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?
Amen!  I walk every single day, for at least a mile, I truly need to walk more, but it is so cold. I use to swim, again too cold. I need to get off my backside and I know it. But as you know the more sleep you don't have, the more pain you do have, and the less you have any get up and go!!! A very viscous cycle indeed.I use to use that foam roller and lay on it in the middle of my back to stretch the shoulders and back out, physical therapy showed me this for my rotator cuff injury. I stopped doing that, and it really helped my back. You are so right!!! I think winter contributes to our laziness, we basically can find any excuse that fits. So Eagles does that mean you have no latex ILD recommendations for me??? P.S. Your wife is a very wise person. Also very lucky to have such a lean and healthy body. This message was modified Feb 23, 2010 by Leo3
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Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
| if pain is muscle related and you have slight swelling and tightness in said muscles than light exercise can be incredibly beneficial to improve blood flow to these areas and actually allow them to heal. this is after all the basic principles of physical therapy. there can probably also be good benefits to joint related issues if simply strengthening the muscles connected to those joints might be beneficial. I know this goes without saying but I would just say to anyone who exercises for general health than don't overdo it. |
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Eagle2 and others - I totally agree with this advice. So don't take this the wrong way, this is only another side of the coin. I was in the back seat of a car in Sept. 2007 and about 60 seconds after I got in the car, we were going about 30mph, and the car was heading into a 4 foot high cement wall. (The driver's sandal got caught on a pedal and she freaked out...)(There was no seat belt in the back.) I saw it coming and braced myself with my leg and arm against the back seat. It was one of those periods of several seconds that seems like its in slow motion. I saw clearly what was happening and I honestly saw myself ending up in the hospital with tubes stuck up my nose, back braces, that kind of thing, if I survived at all... What happened was that I was able to get out of the car and walk away. I was very lucky for that! So I ended up with a super sore right shoulder from this, and some back problems as well. My point is that I kept thinking, "I need to exercise my shoulder". I stretched it, did pulling back exercises with an elastic tube in the doorway, stretched my arms and shoulders in circle motions, etc. My shoulder would not heal. Two years later it was still sore, so sore I could not reach for things in the back of the refrigerator or the back seat of the car without getting sharp shooting pains in my shoulder and upper right arm. What I finally figured out is that I needed to REST my shoulder, NOT exercise it! Once I started NOT exercising it, it got better. (This, and taking anti-inflammatory herbs.) So the point is that SOMETIMES if you have an acute injury, acute pain, no exercise may be best. But as you said, for general lifestyle purposes, it is certainly true that most of us need to get more exercise. Mild stretching of the back is usually recommended for back problems. My physical therapists and chiropractors over the years have given me certain ones to do and I do them periodically. But certainly I do not get enough exercise, generally speaking. It does become a vicious cycle when you hurt yourself or get hurt, then cannot do the things you used to do, then your back or whatever other body part becomes less and less flexible and capable, and hurts more when you do things. Another case in point: I wanted to plant some flowers and transplant some house plants into bigger pots today. It involved a lot of bending over and squatting and after about 45 min. of this, I was hurting really bad. I told my wife, "I'm not going to do this any more! It's not worth it! I'm going to have a sore back for a week, now, probably!" Then I started thinking about the reality of not being able to do simple things like this, and it made me sad and worried. But what can I do? Can I get my back in shape again? I don't know... It seems that whenever I take up any exercise it ends up causing me more pain (I don't mean the good kind of pain, muscle pain; I mean like back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain from the several car accidents I've had that have never fully healed... I do walk but not every day, more like 2-3 times a week, and usually only 1½ to 2 miles, I'd say. This message was modified Feb 23, 2010 by jimsocal
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Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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I agree with Budgy and Jim. When I hurt the rotator cuff, due to exercise equipment that threw my arm over my head (I think they call this machine the torture machine). I went to PT for 6 weeks, I went back to the Dr. and was going to go back for more PT. I decided to wait a few weeks around Christmas time. I rested it, instead of exercising it so much. I did some PT exercises at home, but rested more. I ended up not having to have more PT. I think you do need to rest it sometimes. Too much PT is not good either. The PT for my hip and knee well, I should always be doing PT at home for that, but do you want to hear my excuses??? I do think if you hurt your back, or hip doing some gardening or shower work the bed should let you rest so you back does feel better in the morning. This use to occur for me. Not anymore. Leads me to the conclusion my bed needs an overhaul or replacement.  |
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It seems like every time I start a new exercise regimen to try and regain some of my former strength and flexibility, something always happens to me physically to make me wish I had never tried it. What I have found that works the best for me is limiting myself to those physical exercises I know from experience won't hurt me. To take my time and not jump into it too quickly. This goes against my natural nature. I'm one of those folks that has always operated on the theory, that "if one is good then two is better". And "let's do it now rather than later." Too big an appetite and impatience, both of these negative traits have cost me dearly. But at the same time it's no good "to rust and decay". The old adage, "use it or lose it" comes to mind. All of us are highly individualized. We just have to find what works best for us, no matter what that situation is. This message was modified Feb 23, 2010 by eagle2
