This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi Andrew,

Since yesterday, my bed is somewhat more than 5 degrees inclined. I have slept 4 degrees before (about 3 months)

I'll keep you informed, 17 March i will be 'liberated' in Poland.

Rgds,

Robert

Thanks for explaining about trying to be stretched out down the bed again Andrew.

I am guilty of sleeping mostly in the same position as Kathryn has just explained. I try to stretch my legs out, but after not very long, my back goes into spasm.

I will from today try harder to steadily increase the length of time spent with legs straight down the bed. Obvious really, but quite difficult to change old habits.

One other thing, I have noticed that my appetite has increased, I think maybe I have read that somewhere here?

Anyway, moving up to 7" in a couple of weeks, looking forward to more improvements.

Thanking you

Elaine

Thanks Andrew! Even though I hadn't read your response yet when I went to bed last night, I did try to stretch out more. I believe I eventually fell asleep on my back, with my legs straight, and I do feel better this morning than I have recently. I will keep trying to keep my legs straighter and report back.

Thanks again!

Kathryn

Kathryn

Great, we have that posture problem sorted out. But now we are begining to see the connections with ms ccsvi cvi and posture more clearly than ever before.

Having the knees as high as you describe will cancel out much of the benefits of sleeping inclined and I should have mentioned this much earlier.

Andrew,

What is the preferred sleeping posture with IBT? Is it on your back, side, stomach, rotating or does it matter.

Thanks,

I just had my bed raised 5.5 inches the other day but for some reason I seem to naturally sleep with my knees bent, even when lying on my back. I woke up that way this morning. It is an agony to straighten the legs in the morning due to all the spasticity. I think it's a subconscious self-protection that keeps my knees bent. I will try my hardest to ensure they are straight as I am drifting off but as to why I wake up that way... that's a bit more difficult to fix. Anyway I'll let you know if I see any good effects.

Pam

reece wrote:Andrew,

What is the preferred sleeping posture with IBT? Is it on your back, side, stomach, rotating or does it matter.

Thanks,

Rotating should be considered as the best option, sides being the more acute angle, supine and prone not as useful over many hours, but useful for an hour or so.

Please keep a diary noting down any changes, negative or positive, it all helps to build a picture for others to follow.

We are reaching the 4 month point for some where significant changes will become more apparent and hopefully these people will share more of their observations with the forum.

JoyIsMyStrength wrote:I just had my bed raised 5.5 inches the other day but for some reason I seem to naturally sleep with my knees bent, even when lying on my back. I woke up that way this morning. It is an agony to straighten the legs in the morning due to all the spasticity. I think it's a subconscious self-protection that keeps my knees bent. I will try my hardest to ensure they are straight as I am drifting off but as to why I wake up that way... that's a bit more difficult to fix. Anyway I'll let you know if I see any good effects.

Pam

You could lay awake on the bed with legs straight reading perhaps, the longer the better obviously. Over time the inclined bed will lend towards a tendency to stretch out, so I wouldn't worry about conforming, this is meant to be a therapy not a form of torture

Elaine

This increase in appetite you and others have mentioned maybe an improvement in taste. Someone said this previously.

But it may also be the body requiring more food to rebuild muscle and bone which is moved on demand from the blood to the muscle and bone.

So we should be seeing a change from fat cells to muscle and bone, which should become apparent when weight increases yet clothes become more loose fitting.

Thank you Andrew, that is most reassuring, I wouldn't want too much extra weight right now to compromise my mobility ;)

I should have said that it is breakfast time when I mostly notice an increase in appetite because I have never before been able to stomach breakfast - now I wake hungry, I thought it might possibly because my mood is better for a good nights sleep


Elaine

The following paper requires a thorough read:


Is Bed Rest An Effective Treatment Modality for Pressure Ulcers?
Your comment has been queued for moderation by site administrators and will be published after approval.
Matching equipment to meets client needs.
VOLUME: 50
Issue Number:
10
author:
Linda Norton, OT Reg (ONT); and Dr. Gary Sibbald, BSc, MD, FRCPC (Med), FRCPC(Derm), MACP, DABD, MEd

Look at the patient lying long in bed.
What a pathetic picture he makes.
The blood clotting in his veins,
the lime draining from his bones,
the scybola stacking up in his colon,
the flesh rotting from his seat,
the urine leaking from his distended bladder,
and the spirit evaporating from his soul.
— Dr. Richard Asher, British Medical Journal, 1947




Conclusion
Practitioners often express concern that medical and scientific studies are difficult to interpret for clinical use; however, in terms of the complications of bed rest, agreement between all existing sources is remarkable. Although illness severity may leave no choice except bed rest, the rest itself is rarely what is of benefit. Practically every organ and body system promptly and progressively deteriorates when it is inactive (see Table 4).2
In this time of focusing on best practices and patient outcomes, examining the practice of bed rest is appropriate. If effort were directed at conducting a randomized control trial to reevaluate the practice of bed rest, assuming that bed rest could speed the healing of pressure sores, the complications of this treatment are so well documented that this practice cannot be considered “safe.”
Alternatives to bed rest include optimizing the nutritional status of the client and managing pressure and shear throughout the client’s daily activities. Managing pressure and shearing forces outside of the bed may be one way to improve client outcomes and quality of life. - OWM
http://www.o-wm.com/article/3194

Andrew:

Latest is that I now have pain in legs and feet. From a bit over the knee down to the foot; pain increasing. More on left than right.

No edema, normal color; heart beat looks as usual; no other signs.

Any thought?

update:
my appetite has increased also since starting IBT--and it was okay before.

Health of nails definitely improving--my 2nd toe is longer than big toe, so with enclosed shoes often bit if pressure on this 2nd toe--so it has a deformed nail--this is oddly improving, despite fact not changed shoes (very difficult to get shoes to fit--if accomodate this 2nd toe, then rest of shoe too big) (summer and sandals is the solution ) AND rest of nails have more color also.

Hi my name is Angela I've been following this forum for about 2 1/2 wks ever since I learned about CCSVI. I have RRMS since 2004.

I'd like to report my experience with IBT. We inclined our bed to 5.5" 3 nights ago.
First night - NO COLD PAINFUL FEET!!!

That all by itself is so worth it! I've been having painfully cold feet for so long now - the pain would keep me from sleeping. I'd have to remove my socks (b/c my feet would make the sock cold rather than the socks making my feet warm) & I'd have to wrap a towel around them in addition to 3-4 blankets. So uncomfortable!
Well all 3 nites I've slept on a incline my feet are so warm - almost hot! My skin feels softer - not so "papery". Very happy!!! I Love it!

I'm going to come back & read the 30+ pages of others experiences.
I'll keep updating my experiences too.
Thank you & God Bless!

Algis wrote:Andrew:

Latest is that I now have pain in legs and feet. From a bit over the knee down to the foot; pain increasing. More on left than right.

No edema, normal color; heart beat looks as usual; no other signs.

Any thought?

Algis this is very likely to be the first stages of the nerves being restored. Hang in there.

It has been reported many times, too many to be conicidental. First the stabbing shooting pains, and skin like fire ants crawling over it.

Andrew