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The Big File All issues not easily categorized in the above forums are here. Comments on general health, diet, "getting comfortable," and more are here.


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  #1  
Old 11-25-2007, 08:24 PM
NJWC NJWC is offline
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It's time to find a mattress to help me get thorugh the night. But there are so, so many options -- it gets confusing and so, so expensive.

Perhaps we could put together a comprehensive thread describing our unique situations and how we've proceeded in purchasing a mattress:

- Symptoms
- Surgery done (if any)
- Mattress brand and model purchased
- When and where (store) purchased
- Approx Price paid
- Rate the mattress (does it help you get rest?)
__________________
"NJWC"
Charite ADR L5-S1 October 2007
********************
Male, age 42, Hgt 6’ 1”, 195 lbs, Non-smoker, active retail sales manager, pain pre-ADR was chronic & "energy reducing".
02-01-08 Pain levels dropping. Energy good. getting Activity back.
05-02-08 Return to Work
05/08-05/09 Significant anxiety and depression due to loss of job (25 years).
08-16-09 Accepting pain levels of 4/5 at L5 area and left butt / upper left leg areas (charlie horse type of feeling).
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  #2  
Old 11-25-2007, 08:42 PM
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Terry Terry is offline
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I have a Select Comfort King Size 5000 series. It is a fabulous bed and I have slept comfortably on it for almost 9 years. I have the Tempurpedic pillows and have had for many years. The memory foam breaks down over time and it absorbs body oils and starts looking nasty after a couple of years. I know I'll be shot for heresy but I believe the Sleep Number is a better bed. I Have went through about 4-5 of the pillows and would not sleep on anything else. Pillows are cheaper than a whole bed and replaceable every 4 years or so. I would not want to buy a bed that will break down like the pillows do unless the mattress is different. I suspect not as it is the same material as the pillows. I paid about $1,500 just for the top mattress several years ago and put it in my water-bed frame. It fit perfectly as a California King. I have had 4-level ADR, shoulder repair, hemi-laminectomy. I sleep like a baby and wake up well rested. Spend the extra money. There is no substitute in life for good sleep. IMHO.

Terry Newton
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1980 ruptured L4-L5
1988 ruptured SI-L5
1990 ruptured C5-C6
1994 ruptured C6-C7
1995 Hemi-Laminectomy C5-C6, C6-C7 Mayo Clinic
Bicycle Accident 2004
MRI, EMG, Facet Injections, Epidural Blocks, Lumbar Discogram.
Stenum Hospital Surgery November 4, 2006
Prestige Disc C5-C6, C6-C7
Maverick Disc S1-L5, L4-L5
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  #3  
Old 11-26-2007, 05:14 AM
annapurna annapurna is offline
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At the real risk of heresy, Laura, after L5S1 ADR and continuing facet and SI joint problems, sleeps on a 3 inch thick piece of foam on a piece of plywood. She uses a pillow under her knees and says that it gives her the best rest of any bed she's had. Every couple of years we throw out the old foam and get a new one as the foam begins to break down.

I'd agree that spending the money for good sleep is worth it, especially as I suffer from chronic insominia, but sometimes the best solution isn't expensive.
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Laura - L5S1 Charitee
C5/6 and 6/7 Prodisc C
Facet problems L4-S1
General joint hypermobility

Jim - C4/5, C5/6, L4/5 disk bulges and facet damage, L4/5 disk tears, currently using regenerative medicine to address

"There are many Annapurnas in the lives of men" Maurice Herzog
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  #4  
Old 11-26-2007, 06:49 AM
David David is offline
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- Symptoms

100% low back pain. Before surgery, I was at a 5/6 pain level at all times (even with prescription medication)

- Surgery done (if any)

L4/L5 and L5/S1 Prodisc (14-NOV-2006)

- Mattress brand and model purchased

Tempurpedic Celebrity (Queen)

- When and where (store) purchased

Online, approximately two years ago.

- Approx Price paid

$3,500.00

- Rate the mattress (does it help you get rest?)

LOVE the mattress. Even before I had the surgery, the mattress made a HUGE difference in my ability to fall asleep and sleep comfortably.

Now that I have had surgery (successful!), I still love the mattress, and definitely notice a difference when I sleep on a traditional mattress (harder to fall asleep, toss and turn, and wake up at least once a night).

