19 replies to this topic

[Yong]

At the Shepherd Center, where I did my rehab, they educate their patients to do a weight shift EVERY 30 MINUTES!

I actually have never met an SCI patient that does that still after being home.

But even at my t6 complete level, my butt falls asleep and gets real tingly if I sit on it for a very long time. Then once I get in bed and lay on my side to relieve the pressure... I can actually feel the pressure relief. Anybody have this happen as well?

It's a bummer sometimes because I'd be at work and I'd want to lie down cuz my butt is bothering me...

[longhaul]

I do a wheelie and lean back on a couch or a wall most anything to get the weight off my butt. 4-5 mins makes a big difference...........

[fredspike]

I just lift myself up every 15 min on so in my chair and kinda strech everything in my back out at the same time. At first it was hard to remember to do but once i got it down i just do it with out thinking about it. I might add that i cannot feel my butt at all but i think of it that if i was sittign there before i would be moving around and shifting my weight so why wouldnt i do that now

[Scribbler]

As a long term quad with full feeling, I lean forward on my elbows. It gives me some pressure relief and helps circulation.

My bum never goes to sleep but it sometimes snore's....

[nomis]

Scribbler, on Feb 11 2009, 10:01 PM, said:

My bum never goes to sleep but it sometimes snore's....

Mine just growls and sometimes barks. Thinks it's a dog.

I lift fairly frequently and if I don;t I feel uncomfortable - but that feeling isn't specifically from my butt it's sort of all over. However, when I get off it and lie down it feels great. I don't know if I'm actually feeling my butt it just seems so. Who cares, the relief is soooo nice.

[Ches]

Congrats on the pressure in your ass!

Occasionally, and I know this sounds a bit strange, I swear signals can get through with out the feeling. Its like the brain will just start screaming at you to shift, or go pee.. or whatever.. without having the sensation.. its like the messenger arrived without his message. Either way.. who cares.. its something.

If you aren't able to get off your ass you can try the Chesley method.. I just do a lift.. and wiggle around.. it makes me legs get a bit tight so I have to hold on pretty tight in the beginning, but after a few seconds Im just hanging there wiggling my ass every which way I can.. getting a bit light headed is fairly common but it just means the blood is flowing .. if you can deal with it, do it!

Its the only way I've been able to make it through those super long days stuck in the chair..
Oh and sometimes I just tell people Im going to the potty just to transfer on the toilet and sit there for a few minutes while my tailbone gets some relieve.

And again, congrats!

[Quad65]

Yes, nomis and scrib, chili-dogs only bark at night. I'm fortunate to have good feeling in the old bum. Weight shifts and pressure relief are second nature to me. I have to move every few minutes to be comfortable. It is so nice to lie down at night and stretch out. Even with very frequent weight shifts throughout the day, my butt gets fatigued and sore, but not to the point of breakdown. Just from 14-18 hours in the chair.

What I wouldn't give to be able to stand up and scratch or rub my ass once a day.

[qbounce]

You're all VERY fortunte to have the luxury of FEELINGS, even in the 'ol ass. I do the lifts as often as every 30 min, or try to anyway.
But, yah Ches, I'm with you on the light headed thing sometimes. I also start getting leg spasms when I know I should do a lift. The body speaks differently to me now. I just have to know how to interpret the signs.

Edited by qbounce, 12 February 2009 - 06:25 PM.

[twisted_ophelia]

I shift around constantly. It's second nature. I don't time it, I just do it. It's good for you, blood needs to flow. I do the chair push up lift several times a day for maybe about 30 seconds or so as well as just shifting around. Better to be safe than sorry!

Edited by twisted_ophelia, 13 February 2009 - 02:46 AM.

[Travelling Blackbird]

I can't say I've noticed numb-bum problems with the wheelchair, but I do notice problems with my gut. If I don't take a lie down two or three times a day, I get very bad cramps across my abdomen. I only need a 20-minute lie down to stave it off for another few hours.

My mentor used to tell me that I should shift my weight regularly in the chair to prevent numb-bum. He'd recommend starting out with a wheelchair that was ever-so-slightly uncomfortable to get the body used to shifting around, but that always seemed like overkill to me.

[edlee]

I can relate, Yong,,,, I have no feeling below my injury,,,, BUT,,, I, too, get that tingling/falling asleep thing,, in my ass and my legs. Problem with me is that I don't try to weight shift until the tingling starts,, and by then it's too late to help much.

