Inclined Bed Therapy

[happy_canuck]

Hi folks,

Three weeks into IBT I woke with terrible back pain for 3 days straght. On the first day, I took Tylenol, expecting to have a sore back all day. It went away swiftly. On the 2nd and 3rd day, I held off taking anything and, once I sat up or got up, the pain eased without drugs in half an hour or so.

I fractured my spine at T12 two years ago and this back pain feels different. It's all over, not at my former injury. Also, when T12 acts up, it's sore all day.

Could this be because my spine is being "tugged" downward all night? The vertebrae opening up? I think those little muscles between each vertebra are getting a work out. That what it feels like. When I sit up in bed or stand, the pain eases and the rest of the day I am fine.

In any case, I think this is actually good for my spine -- if IBT is reducing pressure on my disks I am happy to continue. I was told when my spine fractured that I have several thinning disks, so any reduction in pressure will be good long term.

I just hope the back ache doesn't last too many more mornings

[AndrewKFletcher]

Thanks for the update. Spinal injury is where IBT benefits the user in more ways than a person with ms. The traction as you rightly state is gently stretching every single vertebrae opening up and improving the circulation to the cartilage, which over time should ease the pain. How long is a piece of string? Is as reliable as the timescale for every single case, time and time again we hear that no two people are identical and each condition is unique, yet many of those conditions respond to tilting the bed.

In spinal cord injury decompression is essential for recovery, while not the same as yours, the tension on the spine from the inclined bed could prove very interesting for you given sufficient time.

Your increased pain is probably and understandably distracting you from noticing other subtle changes, which over time will become more apparent. Look for colour changes in your skin, temperature of hands and feet, muscles becoming firmer yet more relaxed.

Get someone to draw a line on a wall for your height, we used a book held against the wall and lowered to the head to determine that myself and a few others were gaining height when our age depicts we should have been losing height and indeed were until we began sleeping on an incline.

This is a long haul therapy for most people. Spinal cord injury takes around 4 months to begin to respond significantly in the majority of cases but there are many other changes reported that are so easily attributed to a whole array of coincidentals, like a change of drugs or drug dosage, routines, stress, surgery etc.

Hopefully your pain will ease soon.

Andrew

[zinamaria]

Hello Andrew and all,

Just want to jump on board to say that I have had a wood inclined bed frame made to your exact measurements. It's been six days and I love it! The first night I thought I was sleeping on a hillside, like when I was a kid, falling asleep on grassy slopes, but it did not bother me at all, in fact for years I have been propping several pillows at night because I am an avid night-time-bed-reader, so how convenient to have my head a little higher now!!
I have had deep rest. Cannot say I have noticed too much more than that, I do not usually wake with headaches, occasionally, but not usually. But I will keep track!
Thanks to all the great bloggers, to this awesome community for all that goes on here, from info, to hard core research, to humor, to compassion, to the love!!

Peace,
Zinamaria

[ozarkcanoer]

We have had our bed inclined since December 1st. I'm doing just great with the inclined bed, but my husband is 6 feet 4 inches tall, and he barely fits on the bed the way it is when it is flat. Now with the bed inclined he says his feet hit the footboard of the bed because he slides down, and he is uncomfortable. So now I am in a quandary.

ozarkcanoer

[happy_canuck]

Now with the bed inclined he says his feet hit the footboard of the bed because he slides down, and he is uncomfortable.

ozarkcanoer,

Tell your tall hubbie to bend his knees and sleep better! I also thought about what if my hubbie didn't like it. Luckily, he is sleeping like a baby and has quit snoring. That has to be better in the long term for both of us, even without my MS.

Maybe you could stop him slipping with different sheets. Or make sure the mattress itself stays in place at the top of the bed by putting a no slip mat between it and the boxspring.

[wymtime]

Now with the bed inclined he says his feet hit the footboard of the bed because he slides down, and he is uncomfortable. So now I am in a quandary.


ozarkcanoer,

I use a 2" memory foam on top of the mattress on my bed. It grips the mattress and also makes the sheets hug the mattress tighter. It also conforms to the curves of your body and will keep you from sliding.

Hope this helps!
Wyman

[maggie44]

Andrew, I heard about IBT from the ldn forum as my grandson has crohn's disease. I looked at the video and have been reading up on it and I came across this ms forum. I know I'am in the wrong forum but I couldn't find out about ibt in the meniere's disease forum. I would like to try this for my meniere's disease because when I lay down flat I get dizzy so I have to prop up on alot of pillows. The only problem is my bed frame is 2 rails that is connected to my headboard and footboard so if I raise my bed my headboard is going to tilt to and it is a hollywood headboard with shelves. Any suggestions how I can raise my bed? I would like to do something free for now to see if it will help me before I spend any money. I seen the inclining bed frame and the inflating pillow that goes under the mattress. I read here someone put books under their mattress but would that make a person feel like they are sitting? Doesn't your whole body have to recline? Sorry if this is not the place to ask this but I would really appreciate any suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance. maggie44

[AndrewKFletcher]

Hello zinamaria

And a big welcome onboard Having your bed made before you tried it shows that you understand the principles behind the bed well enough to go for it. Thank you for taking the time to read all the information.

