adjustable bed & achy hips

[CathyE]

I also posted this in Disability Aids. I know this is support for care givers, but I am my own care giver so to speak!

I am using an adjustable bed and frequently I go through periods where it makes my hips very achy. I can't sleep on my back, so I alternate sides. Some nights it's one side more than the other that aches. But lately is has been both. That's why I got up a 4 AM this AM :(

But because of my Hydrocephaus problems, it often helps if I'm not in bed too long. Unfortunately I take after my Dad & LOVE my sleep. But only at night!
During the day I often need several lie downs & try not to fall asleep because that I do not like because I end up feeling groggy for too long after.

Anyway if anyone happens to read this & has a solution to my achy hips, I'd love to hear from you! I have tried with a foam topper and without. My mattress is medium firmness. (I think hard would make it worse & maybe soft would too because sometimes I feel like I'm pulling my hip joint apart to cause the achiness.

I am tempted to try Memory Foam but it is so expensive and I think I would need 2 to 3 inch depth. What do you think?

Thanks
Cathy

[Boopers]

Hi Cathy,

Wanted to say Hi and sorry you are having problems with your hips. I'm sorry I can't help you as I have the same problem.
I wake up in the mornings and it takes me awhile to be able to walk right as my hips hurt so much. Mine are from my spinal problems.
I sleep on a water bed which seems to help as it conforms to my body but still doesn't take all the pain away. I have the problem with my shoulders too, so fighting a losing battle there.
Anyways, I hope someone can come on with a solution.
Wishing you all the best,
Linda

[CathyE]

Well...misery loves company :D

I bet your pain is worse than mine if it is from spinal problems. Sorry to hear that.

Mine usually doesn't last too long after I get up (1/2 hr to 1 1/2 ?)
Walking seems to help it for me.

I got up early again because of it, 5:15. Well so much for my days of sleeping in! But with my shunt, I shoudn't be lying down more than 7 or 8 hours anyway! So it has been quite awhile since I had those lovely sleep ins :D

I wish I could try 3 inch thick memory foam before having to buy it. Like that's going to happen :rolleyes:

Hope you get relief and thanks for replying!
Cathy

[Cry Tears]

Well...its not that bad...just had to toss a little "humour" in this.
I have Fibromyalgia as well as a few other goodies...but my hip pain is from the Fibro.
Every so often I go in for trigger point injections. Without them I'd be a whinny baby for sure.
But that doesn't stop the pain 100%.
Years ago I ordered thru a foam co for one of those 4" memory foam toppers.
I just put it on top of my "old" mattress. Instant releif. I loved it!
But my husband has restless legs...always moving, waking me. I needed a bed that did not transfer motion.
So...I got one of those Thera Pedic beds..but my husband hated it! It was perfect in every way for me but not for him.
No support on the sides where he likes to sleep. So...moved it to the guest room...lucky guest!

So got a more supportive mattress for him, it has a nice pillow top, but not enough...hips hurting...whaaaaaa! No sleep.
So I got a 4" foam topper back out...back to square one almost...except this new one doesn't transfer motion, so I'm happy.
But it shows I just can't sleep without the foam topper...even with those fancy beds!

We travel often....the hotels usually have horrid mattresses...I end up having sleepless nights till we're back home.
I purchased another smaller one to take with us when we stay somewhere...otherwise I'm in too much pain.
I'd do all I could to get one....really...they are sooo worth it.
Have you tried putting an ad on Craigs list...see if someone has one of those toppers they'd "give" you?...Just a thought.
When I try to sleep on a regular mattress...this is how my hips feel:
Pain on the outside of my hips...like the skin has been burned, raw, bleeding while at the same time topical numbness.
The large joint in my hip also hurts....like a bad head ache but not throbbing.
I just find it hard to beleive a mattress can be so painful to me. Everyone else can sleep on one....why do mine hurt so much!
Its all so frustrating.
Have you tried those egg crate foam pads you get in the hospital?
Put two of them together....see if that helps...it did for me before the foam toppers became popular.
Hope this helps. Cheryl

[CathyE]

Thanks for replying. Actually I have been using various foam toppers since 2001 when I developed Fibro or Fibro like symptoms. My fibro Dr. (Gp who specializes in it) said my "Fibro" was probably caused by my Hydro (just diagnosed Jan/01) causing pressure on the brain stem.

