Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Has anyone tried the Body Rite Posture Pleaser, for sale at Amazon? I heard about it somewhere, and I am getting desperate to relieve some of my neck and upper body pain. I ordered it and got it today, so I will proceed slowly, and try to remember to update here, in case anyone else could benefit from it. Peg F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgene Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Yes, I have one and wish I could remember to use it more often. It does work and feels good when I use it. You hardly notice it's on, but it keeps you more upright and relaxed. I tend to hunch over so I really need to use it more. I think you will be glad you bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaSteller Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Peggy - I got a Homedics Heated Shiatsu Massage Pillow - bought mine at Costco, but they have them at Amazon too. Each evening when I come down from quilting, I use it on my neck and shoulders to help take the kinks out. I cannot do without it. I also take it with me when I go on retreat and know that I will be sitting and sewing nearly all day. It has really saved my bacon every now and then. I do also take time to stretch while I'm quilting. It really helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbams Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Peggy, I got a Posture Pleasure from a LQS where the owner swears by them, and wears one every day at work. She says after she started using it, all her staff got them, too, and they are all believers. My mother had terrible osteoporosis, and that's one of the reasons I got it. I do think it improves my posture, and helps me to breathe better, too, since I'm not so hunched over. I know I feel better when my posture is better, and this helps me achieve that. Now, the big trick is remembering to wear it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Well, this is encouraging. I started using it yesterday, a little at a time. Don't want to overdue as I am already sore. But definitely pulls me up straighter and my shoulders are down and relaxed. I was able to sew a bit today so I am hoping it will help me. My son, a carpenter, wants to try it because he hunches over all day, using a nailing gun or whatever. I may have to get one for him. Peg F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Linda, I looked at these pillows on Amazon, and there are many. Can you tell me specifically which one you got? Thank you. I also ordered a small book from Amazon on how to heal your neck with gentle exercises. Not sure I will be able to do any of them, but I thought it was worth a try, since it was quite inexpensive. I have pretty much given up on doctors, after 22 years of treatment, including 2 fusions, they have not helped me at all. Now I just get pain meds. Their staff cannot even get my appt. right, much less anything else. Yes, I am quite aggravated with them. My present dr. is quite rude, wants me to do all kinds of painful stuff, which I have already tried, and I have refused for now. He is angry. I think he would make a lot more money off me if I would do some of these things, like injections. Every time you switch doctors, tho, they want to start over, and they think you are a drug seeker. It is a tough situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 Am wondering could this help with back issues or make them worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Janette, IDK, I used it for several days and had to stop due to painful muscle spasms. I have not been able to sew at all. I don't blame it on the Posture Rite, I have a very bad pain issue. Not sure if I am going to send it back or try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbams Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Peggy, how much did you use it for those days? The LQS owner told me to start small and build up to extended use, and that worked for me. However, other than poor posture, I do not have back problems (yet), so I do understand your situation may be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Betsy, I used it very little, one or two hours a couple of times per day. It proved to be too much for me. I am suffering now because I have decided to go off of my pain meds. I don't take that much anyway, but I have noticed that they don't work too well anymore. I am trying some more natural things. I am so aggravated with my dr., I hope I never see him again. I called them the other day and told them that the medicine I was on was making me itch, especially my head, and could they recommend a product to help. They told me to go to my regular dr. cause maybe I have a parasite. I assume they mean head lice! I KNOW I do not have head lice. Clearly these people are not interested in helping me in any way. Yet, if you change doctors, they think you are a drug seeker. So not sure what to do at this point. Can't do any machine sewing right now. This is why I cannot have a quilting business or have a job, too much pain. Can't even soak in a hot tub because of the bad posture it puts you in to lie there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Know exactly where you're coming from Peggy. Hope your pain improves more with time. Chronic pain is the pits.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbams Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Peggy, I am so sorry it didn't help you. Sure hope you find the right doctor and treatment very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delores62305 Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I got the body-rite posture pleaser in the mail yesterday and put it on for only a couple hours, but WOW. What a difference it made. I didn't use it tonight because I wasn't sewing, but I can feel it in my back. I may wear it around the house while cleaning or doing dishes. I'm sure it's going to help me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Did it feel good on your back, or bad on your back, Delores? Did it make your back sore the next day? I haven't given up on it completely yet, just taking about one week off of it, so my muscles can settle down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Janette, how do you manage to keep quilting with back pain? Any tips for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 This was a big problem for me too. My doctor recommended something I thought was crazy at first but OH MY GOSH it WORKS! I hang upside down 2 or 3 times a day for 2 minutes each time and my back never hurts anymore. This is what he told me about................I bought this one because it has a handle so I can get in and out of it by myself. There is a cheaper one but I was afraid I would get stuck in it if I was alone.LOL They are not cheap but the relief was instant. He said they were great for anyone at a desk .....sewing....or bent over for hours. My DIL has one too ... she works in an office and comes straight home and uses hers for just a couple of minutes .....she feels fine the rest of the night. I bought mine at AMAZON . Teeter Hang Ups EP-950 Inversion Table With Healthy Back DVD by Teeter Hang Ups 279 customer reviews | 16 answered questions I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 I forgot to add.... my doc said the ones with the lumbar thing and vibrating beads were no more benefit than the plain ones. The ones without the handle are also cheaper. The reviews on this thing are very good but anyone interested may want to check with their doc first. My pain was in shoulders...neck and lower back.. I have the EP950..