Water Beds

[Grahame Bush]

This should create some interesting feed back/comments.

I have been advised by a chiropractor that I ought to buy myself a water bed to sleep on as it would greatly enhance my sleeping posture. Does anyone have experience of such a commodity?

If this comment is true & my back problem would be eased somewhat, has anyone information as to where such a bed might be purchased & approximate price? I doubt very much as to whether a water bed can be purchased in Puerto Plata, but maybe somewhere in Santiago or Sto. Dgo. might have stores that sell them.

Serious replies will be very welcome but the humourous ones will be read & stored for future responses that I am bound to get later on. Thanks friends - Grahame Bush.

 

[Angie]

seriously, if you have muscular pain, the heat from a waterbed is very helpful. beats me about posture though. good luck!

 

[Matt]

I had one for about three years. Did nothing for lower back problems although I agree on the heat part. Getting out of it after a night on the town was somewhat a workout. Getting lucky on it was a GREAT experience. The whole thing keeps moving all over the place. My older son Michael was born a year after we got the waterbed. For some reason he loves the Ocean and Sailing. I wonder........... Matt

 

[criss colon]

No way!A water bed is the last thing you need for a bad back!A large super-firm mattress is the best.Put a Foam pad on top for comfort if you need to. Stretching exercises for the low back will help,as well as 200 mg. of Ibuprofen 3 times a day, with meals.Now send me 250 dollars, and come back in 2 weeks!

Criss Colon

 

[mobrouser]

grahame, i have slept on a waterbed for 20 years and now have difficulty getting a good night's rest on a regular mattress. 22 years ago i had major back surgery to correct a hereditary spinal/muscular defect and have had absolutely no further discomfort, nor any further changes in my spine. can this be at all related to the water bed? who knows--all i can say is it didn't cause me any further problems.

although i wouldn't dare to suggest where they might be available in the DR, i can tell you that there are 2 types on the market: the original soft-side, high-motion mattresses (basically a big balloon filled with water placed in a wooden platform type of frame) and the newer hard-side, low-motion mattresses. almost indistinguishable from a typical coil mattress in appearance, they hold much less water than the original and have separate chambers and baffles to reduce water motion in the mattress. they can be placed on a regular box-spring and used with an existing bed frame.

although i am partial to the original style i will warn you that if either you or your partner is a light sleeper than the 'waves' created by one of you rolling over might be enough to wake you during the night. they also require special fitting sheets which might also be difficult to locate in DR. (low motion mattresses can be covered with standard sheets.)

the price in Canada for a medium price frame (which is really the only variable in the cost), mattress, and heater is in the $500Cdn range. we replaced our mattress after 15 years for less than $100Cdn.

regards,
mob/

ps. if in your research you discover that waterbeds & frames are not easy to find in DR and think that perhaps a cabinet maker from Canada might be able to develop this market i would be interested to hear from you.

 

[azb]

Hello Mr. Bush
I wouldn't recommend a regular water bed for your low back conditon. The only water bed that i would really recommend to anyone is the one which has cannals built inside that would prevent the mattress from undulating in a waving motion and from caving in. If you sleep facing up then the caving-in effect of the mattress would do further harm to your lower back. I recommend everyone to sleep on the side with a pillow and the knees bent. This is the most natural position to sleep with the least amount of tension to your spinal nerves (especially sciatica). Use an orthopedic (neck support) pillow to protect your neck.
Another popular belief is to sleep on a hard surface to relieve the low back pain. This is not proven to be true. Again, if you sleep on your back then you are actually straightening out your lordotic curve in the lumbar spine and could aggravate the condition in the future. It would be beneficial to a person who suffers from hyper-lordotic lumbar curve but it doesn't mean that this would help everyone.
There, you have it: a little knowledge can be dangerous.
What you should do is to get yourself a lumbar support belt from a medical supply place; but your best bet in puerto plata would be to go to a ferreterria and buy the lumbar support belt (with 2 suspenders) that the workers wear. This would have the same benefit as a medically approved lumbar support belt. Please do wear this belt all day under your clothes (but no skin contact...maybe a T-shirt underneath).
try to buy an inversion chair from a USA medical supply dealer. This would do miracles for your lowerback pain if you use it a few minutes a day. What you do is to strap yourself in the chair and then invert yourself (but not 180 degrees.... just a steep down-ward angle).
Price 520 dollars call 1800 747 3488. Ask for "invertaChair" stock number: 04-063CH-99.
Or For 325 dollars get the inversion table: 04-063B-99
You may also buy the cervical pillows from there.
Instead of the water mattress, i would recommend a new mattress which has independent suspension springs to support every curve of your body.
But what would be most beneficial to you at this moment is to spend time in a swimming pool or in the ocean (without waves). being in the water would take off your body weight from your spine and give you instant relief.
Any further questions please contact me.
Good luck
Sincerely.... you know who I am?

 

[azb]

Mr. Bush has a chronic low back condition and ibuprofen is not the solution as it can irritate the stomach and can cause ulcers. 200mgs, 3 times a day would surely give you an ulcer in a long term. Then you would have a back pain and an ulcer to worry about.
Just remember, aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs can cause ulcers and can actually punch holes in your stomach if used for a long periods of times. Tylanol will attack your kidneys....etc. be careful before you pop a pill in your mouth. My sister didn't listen to me and now had liver and kidney damage and also suffers from ulcer. her doctor has taken her off all the pill now. Strangely enough, he was the one who prescribed them to her in the first place. My advise, Use them only when necessary.

 

[Grahame Bush]

Hi AZB - of course I know who you are & I was hoping to get your input. Having had some manipulations at your hands in the past, I value your comments/suggestions. I have printed out your posting & will be acting on it asap INCLUDING the swimming bit!!You have always advocated I spend more time in the water swimming & relaxing, for some reason there always appears something else to do - like answering another message or two on DR1!!!

Next time you come up this way, don't forget to give us a call & come visit. We have changed our address but the tel. no. remains the same. Ginnie sends her love but you only get sincere regards from me!! - Grahame

 

[Mary Kohn]

Having trouble getting out of the water bed? Roll over on to your hands and knees, and climb out one leg at a time. It was the most comfortable sleep I ever enjoyed. When I was expecting our youngest child, I remember being able to sleep nearly on my stomach. Try that on a regular bed. The baffles were in the water mattress on a big platform. Good luck with your back.