Inclined Bed Therapy

[katie45]

Cervin, I had purple swollen feet for the last 4/5 yrs. Started IT jan 5...no more purple swollen feet ! 16 days..try it, it works....best to you, katie

[cervin]

Thank you Katie- that is exactly what i wanted to hear

[Vhoenecke]

Go Katie Go.

What great news!

[alby]

I have made my bed semi-inclined, meaning I have raised the top portion only from waist up by 4 inches by putting a 4’x 2’ under the mattress. I did this about three weeks ago and it seems to help in my strength. It has not helped in my edema but I didn’t expect it to. Any gain is a plus. The reason I did it half way is because I have difficulty getting off and on bed, although I am better able now.
Definitely try it, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

[AndrewKFletcher]

Alby, the sitting posture you have adopted does not compare with the inclined posture. Sitting has been identified as a high degenerative risk in a recent study for healthy people.

http://press.psprings.co.uk/bjsm/january/sm67702.pdf

When you are sitting you are compressing the soft tissue between your pelvis, spine and the mattress. Your legs are flat so there will ienvitably be an increase in venous pressure and this means your oedema will probably get worse using this posture.

Also, you are compressing your spine over 24 hours. Inclined thereapy does the opposite.

I understand your concerns about transfering to a bed at a slight angle.


As soon as possible to transfer more easily, tilt the whole bed.

[AndrewKFletcher]

First i want to apologize if somewhere in this 27 page thread, this has been covered. I really try to do my homework before i post. i made it 10 pages in and i kinda gave up, so here is my question.
I have purple feet that hate to not be elevated. It seems i can't have them down for more than a couple of minutes. I don't get head aches. I am pretty good sleeper.
Okay having said that, is IBT for me?
I did incline my bed last night and as an after thought i had these questions. My feet were uncomfortable but it was tolerable.

please advise all of you wonderful TIMS people.
Thanks
-ceci

I am on Dr. Simka's waiting list for MAY!!!

Hopefully you will begin to see some changes within a few weeks. After a few months we should see some significant improvements, maybe even enough to convince you that there is an alternative to surgery but we shall have to wait and see.

Thanks for joining us.

Andrew

[katie45]

Just wanted to say that I too was very 'unnerved' about transferring to a sloped surface...but after laying inclined for a night or two I had so much more energy and control I now find it pleasant being able to get into bed without fear whatsoever. (it really is easier to swing my legs onto the lower end of my bed)

[alby]

what i did is slope from 4" high at head to flat at waist. i am not sitting. i guess i will work on full incline in a few weeks.

[Vhoenecke]

Once on the incline and mine is not full yet after 4 weeks you will notice your edima gone. Mine literally disappeared in 3 nights or so. I just wanted to update that I dreamed last night. I have been up for a while now and don't remember it exactly but I know I dreamed about my daughter.
There is nothing that works like IBT except maybe the procedure in Poland.

[esta]

I read as much as I could today, and my husband inclined our bed 4 inches. when we did a practice run i instantly noticed how much better I could breathe. I've been in a wheelchair were four years and this is fabulous. I will keep you posted on any changes.
IM going to Poland to be liberated in June where I'll be sleeping on a flatbed for three weeks because we're also doing some sight seeing afterwards and when I get home it will be very interesting to note the difference.
cheers esta[/b]

[ErikaSlovakia]

Report after 3 months and couple of days on inclined bed.

Well, I will have to go flat again from today because of my backache. I was waking up broken, late and tired in last 2-3 weeks. I went on 10 cm, then on 5 cm/2 inches for 2 nights but I am still not OK.
I know my spina bifida is killing me and maybe people with fixed veins do not like it anymore.
I slept flat for 2 nights this week in Poland and I felt much better.
I will see later. I slept 3 nights only on 5 cm and I did not have my "good morning" headache, no nausea so I just can hope it stays like that.
Talk to you later.
Erika

[Dovechick]

Well, this is interesting. I supposed we might imply from that the Liberation procedure has reduce your incidence of headaches. I suppose (I don't know much about it) that with SB the veins in the bottom part of your body may be different to those people who do not have SB, which means that your reactions might be different to others.
I'm 6 weeks into inclined bed and have noticed a considerable drop in my blood pressure for a regular 145/90 to a regular 120/70. Still on medication but if it drops some more I will have to visit the doc to see what to do about that.

[AndrewKFletcher]

From the Inclined Bed Therapy thread in General Forum

I had a Doppler exam done of my neck 5 weeks ago, and it was discovered that my right azygous vein was refluxing almost constantly when I was lying down, but not when I was sitting up. So I started sleeping sitting up, and my MS symptoms began improving in 48 hours. Vision in my left eye has been dramatically restored, and my right arm and leg are much stronger. I can once again move my toes (not since 2006). I will now try sleeping reclined rather than sitting up (which is really hard to do) and see if symptoms continue to improve.

Woodbine

Thank's for posting this.

Your experience using a Doppler and testing the reflux against sitting and laying down is exactly what we have been waiting to read. Presumably you had not read any of my research prior to sleeping sitting up? Were you advised to sit up or did you make the connection with flat bed rest immediately?

Look forward to hearing more from you in the future.

Thanks again

Andrew

[William57]

Hi Andrew,

this time I have read the FAQ first, but I did not read an answwer to the question of my wife:

Does IBT have unwanted side effects on people whom are healthy? My wife who sleeps now inclined thanks to me, was wondering if the inclined bed was good for her as well. And if so, on what parts?

She is asking this because she has the strong feeling that she has got a bit of a back pain since we have tilted the bed (4 degrees now).

Can you explain or tell me where to find the answer?

(I also want to congratulate you with your eventually victory of your uphill battle for over the years, now it looks like the CCSVI theory and facts (!!)proofs your right on this one.)

William (The Netherlands)

[Dovechick]

Hi William,
It is difficult to be categorical about this because there will be occasions when IT does not suit a particular condition, but from my experience (not an MS sufferer) I have had nothing but benefit from sleeping on an inclined bed. I did in the beginning have some strange aches and pains, but they seemed to disappear after about 10days.
Benefits I have noticed from this therapy is:
lower blood pressure from 145/90 to 120/75 after 4 weeks.
Also some improvement in the peripheral neuropathy
and possibly also less lower back pain.
I think (purely from my own experience) if your wife can put up with the discomfort for a little while longer she might well feel better than before she started.