[Laura H]

Hey!

I have a question for you guys. I have been sleeping in a hospital bed for a couple of weeks now that I am home..talk about uncomfortable midway though the night. Not only do I wake up in order to cath, but I also wake up because the legs ache so much. I am flexible and can pull them up and around to try to get the stiffness out but in the mornings they always seem to just give me a fit. I stretch them in the am before I get up as well. The clonus sets in and I put pressure on the knee to make it stop..usually helps but still the stiffness.. seems as if after I take the baclofen in the mornings, they calm down some when I am in the chair. I sleep with the legs propped up to get the swelling down from during the day. I also take breaks in the bed during the day as well to get off the chair to prevent sores and everything else we deal must be concerned about.
I am supposed to get a better matress but it is on order. somehow I just do not believe the matress is going to help the leg stiffness.
Any other ideas out there that could help? Doing range of motion to the legs in the evenings as well, as much as I can

Laura H

[qbounce]

Do a search here on beds. There are a couple threads floating around stating what others here sleep on, and MANY opt to go back to a regular bed for its comfort factor, especially if your a lower injury level. Then, get a roho air cover, or a memory foam cover that sits atop your regular mattress. Others suggest a number sleep mattress, etc.

My point is, find a mattress that's comfortable, and don't limit yourself to a hospital bed if it isn't necessary. by necessary I mean, do you use the guard rails to turn yourself at night, or can you sit up without them?

[Laura H]

Hey!

Thanks for the reply. I am supposed to be on back precautions right now so have to do the turning with the friggin rails and such. HA HA.. I woke up this morning and my son helped me get the legs out of bed and he called me a barbie doll cause the legs were just straight out. Thankfully I do have another one ordered but who knows when it is going to come. It is supposed to have the memory foam in it but until then I am stuck as a barbie doll until about a half hour later when I can stretch. I try at night but gosh...that is one of the hardest things to deal with in getting back into the wheelchair in the mornings.

[qbounce]

Laura,
I'm glad you're getting another bed soon. I really think that will help, although maybe not as much as you'd like.

Others here have mentioned that hot water in a bath or shower also helps to relax leg muscles.

[Laura H]

Love the shower. thanks for that idea...barbie legs...my kid cracks me up. They used to call them the jimmy legs before all the surgeries.

Laura

[Wheelsonfire]

Ah Jaysus Laura, have this "support group" not cured you yet?

As you are probably aware by now, I'm going to be absolutely of no help to you.But that has not stopped me before from pressing them thingies in front of me that when pressed in the right order make words appear on the big television screen in front of me.

Soooo, lets begin.

Meza got them thingies in me legs, sure like Riverdance at times in me gaff and me loves it when the chair goes left when me legs go right, meza doo's me stretching also and whacks back alotta them there Baclies as well and nearing a score in years as a para I can say this.

Be happy for spasm, they keep tone, they keep tone , they keep tone....Sorry, damn keys were stuck, damn keys were stuck..

The spasm is there and ain't going away, the tightness is a side effect, just keep stretching, taken your meds, don't bother with shower for alleviation as the legs need dipping so bath is your best bet, now as to mattress, um is mattress spelt with two t's or one t.......stay away from the bed of nails(part of me was awake before I was one morning, say no more, just trust me when I say they are not good for your......back)....... I use a bog standard mat(t)ress but have beautiful soft skin(I get 4 out of my sweat shop every morning to rub the cream in using the wax on wax off method) to protect meself from sore, change of mat(t)ress won't make much difference.

As you are aware by now, a bad nights sleep will make the legs worse in the day.

Pick yourself up a neurological stimulator......Jeez take your mind outta the gutter, itza one of them thingies ya slap to the legs and go something like..buzz buzz and contracts the muskel in the legs.
One question, are you a smoker of tobacco? If so then thems gotta go as you will find great relief in the legs when gone........

This post has been edited by Wheelsonfire: 06 September 2010 - 07:05 PM

[edlee]

If you take the time to sort through that lot,, you'll find a few pearls of wisdom. Something that isn't always the case when talking to one of the Irish persuasion.
ed

[Wheelsonfire]

Good god Ed, who could be persuaded to be Irish .......................We see all that is there................And then some!!

[tyvin]

I don't think the bed will help or is the cause of the concerns with your legs. I was on a hospital bed with memory foam and I moved and have a regular mattress with no rails. It's the butt/hips that get the brunt when in bed not the legs. Certainly the legs do suffer but if your rear/hips are not sore then it's not the bed.

