-
Any ideas on how to get more comfortable?
My most comfortable position is when I’m lying on the couch with pillows under my head and legs. It’s also the position I stay in to work, so I spend a lot of time this way. That being said, I think the cushions are starting to wear/sag because I’m experiencing more back pain than usual. It’s getting harder to get comfortable. I have scoliosis so I prefer firmer surfaces to lay on. Otherwise, I collapse too much into the couch.
I tried putting a yoga mat on the couch to give me that firmer-like feel. However, after a few weeks of serving its purpose, it has started conforming to the couch cushions too.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can rig the couch to be more comfortable? Maybe there’s a cushion you’d recommend?
-
10 Replies
-
I often wonder if everyone else out there having SMA, deals with ‘trying to get comfortable’ on a daily basis? I use the popular Roho cushion in my wheelchair, but we have a love/hate relationship almost every hour of every day. As I read your question, it took me back to suggestion one therapist had for me. I can’t recall the name, but the quads could be filled with what looked like packets of salt or sugar you’d get at a restaurant. She said you could customize the firmness to your liking by simply adding/removing more packets. Gosh, I’m sorry I can’t recall the name.
-
No worries! If you think of it, let me know.
Getting me comfortable is an art few people master. And when I get comfortable I usually become uncomfortable within 45 minutes. I can’t stay in the same position for too long. Otherwise, I start to feel pain. Does that happen to you?
-
-
Oh yes, the ongoing comfort battle is very familiar. Whenever there’s a change whether it be a caregiver or piece of equipment I wonder if I’ll ever be comfortable again. Over time it works out. I constantly strive finding Goldilocks products though. Like you, I found a comfy position that I sleep in every night. I need to change my topper yearly because it gets that perma-dip and makes dressing a challenge. What type of mattress do you use for sleeping?
You and I are kind of on opposite spectrums when it comes to what we find comfortable. I prefer sitting, and I prefer soft. It did make me think of something I tried that didn’t work for me because it was too rigid. I found it in the camping section and thought we could use it while traveling. We actually left it behind because at wasn’t conforming enough and a hassle to drag with. A cot mat. It’s a slim size but thicker than a yoga mat. You might have the same issue if your couch has the perma-dip though. Unless you could attach it to something like a board. If you do look into something like that I’m thinking you’d prefer gel over memory foam. It’s cooler and not as soft. I of course hate it.
-
I wonder if something like this transfer board under your couch cushions would help give some support. The reviews are horrible but you wouldn’t be using it for the intended purpose. Probably cheaper solutions available but this is what popped into my head.
-
I’ll have to look into these. Where do I find a cot mat?
I have a Tempurpedic mattress. Because I’m small and don’t weigh much, it doesn’t conform to my body. I’m too much of a lightweight to make an indentation, so it stays firm. I was looking online to see if a Tempurpedic pad existed but no such luck. The search continues. Thank you for the input!
-
-
Ah, the never ending search for the elusive comfortable zone. I know it well.
Get situated in your chair, find a comfortable position, then in the process of getting dressed your hips slide to one side. Just a little bit at a time. No one can see the difference except you, but you can feel it all the way up your back.
Adjust hips. Get on with what you were doing.
Maybe go outside, or maybe just leaning over a little bit to brush your teeth. Something shifts.
Adjust hips, or possibly shoulders this time.
The most frustrating task is finding a good position in bed. Move everything perfectly to an eighth of an inch and an hour later that exact position is beginning to complain.
The best solution I found is shifting the bed position often before I fall sleep and tilting the chair most the time that I’m in it. It’s mildly hysterical when doctors tell me that I should offload to avoid pressure sores. They have no practical suggestions for how to do this.
The Roho cushion was a bust for me. Like Deann, I prefer soft & sitting. An inflatable camp mattress might work for you because you can change the firmness.
-
Exactly! You described the struggle perfectly. Since writing this post, I’ve tried putting a board under the yoga mat. My back was more comfortable, but my tailbone started to hurt after a while. I think the surface was just a bit too hard. Though my bed is most comfortable I’d prefer not to lay there all day. Still trying to find that sweet spot I guess.
-
-
Alyssa, the joke at home is that I’m the Pea Princess (do you know that fairytale? The princess and the pea?) hypersensitive to a single hair on my arm that I can’t move or that 1/8 of an inch shift that gets me off blinding pain.
Relieved to know I’m not the only one
•
Deann, have a question about your topper: do you spin it around or pancake flip it?
Like you, I prefer soft, and the constant pressure in the same points compresses those cushions, it even compresses the mattress. I spin it 180° every six months (or every year) which changes all the pressure points. Sometimes I’ll alternate and pancake flip it completely. Still get compression, but you extend the lifespan a bit more.
-
I love that! That’s a perfect analogy. 😂
-
Oh yes, the Princess and the Pea analogy hits close to my heart! I even did an art project reflecting it once. I do have to replace the topper every year or so because of that permanent dip created. Even though I tried rotating it, it’s right in the middle. I always know when it’s time to replace it as my hip starts bothering more. I can never figure out why my hip is bugging me, then it dawns on me.
-
Log in to reply.