So, I asked my NS to shunt me (he didn't like to shunt adults just diagnosed when it looks like they've had compensated Hydro their whole life).

It was like getting a new body! Of course the NS's so not believe it is connected. Said it was because I was no longer working/active. BUT I hadn't been since Jan 01 to Sept. 01 when I was shunted.

Anyway, I had to keep having my setting raised (drain less) as I couldn't tolerate so much draining and my Fibro symptoms started returning somewhat.
So I had my setting lowered (drain more) Dec 1 & I am very symptomatic re not tolerating so much drainage.

I did buy a "cheap" memory foam topper. Some nights it helps, others no.

Silly me, I researched all about memory foam. I knew I should buy a more expensive one as they have more give also better for light people (I only weigh 100-105 pounds.)

So what did I do? Saw one for $155 plus 15% taxes. Then one for $60 plus taxes.
Of course you know I bought the cheap one. I barely sink into it at all :

But then again, I still wonder if the angle my hips aree at with the head of the bed raised, it that would make my hip joints pull apart?

I am almost ready to take the gamble & buy the expensive one. And I know they get way more expensive than that! Luckily my adjustable bed is a single, short length, so that keeps the price lower, but harder to find that size.

Now you know I truly live up to the term "Chatty Cathy" :D

I hope both of you get relief!
Cathy

[Boopers]

Boy, wouldn't we be a ball at a party!:D I could just see us now, all limping around like we're a 100. :p

Anyways, just wanted to say "Hi" to the both of you and hope that someday we will find the answer to a good night's sleep.

Until then......
Hugs to you both!!


Boopers

[CathyE]

Boopers. That gave me a good laugh :D

And laughter is good medicine...well when it doesn't make your body hurt :eek:

Cathy

[Tootsie]

Is there any way you could use several pillows and see if that would help with your hips? I have one very low pillow under my head and about 3 others on the bed to prop up various body parts during the night. For me, that seems to resolve the problems of a very deformed body.

Even when I was pregnant, I would sleep on my stomach with all those pillows at critical points. None of my children seem to have been damaged...LOL. It might be worth a try and would be considerably cheaper. Cheerio.

[CathyE]

maybe the others can try it.
I already did (both a pillow & strips of foam topper) & I couldn't get comfortable. I think it put more strain on my spine.

But thanks for trying!
Cathy

[Cry Tears]

Have you tried those tiny beaded pillows...they're filled with those teeny tiny teeeeeny weeeeny...tiny, tiny...teeeeeny tiny foam beads...did I say tiny? LOL
Just trying to inteject some silliness here...I know its not funny...not being able to get comfy enough to sleep...can relate...but its been long time since I've had sleepless nights...ok...please don't hate me! I went years without sleep because of pain...finally got into a good sleeping pattern...I fully beleive cuz I've been taking Methyl B12...the kind Rose talks about on Vit Def forum...might try it...can't hurt...may help!
I read somewhere....Instead of counting sheep...talk to the Shepard! sigh...
Blessings to ya all! Cheryl
Pic is of Oregon sunset! Winter!
OMG...its a sunrise...not sunset! what was I thinking!

[CathyE]

Were you trying to say TINY ? :D
I almost missed it ;)

Actually I rarely get the aching hips now. I realized I have to make sure I am high enough up on the head (raised) of the bed. This takes the pressure off my hips because if I'm not up high enough, part of my body is actually suspended in air, landing on my hips!
At least this is what I think was going on. Plus I find if I bend my legs to distribute the weight from hip to knee helps too. I guess a bit of a fetal position.
Some nights I do end up partially slipping down off the raised head part and then I do have an achy hip and leg when I get up. It only lasts up to 1 ½ hours, so I shouldn’t complain!