I sold my hospital bed because I wanted to increase my upper body strength. I practiced before giving up the side rails and built up the upper body in order to turn etc... without the rails. I'm doing fine but it's not for everyone. Many people with lesser injuries will keep the half side rails for mobility reasons.

But I sure felt it when I didn't have the memory foam mattress (even though it was a cheap one). The first night I slept or tried to sleep on a regular mattress I was up all night tossing and turning because my butt was going numb. I will get a memory foam mattress when I can afford it but in the mean time I have those egg crate overlays.

Exercise the legs everyday with as much imagination to exercise all the muscles. Message them, soak them, medicate appropriately for them. Like I said if you butt is not going numb from the change in mattress then it's not the mattress that's causing the leg problem IMO.

[Wheelsonfire]

I thought I made that clear tyvin........but not bad with translation......

[tyvin]

Ya know I have this nasty habit of not reading the other posts until after I post. So yea you beat me to the punch but great minds do think alike.

[Wheelsonfire]

For it is true that great minds think alike, but where the confusion lays, is where we found agreement for I am of little consequence in the realms of the great minded....

[qbounce]

Wheelsonfire, on 09 September 2010 - 02:39 PM, said:

For it is true that great minds think alike, but where the confusion lays, is where we found agreement for I am of little consequence in the realms of the great minded....

Just don't let it go to your head there, laddies.

This post has been edited by qbounce: 09 September 2010 - 04:17 PM

[Wheelsonfire]

!

PS....................................................................................

This post has been edited by Wheelsonfire: 09 September 2010 - 04:31 PM

[isobar]

Laura H, on 05 September 2010 - 10:36 PM, said:

Hey!

I have a question for you guys. I have been sleeping in a hospital bed for a couple of weeks now that I am home..talk about uncomfortable midway though the night. Not only do I wake up in order to cath, but I also wake up because the legs ache so much. I am flexible and can pull them up and around to try to get the stiffness out but in the mornings they always seem to just give me a fit. I stretch them in the am before I get up as well. The clonus sets in and I put pressure on the knee to make it stop..usually helps but still the stiffness.. seems as if after I take the baclofen in the mornings, they calm down some when I am in the chair. I sleep with the legs propped up to get the swelling down from during the day. I also take breaks in the bed during the day as well to get off the chair to prevent sores and everything else we deal must be concerned about.
I am supposed to get a better matress but it is on order. somehow I just do not believe the matress is going to help the leg stiffness.
Any other ideas out there that could help? Doing range of motion to the legs in the evenings as well, as much as I can

Laura H

Hi i sleep on a select comfort mattress it has a pump which
is controlled by a remote. You change the firmness of the mattress from time to time so
your body gets a different feel. If you can transfer unassisted you can make it very
firm when you what to transfer to and from your wheelchair. Also the top cover unzips
so you can wash it when you need to and comes with a pillow top of various thicknesses.
Now maybe the stiffness in your legs is due to inactivity. Are you able to exercise?
If so purchase a exercycle get your legs moving. There are different types i have a
Pedal-in-Place it has handgrips and footstraps. You turn it with your hands and your
legs turn too like riding a bike but your hands do the work. It has resistance knobs
you can adjust. There's some with remotes you use on top of a table or placed on the
floor while you sit and watch tv you're exercising. If you have achy or tense muscles
try Olba's Theraputic Herbal Bath in the shower use your massage shower head on your
thighs down to your feet then put a little bit on your thighs massage them ,your legs
and your feet with a back brush then rinse it off.(It really gets the pain out). Pur-
chase Herbal Heat and Karma Sutra Herbal Healing Blend they really relieve tension and
tightness. SalonPas pain patches release heat for 8hrs and reduce pain. A massager
with heat may help. A TENS/FES unit maybe helpful electrodes work those muscles and
stop pain. Compression Stockings may help. Do you drink enough water? Now that i said
all this i know everyone is different and what works for one may not work for all. My
level is T12-L1 and your's is T3. I'm no know it all by any means and thats not my in-
tension. My desire to be pain free was my driving force thats all. These things have
helped my arrest pain. Hopefully there's something here to help you. Use your on dis-
cretion you know you. I'm one of those people who will try things. I'm not trying to
hinder... i'm trying to help

[tyvin]

Wheelsonfire, on 09 September 2010 - 02:39 PM, said:

For it is true that great minds think alike, but where the confusion lays, is where we found agreement for I am of little consequence in the realms of the great minded....

Agreed