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Janette, how do you manage to keep quilting with back pain? Any tips for me? I find it best to keep moving, and not let it seize up too much... My problem is mainly sitting so standing is better as long as I am moving around... Standing still hurts more... Mind the 10 painkillers I take each day certainly help.. Have also had nerves in four facet joints burned away with radio waves, numerous steroid/anaesthetic injections. had another MRI scan a few weeks ago just waiting on results... four years of this agony come June. Sleeping is also hard as lying presses on the nerves. I can't win... I can barely move on waking but once I get going actually the quilting does help me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Janette, I am so sorry that you seem to be in a similar position as me. I was interested in your response because my dr. does the nerve burning injections, but a nurse/friend told me that she had them and that the pain for about 6 weeks afterward was terrible. That is why I have stayed away from them. My dr. also wants me to get facet injections, but I have grown so anxious and upset now when I go for treatments such as this, due to some very bad experiences with injections and a terribly botched myelogram that was quite painful, that I have declined. He is quite angry with me because I am not willing to try these things. I have had lots of physical therapy, but it just makes all my muscles spasm, and nothing improves. You look so young in your picture, too young to have all these pain issues. Can you tell me whether you thought these nerve burning injections were worth it and how painful it was afterward? Were you asleep when you got them? Any info. would help me as I am getting pretty desperate. I take pain meds, but feel bad about taking narcotics, and I am afraid that after a few years, they just won't work anymore. Thanks. I just want to be a good wife, grandma, and mom, and keep sewing. Cheri, I will ask my dr. about the teeter hang-ups. Thanks so much for the info about it; I have seen that on tv. I have a plate and screws in my neck, so I don't have any idea whether that would be appropriate for me. Thanks everyone for your input, any and all input is quite welcome and VERY much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted March 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 I am getting so discouraged. I have only had my Tiara about 6 months, and now I am wondering if I made a mistake getting it. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I cannot use it due to pain. I put up two bungee cords, from the ceiling to hold the quilt, but still can't sit in front of it. Is there a market out there for used Tiara's? It is only 1 yr old. I hope I can keep it, only time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.waits Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Peggy, I'm not Janette, but I know a little about the procedure she mentioned, the one where they use radio frequency to burn the nerves. My Mom had this procedure done a couple of times, and it provided immediate relief each time. The doctor does a test injection first using an anesthetic to numb the nerve. If that works, you will know it immediately, and they will proceed with the RFP procedure ( I think that was what they called it). If the anesthetic injection doesn't work, the RFP procedure won't work either, so they don't go any further. This is done while you are awake, with just a sedative to keep you calm and keep you from moving around. You won't be asleep, but you also won't care. If they do the procedure, it's good for about six months or so. After that the nerves regenerate, and the procedure will have to be done again. If it works for you, it is fantastic! Mom had this done several times before they finally did surgery. Thankfully, her surgery was very successful. She still has some back pain, but it is nowhere near what it was before. Hang in there, and don't give up on the docs, they're not all jerks! Some of them even have nice bedside manners! A good pain management center combined with a good neurosurgeon can give you relief, but you may have to try several different options before you find the best one for you. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuiltGuy Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 It's actually called an RFA which stands for Radio Frequency Ablation. It is usually preceded by facet joint injections and (or just primarily) Medial Branch Blocks (MBBs). If the MBBs provide more than a certain amount of relief then you may be a candidate for the RFA procedure. This is done essentially for a certain type of back "arthritis" (facet joint arthropathy). It can be permanent but usually needs to be repeated. They can sometimes do a fusion (surgery) to stop the pain, but the research shows that while it does work for some, the long term results of the fusion for back pain is not very encouraging. My recommendation is to find a good pain Dr near you that has a personality that works for you and realize this is not magic and there will be failures and successes as you work together to help with your problem. I really shy away from Medical advice online when I can't examine a patient and evaluate all of their records so I can't offer this as specific advice, rather view this as a general statement about a specific type of back pain (facet joint mediated axial back pain). Whether or not this applies to a specific individual I can't say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted March 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Sharon and Dave, thank you very much for the info. I have had 2 fusions in my neck, and have had epidural injections. I shy away from injections now because, since I had some bad experiences, I get very anxious when they bring it up, and I have very bad vaso-vagel reactions. Not that long ago I had a breathing test where I passed out and vomited and my blood pressure dropped. It really scared the staff. I am terrified of getting more injections; they always hurt more than they say they will. I guess I have lost my trust in the medical profession. I have agreed to go for more PT for the moment, but it would take a lot of convincing to get me to get more injections. I am no wimp, I had 4 natural, Leboyer childbirths, but I have become frightened and anxious from all the painful stuff that has been done to me in the name of ,"relieving my pain." It seems to be sort of like PTSD. I go to a dr. for that, too. Unfortunately, the pain dr. I have now is a real, angry, jerk. I hesitate to change dr's again because then you are looked upon as a drug seeker. I am supposed to see his assistant now so I will work with that for the time being. I heard that after the RFA shots, there is a lot of pain. But, Sharon, you say your mom got instant relief? I am also researching the Teeter hang-ups. Don't know if that is appropriate for me. I really don't want magic, just to be treated with respect and listened to and believed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Peggy, the Teeter hang up does a fantastic job for me but I have degenerative disks that cause pain when sitting or stooping for long periods and your problems are obviously much more serious. Make sure you clear anything like the hang ups with your doctor first! Good luck......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy (SewAsylum) Posted March 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 When you have degenerative disks, is the pain from the disk itself, or does it mean you have a pinched nerve? I am confused by all of this because I cannot get a diagnosis. I have constant muscle spasms, but dr. says, "muscle spasms are not your problem." Have a whole lot of questions for the PT. I have been going thru this for 22 years. It is constant now. Cheri, I will certainly ask about the Teeter before I try it, thanks. Not sure if it is the right thing for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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