I tried the B12 for while. Probably should have tried longer.
But I really do connect almost all my symptoms with my shunt. I have slightly over drained ever since I was shunted Sept/01 :(
I won’t go into details here as it is long & complicated!

Thanks for your suggestion. I will keep it in mind for the future!

Cathy

[ldudette]

Hi Cathy,
I think we may have met on another forum. I also have hydrocepahlus, however I got my adjustable bed for my auto-immune issues and GERD. I had an awful time sleeping on a super nice orthopedic bed and was waking several times in the night before I got my adjustable. The key for me has been memory foam. I have a Englander memory foam mattress on my adjustable platform. It is soft, but the memory foam is the only thing that helps my hips. My mother recently started having the same issue and she had a very nice mattress with a pillow top but the only thing that helped her hips was the memory foam.

I suggest trying several mattresses as they are all different. I know the first one I tried was a Sealy and they wanted 3500 for the entire bed, I got my adjustable for around 1700 with the memory foam. I love it! I do occasionally have a hip problem now and again when flaring, but usually if I adjust the upper and lower parts of my bed I can find a good position.
Hope that helps.
Lynn,
Hydrocephalus due to congenital aquaductal stenosis, d'xd at 29, shunted at 30, 12+ revisions since then. Also AOSD, and other auto-immune issues and GERD etc.

[McstaRRy**]

Ya'll just sold a mattress topper to me!!:D
Also have hip/leg pain.
I surely can't afford $100.00 i hope the one for $60.00 will work.
So happy to have found this post.
Have a gr8t day
McstaRRy**

[CathyE]

I hope the $60 one works for you. Before I was shuntted I had symptoms of Fibromyalgia and at that time the cheap "egg crate" bed toppers did well for me.

Unfortunately now, I had to add the $100 Obus forme memory foam on top of the $60 cheaper memory foam to do the trick.

I still get the occassional day with a sore hip & down my leg. But I can handle this! Much better than every day!

If the memory foam you buy doesn't work, you could try adding a folded comforter or the cheap egg crate foam on top of it, giving you a softer top layer.

Good luck,
Cathy

[AfterMyNap]

Hi all, I'm a little late in the game on this thread, but I began experiencing the same issues a couple years ago. My hips hurt so much that I wasn't sleeping at all. A nurse friend suggested a fairly firm, small pillow between my knees and it makes a tremendous difference. I sleep through the night now and have adopted it as part of my body when sleeping.

I tried the expensive memory foam version and it was terrible, it just collapsed down to nothing under the weight of my skinny, little bird legs.

After many experiments, I found a little throw pillow at Target for about $7 and it has made an enormous difference for me. It's a lot easier to travel with as well.

My mobility is very limited with multiple sclerosis and having my hips better aligned has truly helped stop the night pain, and has improved my very poor gait.

[CathyE]

What timing. I have just started experimenting with 2 different height pillows. The 1st one was too high. The one I tried last night seemed to do the trick!
Thanks,
Cathy

to mcstayRRy:
if you see this, I'd love to know if the topper helped you or not. I sure hope it did!
Cathy

[CathyE]

Hi,
Well, I was doing better for awhile, not right now tho.
Waking with real achey hip (whichever side I was last on ) I sleep with the bed slighlty elevated tho, because of my shuunt for Hydro.

I am using a pillow between my knees, helped for awhile?

