This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Posted: **Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:08 am**

Hi Daren

The best way to tilt a pine bed (which may not be strong enough) is to use a plywood wedge under the mattress. 3/4 inch ply should be string enough. Use 6 inch timner at head and 3 inch in middle.

Heart rate decrease by 10-12 beats per minute is an affect of inclined therapy. However, the stroke volume increases, so although the heart beats less, the stroke volume of blood increases. So circulation improves with a lower bpm.

Warmer hands and feet and colour changes reported confirm this.

Respiration rate drops also by 4-5 breaths per minute. This is because the lungs inflate and deflate more efficently and this takes a little longer.

Both of these points were also confirmed at Derriford Hospital in the recovery room after my son underwent surgery for a broken wrist.

They had his bed tilted down and said this was to prevent him from choking on vomit. Convinced the nurse to tilt the bed the other way and told her what whould happen to heart and resiration rates. And sid he would come round within a few minutes.

He did and she was shocked and ran around telling everyone, even told my wife the I was an incredible man

But of course my wife already knew this

Yet they have probably continued to tilt the bed the other way for everyone else.

If someone could get their partner to confirm this by counting resperation and heart rate against a clock/watch when they fall asleep it would be very useful for the forum.

It worked exactly the same on 2 sleeping bull terriers, at an angle their heart and respiration dropped by exactly the same measure.

Andrew

Posted: **Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:10 am**

NewHope wrote:Hello, dear friends!

I'd like to to report here that I tried inclined bed therapy last night even though I was pessimistic about it and today I am very happy because I am MUCH better! Fist of all, I didn't go to the bathroom at all last night. Usually I go around 1-2 times. Second, in the morning my usual morning stiffness was much less and I didn't have the "jumpiness"/tremor in my legs that I started having in the past few weeks. My stretching exercises were easier to do! Also, for more than a month I had stopped doing my regular unaided walks of 100-300 meters at home every morning. (During the rest of the day I use a walker.) Also for the past few weeks I was feeling tired and lacked the little strength I had before in the morning. I was afraid I am having another relapse. Well, today I walked 120 meters unaided in the morning and I still had plenty of strength left!!! I am doing better during the whole day! I am SO happy! That also shows me I must have CCSVI for which I was hoping very much! By the way, I am not even sure I did the inclined bed correctly because instead of inclining the whole king bed and bothering my husband I made an inclined surface on top of the mattress by using pillows and blankets and trying to have about 15 cm height of the head. My husband is so happy with my improvement that he wants to incline the whole bed during the weekend!
THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to Andrew, Ericka and everyone who helped develop this great topic and helped this topic to always be on the first page so that every day when I was checking out the forum I was telling myself that I must try this! Indeed everyone must try inclined bed therapy!!!

This report speakes volumes about what is happening during inclined therapy. Thank you Newhope for joining us and contributing your observations.

Stunning improvements that should stir the thoughts of anyone retiring to a flat bed.

Andrew

Posted: **Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:28 am**

Andrew,
A thread just went up re: inversion therapy http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-6858.html
I have thought about this before, and intuitively think it would be helpful--it is only for 15 or so minutes, and I think it would be a beneficial influx of blood, O2, nutrients etc into brain--but in light of CCSVI, not so sure??
What are you thoughts on this? How does the inversion therapy fit in with Inclined Bed Therapy?
Many thanks

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:45 am**

so, a day under 2 weeks sleeping inclined and although my walking is stiffer than usual, stretching is easier and more effective, feet are very warm at night and my troublesome left eye seems to have regained a touch of my peripheral vision, so all in all, happy days! I have been having more dreams as well, last night in particular whereby i was walking without my walking sticks displaying greatly improved balance and strength in my legs whilst strutting about with a massive grin on my face!

I.T. has been amazing for me thus far, long may the improvements continue!

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:05 am**

hi all
went from a 4 to 7 inches incline last week. my husband is thrilled with lots of positive changes for him but he's not the one with MS... i however, have had nothing but complaints... lots of head fog and i couldn't seem to shake it. i am weaker too but andrew warned me it might get worse before it gets better and hes right.
today, i think i'm finally ok about it, i feel refreshed! through all my bellyaching this week, i found my feet are way warmer. in the evenings i would freeze from the waist down even swaddled in a comforter doubled up and a blanket on top of that. now it's single and i'm hot and pushing off the covers!!
thank you andrew...oh yeah, i get up an hour earlier and i like it and i rarely go to the bathroom during the night.

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:32 pm**

OK77 wrote:so, a day under 2 weeks sleeping inclined and although my walking is stiffer than usual, stretching is easier and more effective, feet are very warm at night and my troublesome left eye seems to have regained a touch of my peripheral vision, so all in all, happy days! I have been having more dreams as well, last night in particular whereby i was walking without my walking sticks displaying greatly improved balance and strength in my legs whilst strutting about with a massive grin on my face!

