Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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The short answer is, in most cases, probably a bit of both. We all know that a bad mattress will cause back problems. But how bad does our mattress have to be before it causes back problems? My wife of 52 years stands 5' 2" and weighs 115 pounds. She has slept on a Serta innerspring mattress for over 10 years. It has served her well but is beginning to break down in the middle. This is one of those older type mattresses that you can flip. It has a pillow top but it is very thin, not like pillow tops we see today that they call non-flipable. The point is she sleeps very well on it and has no complaints. I on the other hand do no like it at all. I would not live with it. But that's the difference between she and I. My wife attends regular exercise classes and plays tennis as often as she can, usually 2 to 3 times a week, even in the winter, if the weather will allow it. I on the other hand I spend most of my time, since I have retired, and my knee gave out and I had to give up tennis, sitting in front of the television or the computer. I will walk occasionally and when the weather permits ride my bicycle about 3 miles per day. But I'm the one with the bad back and the one that is sensitive to a mattress. Recently, as I have reported in this forum, I stretch my back and the pain migrated to my hip joints. Recently installing some hi-fi equipment I did a lot of squatting behind my television cabinet in a quite low and strained position. This hip pain came on quite strongly. Had I been a person that believed totally in a mattress causing pain I would have been changing layers in my FloBeds on a daily basis. I knew better than this so what I did was get into some stretching exercises and had my wife massaged my hips with a big old vibrator that I purchased many years ago. This squatting proposition started a week ago tomorrow and went on for about three days. This is Tuesday the 23rd day of February and the pain is almost all gone now. But I did change one layer in my FloBeds that I had been thinking about changing anyway to a firmer configuration on one side, leaving the other side the away it had been since the beginning. My point in this long dissertation is simply this. I believe it would behoove all of us, over the age of 21, to begin doing some kind of regular gentle stretching exercises. Get out and walk more. This is one of the most natural exercises known to humankind. If our mattresses are truly not properly configured, or breaking down, then fix it. But I think we would do ourselves a great disservice by avoiding the obvious. We humans need to get up off our backs sides and become active. The good Lord engineered us to live that way. This post is in no way intended to chastise anyone. I am probably more guilty than most at spending to much time sitting "in as motionless a position as I can" and avoiding proper exercise. But this most recent experience with my hip pain has taught me the advantages of proper stretching and exercise, a lesson that I have been avoiding for too long. A good nights sleep, and a healthy and enjoyable life to everyone, is my most fervent wish!  This message was modified Feb 23, 2010 by eagle2
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Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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Jim: I hear you! I'm one of those people that always adhere to the old adage, "never stand when you can sit, and never set and you can lie down. I have adhered to this advice ( bad advice it seems) religiously all my life. I have two recliners that I enjoy. One of them is in the living room and it's an old La-Z-Boy, back before they started making them too cheaply and is still a great chair. The newer one is in the family room, it is a Lane recliner that sets on a swivel. I love the swivel! The thing that makes the Lane so comfortable for me is it has a fairly plush lumbar support that pushes up into my back when I recline in it. I recline a lot!  So I am prejudice in this regard and probably a poor one to give you advice. But I think the idea of going to a good furniture store and just setting in a lot of them is probably the best advice that I can give you. Your idea about a stand up desk that is adjustable so that you can also set at it, might prove to be the best deal for you. What you really need is a good phy. therapist who can work with you on the proper regimen for your physical problems. The ideal combination would be a wonderful chiropractor, masseuse, and physical therapist. It be great if you could get all three in one person and at a very reasonable price. Ha ha ha! It is to laugh! Lots of luck find a person like that.  |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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I had an old, old Lazyboy that was soooo comfy, but the fabric was showing age, and the footrest broke. The dog chewed it a bit too. Finally had to get rid of it and the new Lazyboys, just like you said Eagle, not what they use to be either. Not at all. Not just that company either, Flexsteel PU foam broke down in a year, the vinyl part used was cheaper than any cheap vinyl and ripped. It was leather in the parts you sit on. It this violated anything on the forum Admin? Hope not. It is my opinion and only my opinion. I have taken your advice Eagle, and got off my duff more and my hips are not in as much pain. The bed is still causing excruciating pain. Too soft, this I know. Yes, the springs are making it probably more soft. I will make changes as soon as funds allow. You were talking about a physical therapist; and I remember when I was in such pain I would sit on that exercise ball in the PT office and it caused no pain whatsoever. They now make frames to put the ball in! Cost too much money for me though. This message was modified Feb 25, 2010 by Leo3
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Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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Leo3 wrote: Jim, you never did say what "brand" chairs they were. They were just generic chairs, no brands. I got one at Brookstone I think, which is now discontinued. Or maybe it was Sharper Image, which is now out of business. Didn't pay a lot for it, but it looked like it might be comfortable but wasn't. For me the "zero gravity" design is bad because it actually puts more pressure against the middle of my back and I have found that not to be good.I think I'm going to buy an old fashioned rocking chair and put a piece of latex on the seat and back! That article Eagle2 posted said that at least when you sit in a rocking chair and rock, you use some muscles and burn some calories! |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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Leo you're right about the new lazy Boy recliners. I bought one of them and took it back and traded it for the Lane. Too much cheap PU foam. It's a real shame though, because I think La-Z-Boy used to make the best recliners. You know I have been thinking fellas, what we need is to be able to get together and have one of those exercise programs promoted by the Japanese. Tai Chi I think it's called. Where they get together early in the morning, before they do anything else, and do those nice slow stretching exercises. It looks like a dance class in slow motion. With lots of emphasis on the sloooooow!  Anyway I'm glad to hear you guys are thinking about stretching the old bod. I know that it has helped me with the hip pain, I was experiencing from all the squatting, while I install that hi-fi equipment. Where I did the "touch my toes" exercises. Actually it felt quite good! |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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Eagle2 My wife got us a Family YMCA membership for Christmas. (They even offer a senior membership 62yrs & older) They offer great Tai Chi, Gentile Yoga (Silver Sneaker version for older members), Aqua Fit (exercises in the water), swimming and plenty more. This is great for us Upstate NY’ers who get snowed in too much. You should investigate |