Lying on my side does relieve it,, but not for quite a while,,, sometimes I notice no relief till I wake in the morning,, then it's back in the chair for another round.

I may be one of the few that want antitippers on any chair I use. Not for fear of tipping (or not only for that reason) but to use for weight shifting,,, or reading,,, or just relaxing.

I have them set up so that they touch ground a bit past the point of balance,,,,enough so that I won't have trouble hopping curbs or going down minor slopes.

This way allows me to drop onto them and stay that way,,, sometimes falling asleep,,, tho I don't suggest the sleeping part since if you somehow overbalance forward,,, the landing of the casters is quite abrupt,,,, kind of like a glass of water in the face.

It is interesting,,, how even vague impressions of feeling can somehow bypass the otherwise complete injury. Other than the pains I get,,, nothing else gets through,,, and the tingling I can actually do something about.
ed

[Izziwhizzi]

26 years and never one weight shift - but always a roho (currently a quatro) - and no pressure sores.

Maybe its the padded female bum, maybe is the spasm without tablets.

I xx

[Meadowlarkmark]

After 40 + years I am having to shift every 30 minutes if not more--I have full feeling and the butt hurts or gets tender but is OK. I am waiting for a new power chair should be in next couple f weeks-it will have "tilt-in- place" and hopefully that will make a big ifference.

[carole338]

I do weight shifts at least every 15 minutes and still get numb butt. While at Rehab weight shifts were drilled into us and I remember during these lectures I was the only one doing them. I find myslef out in public and completely lifting my butt out of my wheelchair for a few seconds. People do look at me funny. Such is life.

[twisted_ophelia]

carole338, on Feb 23 2009, 02:06 PM, said:

I do weight shifts at least every 15 minutes and still get numb butt. While at Rehab weight shifts were drilled into us and I remember during these lectures I was the only one doing them. I find myslef out in public and completely lifting my butt out of my wheelchair for a few seconds. People do look at me funny. Such is life.

Yeah, I do the chair push up in public too if need be. I get funny looks too sometimes but oh well.

[Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO)]

twisted_ophelia, on Feb 24 2009, 08:16 PM, said:

Yeah, I do the chair push up in public too if need be. I get funny looks too sometimes but oh well.

LOL, I noticed that as well!...It's almost as if they're waiting for you to just stand up or something....Or your letting a fart out!

I use a Stimulite Sport cushion, that is only 1 1/2 inches thick. It's super light, but does require me to pressure release often, about ever 30 minutes or so.

Edited by Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO), 26 February 2009 - 09:06 PM.

[twisted_ophelia]

Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO), on Feb 26 2009, 04:06 PM, said:

twisted_ophelia, on Feb 24 2009, 08:16 PM, said:

Yeah, I do the chair push up in public too if need be. I get funny looks too sometimes but oh well.

LOL, I noticed that as well!...It's almost as if they're waiting for you to just stand up or something....Or your letting a fart out!

I use a Stimulite Sport cushion, that is only 1 1/2 inches thick. It's super light, but does require me to pressure release often, about ever 30 minutes or so.

Yeah, I think they assume the farting thing. I've used a J2 cushion for years without too many issues. I'm switching over to the Jay Active now (or when my new chair arrives, I should say). Hopefully it will work as well as the J2 has for me. I demo-ed it and thought it was great.

[carole338]

As far as the farting think. That happens too when I do a weight lift sometimes. At least they get what they expected.

[Faithful Dove]

carole338, on Feb 27 2009, 05:32 PM, said:

As far as the farting think. That happens too when I do a weight lift sometimes. At least they get what they expected.

too funny Carol..I too do the "fart thing" when I lift up or bend over in my chair. But my tingling feeling is always there to a certain extent. My Rehab gave us a watch to put on the cahir which goes off every 15 minutes to reming to do a weight shift.

Dove

[BenjaminLucas]

My legs definitely spasm when I need to do a weight shift. I almost rely on them completely, when I know I really shouldn't.


I rode on a bus to Washington D.C. for twelve hours (I know-- stupid) without a cushion. I did a weight shift every ten minutes because I was so paranoid about getting a sore.

On the way home, I stayed in my chair so I could sleep. I just did a forward lean weight shift pretty much and fell asleep on my knees. It really felt like I was just sleeping on my stomach.

I was like that for about eight hours. My back hated me for it, but oh well. It's the retarded one, not me!