs were numb. Good flexibility and core muscle strength can help (those pesky little muscles that keep the spine in position) as can lumbar support seat pads, but I think some guys are just more prone to problems than others.