I.T. has been amazing for me thus far, long may the improvements continue!

Keep going OK77 there is more to this simple therapy than anyone can imagine.

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:39 pm**

esta wrote:hi all
went from a 4 to 7 inches incline last week. my husband is thrilled with lots of positive changes for him but he's not the one with MS... i however, have had nothing but complaints... lots of head fog and i couldn't seem to shake it. i am weaker too but andrew warned me it might get worse before it gets better and hes right.
today, i think i'm finally ok about it, i feel refreshed! through all my bellyaching this week, i found my feet are way warmer. in the evenings i would freeze from the waist down even swaddled in a comforter doubled up and a blanket on top of that. now it's single and i'm hot and pushing off the covers!!
thank you andrew...oh yeah, i get up an hour earlier and i like it and i rarely go to the bathroom during the night.

Hi Esta

Yea really strange those first two weeks, but not for everyone, some people have a great experience from day one.

Muscles aching, feeling heavy, like someones put some lead in your shoes? Stiff neck? These will quickly pass.

Hang in there Esta

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:11 pm**

Esta,

I started ibt on 12/10/09. I would say for the first few weeks or so I was scary brain fogged. (much worse than normal). I have gradually noticed some improvements..like much less fatigue and more energy. Also I can pretty much look forward to sleeping thru the whole night without having to get up and go to the bathroom.
During the first 3 or so weeks I had a mini bout of optic neuritis that scared me. I figured this was due to the inclined bed so I stuck with it. It went away and my eyesight improved somewhat after. I have been able to do my exercise bike for longer periods of time. Now this is the big one....I got down on hands to clean the bathroom floor and I was able to get up by myself afterwards. That is big.

I have been getting shooting pains in my right arm and hand. I am hoping it is a good thing. It has pretty much gone away at this point.

So keep going. I am excited to see what happens at the 4 month mark as that is a big turning point for some.

kc

Posted: **Mon Feb 15, 2010 3:02 pm**

hi kc and andrew
thanks for the encouragement. i must be one of the slow to change ones! that you stuck to it kc is a big thank you, since i know things are moving in the right direction...however slowly i'm optimistic, just not fond of set backs.

Posted: **Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:18 am**

Right... my bed is really annoying! As I am mathematically challanged (mildly speaking) I can't figure out how big the blocks I need to get the proper maximum incline. My dad says I now have 24cm difference between head and end of the bed, haven't slept like that yet but it seems too much. Some help? I have a hospital bed and the legs aren't at the ends but somewhat inside, you know?

ETA: My dad claims that I have, in fact, been sleeping inclined even before I found out about IBT due to construction of the bed itself...

Posted: **Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:24 am**

Hello Andrew. Just thought I.d let you know I did not have to get up to pee even once last night. I still am extremely stif(my worst symptom). I slept without pillow last night and had really excellent sleep. I only have two brick un der the top so I guess that is only 4.5 in. Will it make a difference if I go to 6 inches. Barbara

Posted: **Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:59 am**

Asia wrote: ETA: My dad claims that I have, in fact, been sleeping inclined even before I found out about IBT due to construction of the bed itself...

24cm difference is far too much of an incline. Aim for 6-8 inch difference in height. Must be like sleeping on the side of a mountain

Whole bed must be tilted for correct effect.

Andrew

Posted: **Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:04 am**

jak7ham9 wrote:Hello Andrew. Just thought I.d let you know I did not have to get up to pee even once last night. I still am extremely stif(my worst symptom). I slept without pillow last night and had really excellent sleep. I only have two brick un der the top so I guess that is only 4.5 in. Will it make a difference if I go to 6 inches. Barbara

This has been reported in both pilot stuidies and by many people on TIMS also.

Yes a six inch incline does produce better effects, so when you feel comfortable to experiment with the height lift the bed a little more.

Thanks for sharing your experience Barbara

Posted: **Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:05 am**

For memory:

1inch = 2.54cm
5inches = 12.7cm
6inches = 15.24cm
8inches = 20.32cm

I use 17cm = 6.7 inches

Posted: **Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:21 am**

http://www.vloggerheads.com/profile/elaurenzo
http://www.vloggerheads.com/video/my-bouncy-walk
http://www.vloggerheads.com/video/alexa ... ng-with-ms

We could certainly use more video diaries and all you need is a webcam and read your notes from the screen. Easy peasy but very interesting footage when viewed.

This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Inclined Bed Therapy

Heart rate and respiration rate using Inclined Therapy.

update

I.T. has been amazing for me thus far

Re: update

no urge to pee

Re: no urge to pee

Video Blog from a man with ms using Inclined Therapy