Did you mean to put one of those pillows under my hip or between my knees?
The ones I have are too bulky if you meant hip & they're all I can find.
I also PM'd you just in case!
Thanks,Cathy

[Cry Tears]

OK...I'm gonna add another one of my 2 cent advices again.
#1...all the softness in the world won't fix the pain if it's nothing more than simple allignment issues...if its alignment issues, like I suspect in Aftermynap posters case.
#2...if the pain is from fibromyalgia...all the alingment in the world won't stop the pain!
#3...doesn't matter how much you pay for a memory foam topper!
Prices are all over the place when it comes to these toppers and mattresses.
You can buy the best on the market for half the cost of a cheaper one, depending on where you buy them.
#4...they MUST be at least 4" thick in order for them to help...I suspect aftermynap got only a 2" thick one...why else would it collapse under her skinny bones!?!
I weight twice what she does...and my 4" topper supports every ounce of me! and has for years now.
I paid "ONLY" about $75 for king size 4" topper, then cut it down to fit my queen bed. I use the left over peices for traveling when we stay in cheeper hotels. But even the Marriotts use rock hard mattresses...give me a break!
Even my husband complains....we've found no difference at a motel 6, or the Marriotts, think they get from same rock quarry!
#5...You can sleep on a cloud and no matter how soft it is, it won't keep your hips from hurting if the problem is caused from Inflamitory Arthritis!
Steroids (Prednisone) is the ONLY thing that will stop this type pain as in my case.
So depends on what type pain sources you have will determine your "cure" for hip pains.
Here's what can trigger pain in MY hips.

Hot, dry weather front.
Hot, wet weather front.
Cold, dry weather front.
Cold, damp weather front.
In oregon we experience all these type weather fronts anytime of the year. Like all last week...it was cold, damp, drizzling and ugly, dark...never saw the sun this last Wednesday...and this is our summer?!?! Ha!

Watering the lawn or standing near a lake...or even walking across wet grass will trigger hip pain...sometimes very sharp shooting pains.
Walking 8 feet thru the grocery store.
Hiking 8 miles in the mountains.
Sitting too long in same position.
Sleeping on rock hard mattresses even in luxuary resorts has them...ug!
Any of these what I've written above, can trigger hip pain which leaves me in near tears all night and I cannot sleep EVEN when taking sleep meds.
All the help in the world won't stop this pain...even a double dose of pain meds won't stop this pain!
What helps me is having the trigger points injected BY a highly trained pain managment doctor DONE under sedation AND a floricscope used to insure finding the bursa sac....I don't care how skilled a Fibro specialist is...or how many times they've performed this "task"....they can miss the bursa sac and the medications just go into the surrounding tissues...it will help, but only a little for only short time.
I slipped on a frozen leaf as I got out of my car when I went to visit my Rheumatologist...my left leg went slipping out from under me, left me in pain for many months...I refused to allow this doc to inject that hip and I hobbled around for over 1+ 1/2 years.
Finally after being offered a "chill pill"...I allowed him to take that huge long needle and inject my hip. He is very skilled and knew just where to shoot this medication. I laid there a few mins afterwards...whining like a 3 yo kid, he didn't even offer me a sucker!...the jerk!...OK...he wasn't the jerk...actually he was the kindest doc I've ever met and helped me gain SSI as he beleived me and my pain....but I never asked for pain meds, nor did he offer.
Those were the days I was anti medication no matter what the pain...even post surgical pain...
I white knuckled it thru 5 serious surgeries for infertility...so whats a little fibro pain! Ha!...not any more man!....give me the strongest you got!
No more "mrs organic"...and no more organic spinach body wraps and coffee colon cleansings enema's for me!
Coffee belongs in a mug with sprinkles and whpped cream @ $5 cup and spinach wraps belong on poo-poo platters!
And colon cleansers are only to be done the day before you get a buttt lite!
Or is that a Bud Light?!?! Ha!...
Butt Lights, Bud lites, ...both should be kept cold!
but not as expensive as a 6 pak! LoL!