The strangest thing about resting on an inclined bed is that you do not need to sleep in order to feel refreshed in the morning, quite different to resting on a flat bed. I too remember falling asleep on a grassy hillside as a youngster, Here in the UK kids now fall asleep on the nintendo.

Geez I'm sounding more like my Grandfather and dad every day :0

Andrew

[AndrewKFletcher]

We have had our bed inclined since December 1st. I'm doing just great with the inclined bed, but my husband is 6 feet 4 inches tall, and he barely fits on the bed the way it is when it is flat. Now with the bed inclined he says his feet hit the footboard of the bed because he slides down, and he is uncomfortable. So now I am in a quandary.

ozarkcanoer

It is important not to have feet contacting the footboard as this can and has caused a pressure sore in a person with a spinal cord injury. Although his bed was inclined to a much higher degree. Fortunately the sore healed quickly when we realised what the problem was.

Your husband is right to complain. Is there a way the foot board can be removed?

Memory foam topper or mattress is very useful for preventing sliding. Or wrap a quilt, duvet, blanket around the mattress tucking it under it. The additional wadding should help a lot.

[AndrewKFletcher]

Hi Maggie

I would be very surprised if your condition did not improve using I.T.

Tinitus, vertigo, dizziness, orthostatic hypertension, ballance, all improve using I.T.

Please come back and let us know how things go for you.

To tilt the bed without altering the angle of the headboard / footboard use a 3/4 - 1" plywood sheet / sheets cut to size of mattress. Place timber 6"x3" and 3"x3"under it 6" at the head end 3" in the middle. and a non-slip sheet between the mattress and the plywood. Job done

Should this provide the relief you seek and I sincerely believe it will, you then have the duty of informing others with the same conditions

Andrew

[Algis]

I know it might sounds stupid; but in sidecar racing; sliding forward/backward in accelerating/braking is a very big problem (no seat belts).
What we do is sewing a buff skin (shammy leather ??) on the ass of the leather suite; they are cheap and are usually sold to clean windows. So the idea here is: there are a lot of anti-sliding pieces of "fabric" that could be sewn on the pajama/underwear - I know I use to sleep without too; but the main point here is to try to cure / feel better.

[AndrewKFletcher]

Algis

Anyone that gets into one of those sidecars has a serious deathwish problem

My Uncle Alan Field and his Friend Billy Mail used to ride scrambler and sidecar racing. We used to watch as kids, was very exciting until the clutch cable snapped sending Billy Mail into orbit while the bike crashed onto my Uncles chest "Nutters"

I think velcro sewn into underwear might cause a serious wedgie.
Silky nighties will not help the situation either and G strings, well let's not go there

Better to address the mattress rather than the clothing.

Thanks though

Andrew

[zinamaria]

Okay, I'm laughing now Fletcher..

I use flannel sheets and there's no sliding around or 'down'...

oh, and I have to say that you are so right about resting vs sleep! Lately I have gotten back into my old night-owl habits (I'm a painter and love those 1am-5am hrs when everyone else is sleeping)...alas, this is not a good thing for me so last year I slowly started going to bed beteen 9pm-10pm (how I loathed the change, had to say goodbye to Nux, Greek goddess of the night who was luring me every night).
But I did read somewhere that the hrs slept before midnight count as double, so I thought to test that theory and try it out. "They" were right, the sleep was deep.

Okay, long story short, it was going well, but of late I am, like I said, creeping back into old nightime habits (like staying up and nibbling on 85% dark chocolate, but not more than one square, I swear!); but guess what? I am feeling like I only need about 6hrs of sleep! And I often read in the afternoon, and do not sleep and feel rested (on my incline, of course). I have always taken naps, and in these days have gotten a few in. But I am going to start charting how many hrs of sleep I get at night and then count the naps.

Also, my boyfriend who is a longtime sufferer of migraines propped his head up on several pillows the other night, in our double non-inclined bed, which is to change soon) and it was the first time he did not wake up with a headache. He is sure it was the incline. so we are going to make the double frame as well.
Do you know about migraines and inclines Fletcher?

So. There it is.
Have I said anything important?
And what ever happened to a kite flying high in a summer pale blue sky and kids screaming in delight to see it sway like algae above their heads?

Cheers to all throughout these last days of 2009...wow, 2010.

Peace,
Zinamaria

[maggie44]

If this helps I will be sure to let people know about it. I also have a terrible case of tintus and I would be so happy if it helped that. Andrew do I get one sheet of plywood 6" x 3" and one sheet of 3" x 3". Is that 6" high and 3" wide? So if my bed is 54" wide I would put 1 strip across it and 1 strip of 3" x 3" strip in the middle or do I buy enough to put all the way down the bed? and do I have it cut 54" so it will go across my bed? I'm sorry I don't understand. Your help will be so appreciated. Thanks Maggie

[AndrewKFletcher]

Maggie

Plywood usually comes in 8 feet x4 feet so plywood running down the length of the bed is more stable than joining it in the middle

Object is to support the whole of the mattress with the plywood so you will need an additonal 6 inch strip down one side to make up the 54 inches.

The six inch timber goes under the plyood across the width of the bed, the 3 inch timber goes in the middle across the width of the bed. Ask the nice man at the saw mill to cut you a 6 inch strip but be sure to call it an offcut He might be inspired if you tell him what it's for.

Good luck Maggie