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This is such an important piece in today's New York Times that I probably should have given it its own thread. However since this is the appropriate place for it, and much discussion has already started around this issue I thought it would be quite important to include it here. Hopefully everyone will read this as it is quite illuminating. I am probably one of the worst offenders about setting too much. I enjoy it. It feels good. It relaxes me. I have always hated to stand up, and I hate to squat down. I either have to be moving, or setting, or laying down, to really feel comfortable. This is a rather long piece but is most assuredly worth your time to read it. Here is the link. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/?em |
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click here for the article This message was modified Feb 24, 2010 by Leo3
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Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
| im sitting down while reading this because I did squats last night and my legs are like jello :) |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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eagle2 wrote: It seems like every time I start a new exercise regimen to try and regain some of my former strength and flexibility, something always happens to me physically to make me wish I had never tried it. Yes, this is exactly what has happened to me time and time again the past few years. Due to my 2 car accidents in 5 years, I began to be unable to do things I normally would do like shoot some basketball or ride my bike (yes, my chiro at the time told me not to do ANY of these things, and when I tried, later, I found they did make matters worse). Then I tried a VERY simple exercise program - designed for housewives, mostly, I think - and even that ended up screwing up my back and shoulders due to certain types of light lifting and positions of lifting it required. It becomes very discouraging to get older AND injured and not be able to do things. I am "only" 57 but it seems I have gotten super sedentary due to my injuries, and my lifestyle. (work that requires sitting at the computer, etc.) I do need to get back my strength and flexibility. If only I can figure out exactly what to do. I do walk but walking doesn't help my strength or anything, and in fact, sometimes walking hurts my back. |
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Leo3 wrote: click here for the article Hey Leo and anyone else - when you make a clickable link, do you have to do it, then go back and EDIT it and re-do it a 2nd time to make it work? I do. It never works the first time when I post. I have to use Edit and go back and re- do the LINK to make it work. I am using Firefox - the latest if it matters... |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
| Yup, do it twice..... The Admin, Craig, is working on getting a newer edition so it works with the latest browsers..... He said he will let us know when it is done. |
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budgy wrote: im sitting down while reading this because I did squats last night and my legs are like jello :) Yeah, my legs are like jello today because I was sitting in chairs trying them out yesterday at various stores, LOL!  I tried the zero gravity chair and HATED it! |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
| sounds pretty fancy though. not that a chair can remove the effects of gravity from your body but I have a feeling that people wouldn't like the idea of zero gravity if they realized just how quickly astronauts bodies degenerate being out in space for extended periods of time. |
Re: Is my pain caused by my mattress or lack of proper exercise?
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eagle2 wrote: This is such an important piece in today's New York Times that I probably should have given it its own thread. However since this is the appropriate place for it, and much discussion has already started around this issue I thought it would be quite important to include it here. Hopefully everyone will read this as it is quite illuminating. I am probably one of the worst offenders about setting too much. I enjoy it. It feels good. It relaxes me. I have always hated to stand up, and I hate to squat down. I either have to be moving, or setting, or laying down, to really feel comfortable. This is a rather long piece but is most assuredly worth your time to read it. Here is the link. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/?em Thanks for that article eagle2. It inspired me to get more serious about not sitting here at my desk all day; if I'm going to do that, at LEAST I need to take several breaks and get up. This has me thinking about buying a computer desk that would require me to stand. I thought about it many years ago but never did it. Maybe an adjustable one that would allow me to occassionally put it down to sitting position, but I'd use it mostly standing up. But it's watching movies at night - usually for about 3 hours - that really screws me up I think. We have only a couch and a chair, neither of which are good for my back, and I end up sitting, and I feel it putting pressure on my back in a bad way. I would buy a new chair IF I knew which one would help me. But as I mentioned before I have bought a couple already that I had to get rid of because they were supposed to be good for my back but actually hurt my back. |
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Jim, you never did say what "brand" chairs they were. I think even if you don't have a hip problem, look for a flat seat. I think it throws your back off too when you sides of your hip are higher than the rest. Bad design..... This is what I am looking for. Also the chair I am in throws my legs up higher; it really should be lower. It puts pain and stress on your nerves. I am going to sit in chairs at stores for hours next time, it was too late and I didn't have too much time..... Has anyone tried the Herman Miller Aaron chair? I tried that in the store, and what impressed me is you could adjust it anyway you wanted, you legs lower than the hips, or your legs higher than your hips. You can change it as you want too. My only complaint is it doesn't have a headrest! But the chair sits really nice and flat for the hip, and you can adjust the lumbar if you get the deluxe model. I wish I had bought the best instead of wasting money on cheap items that don't work!!!! I could really have saved some money there...... This message was modified Feb 24, 2010 by Leo3
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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.  |
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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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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! |
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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! |
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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 |