Anyway....In my not so humble opinion...when it comes to hip pain, there's no real majic cure if you can't find the cause of the pain.
Like I stated above...if is alignment problem, then a simple pillow placed strategically between your legs will elminate the pain source.
If not...all the pillows in the world won't help!
If its pressure points getting squished as you lay there for hours...the pain will intesify as you sleep, then wakes you when the pain becomes too strong.
This is when the foam mattresses help...IF...they're thick enough.
If you weigh += 100lbs and you sink right into them, then that says the foam isn't nearly as thick as it should be.....and 1 inch of anything will do nothing more than flatten your wallet!
I weigh += 180 lbs...am 5' 8" tall...and am big boned woman.
My 4" foam topper works just fine for me, as I don't sink in all "that" deep.
I've had it for years, and it doesn't seem to flatten out despite my laying in same spot on it all this time.
Even with this topper on top of my luxurious mattress, I still experience hip pain when our weather changes too quickly...mostly when its hot is when I hurt the most.
I started out purchasing one of those Temra Pedic mattresses...husband hated it...I loved it...the company refused to take it back DESPITE all those fancy ads saying they will...ha! What a joke! They scammed a 85 year old couple in our church.
They tried desperatly to have it taken back...they called and harrased them with threats....they didn't tell anyone and just kept making payments on the mattress till it drained them dry. The company claimed they'd take their home away on top of all this.
The sales man claimed he was a christian man...ha! Far from it! He used this act to gain trust, then snagged them with wild promises.
I know 2 others who've had same experience except my "freind" Ruby, she got them to take it away after sleeping on it 2 months....30 days away from the 90 day trial period.
IT doesn't have side support...so when you lay on your side and start sinking into it...there's no way to turn if you're used to having support on the egdges like my husband.
We put that mattress downstairs guest bedroom...so sometimes I end up sleeping down there, but my guest enjoy it!
We got a similar mattress, but this one has side support, but was not soft enough without my 4" mem foam topper.
But it makes my mattress way too thick for sheets....I've had to purchase all new bedding so will fit the 18" thickness.
Not many sheets this thick for reg prices...too spendy!
Hope this helps,
Blessings, cheryl

[CathyE]

I know I said the thick memory foam I bought didn't really help me (I didn't sink into it at all as I only weight 95-98 pounds lately and mine is quite firm?). Also I was told it reacts to your body temp and I'm usually on the cold side.

But I find I need to switch things around every once in awhile, so I do use it then. So I am keeping it!
Cathy

[adoms]

I also posted this in Disability Aids. I know this is support for care givers, but I am my own care giver so to speak!

I am using an adjustable bed and frequently I go through periods where it makes my hips very achy. I can't sleep on my back, so I alternate sides. Some nights it's one side more than the other that aches. But lately is has been both. That's why I got up a 4 AM this AM :(

But because of my Hydrocephaus problems, it often helps if I'm not in bed too long. Unfortunately I take after my Dad & LOVE my sleep. But only at night!
During the day I often need several lie downs & try not to fall asleep because that I do not like because I end up feeling groggy for too long after.

Anyway if anyone happens to read this & has a solution to my achy hips, I'd love to hear from you! I have tried with a foam topper and without. My mattress is medium firmness. (I think hard would make it worse & maybe soft would too because sometimes I feel like I'm pulling my hip joint apart to cause the achiness.

I am tempted to try Memory Foam but it is so expensive and I think I would need 2 to 3 inch depth. What do you think?

Thanks
Cathy


Hi

You can definitely have relief from backache and comfortable sleep if use better quality electric bed and mattress. Even Doctors suggested my mother to use adjustable beds for homecare treatments during her lower back pain. Surprisingly it was relaxing and helped a lot to cure her back-pain.

You can try motorized adjustable beds provided by Motorized-beds in India, to cure your problem permanently. They provide electric bed at low prices compared to other countries.

Memory Foam Mattress (http://www.motorized-beds.com/memory-form-mattress.asp) and Adjustable Beds (http://www.motorized-beds.com) help a lot to get relief from the body pain by improving the blood circulation.

I always prefer to use motorized adjustable beds, always better than using pills or medicines for any body pain, arthritis, sleep disorders and other problems.

[houghchrst]

I am asking for a Sleep number bed for Christmas