David
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47 years old
Surgery: 14-NOV-2006; Straubing, Germany (Dr. B.)
L4-S1: Prodisc
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  #5  
Old 12-01-2007, 11:51 AM
NJWC NJWC is offline
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- Lower back and butt pain
- ADR L5 S1 done
- Tempur-Pedic Deluxe Model (10" memory foam)
- November 2007 - Sleepy's (NY-Metro Chain)
- $2600 (Queen Mattress + Box)
- Immediately experienced less pain, longer sleep.
__________________
"NJWC"
Charite ADR L5-S1 October 2007
********************
Male, age 42, Hgt 6’ 1”, 195 lbs, Non-smoker, active retail sales manager, pain pre-ADR was chronic & "energy reducing".
02-01-08 Pain levels dropping. Energy good. getting Activity back.
05-02-08 Return to Work
05/08-05/09 Significant anxiety and depression due to loss of job (25 years).
08-16-09 Accepting pain levels of 4/5 at L5 area and left butt / upper left leg areas (charlie horse type of feeling).
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  #6  
Old 04-01-2008, 08:34 AM
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Harrison Harrison is offline
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Now we have a "reasonably clinical" study on the best sleeping surface for spine patients!
________________________________________

Better Backs by Better Beds?

Randomized Trial
Spine. 33(7):703-708, April 1, 2008.
Bergholdt, Kim DC; Fabricius, Rasmus N. DC; Bendix, Tom MD, DrMedSci

Abstract:
Study Design. A "randomized"/stratified, single-blinded, parallel-group study.

Objective. To evaluate 3 structurally different mattresses relative influence on patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Summary of Background Data. In several advertisements, it is proclaimed that certain mattresses have a positive effect on LBP, and especially a hard mattress is commonly believed to have a positive effect.

Methods. One hundred sixty CLBP patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups, having a mattress/bed mounted in their sleeping room for 1 month. The beds were: (1) waterbed (Akva), (2) body-conforming foam mattress (Tempur), and (3) a hard mattress (Innovation Futon). At baseline and after 4 weeks, a blinded observer interviewed the patients on LBP levels (0-10), daily function (activities of daily living, 0-30), and on the amount of sleeping hours/night.

Results. Because of dropout of 19 patients before baseline, the analyses were performed on 141 patients. During the 1-month trial period another 27 patients stopped ahead of time, which were accounted for by "worse case" as well as "no-change" analyses. Both the waterbed and the foam mattress seemed superior to the hard mattress, especially when using the probably most relevant "worst case" data. There were no relevant difference between the effects of the water bed and the foam bed.

Conclusion. The Waterbed and foam mattress' did influence back symptoms, function and sleep more positively as apposed to the hard mattress, but the differences were small.

http://www.spinejournal.org/pt/re/spine/abstract.000076...43!181195629!8091!-1
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"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org
Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004
Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston
Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004
Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006
Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012
Donate www.arthropatient.org/about/donate
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  #7  
Old 04-01-2008, 08:41 PM
JudyW JudyW is offline
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I bought my Tempur-pedic prior to my back surgery because of the pain. I loved it then and still love it after ADR L4-5. It is King size, $2400.00, Brookstone (online). I've had it for about 5 years. Even with a King size my two cats sometimes only leave a small corner to sleep in. They let me share the bed....crazy cat lady...I know!!
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DDD L4-5
Spondylosis L5-S1
6 different types epidurals no success
physical therapy/pain med no success
Refuse Fusion
Bone scan shows L5-S1 pars defect will hold ADR @ L4-5
7/31/07 pro-disc L4-5 Dr. Robert Watkins Jr. Marina Spine Institute-Mari
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  #8  
Old 04-03-2008, 12:15 PM
chasswen chasswen is offline
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tempur-pedic
here and have no regrets. we have the queen size deluxe.
only regret is i didnt buy a king size tempur-pedic.
to pricey to change my mind now.
but they are awesome beds.
chuck
__________________
ddd 1990
2003 mri,xrays,shots,emg
2004 discogram ouch pos l4 l5
facet block neg
lost all appeals BCBS 5 months of that
3 surgeons later
surgery with dr. bertagnoli aug 2nd 2006 in Bogen Germany Successfully ProDisc-L L-4 L-5
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  #9  
Old 04-03-2008, 01:54 PM
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Cirobi Cirobi is offline
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Hm, this is a very interesting topic as I've been thinking about how my bed might be affecting my back for about a year now. I take it the tempurpedic mattresses do the best job for us back pain sufferers?

I have a very very cheap queen sized bed (a $600 thing) because that was all I could afford about 5 years ago when I moved into my old apartment. I wanted to upgrade when I moved into my house last fall, but I can't afford it. So far, it doesn't seem like it's causing extra problems, but I certainly worry that it might.

It's a shame you can't necessarily take a nap on the showroom beds to truly test the differences.
__________________
*************************
31 yrs old
Lumbar herniation L5/S1

- Did mild PT, some chiropractics and self regulated pain management since initial sports injury in Spring 1997.
- XRay and Bone Scan Jan/Feb 2007
- PT March to May 2007
- MRI Jan 2008
- Disco positive at L5/S1 Feb 2008
- ADR surgery at L5/S1 on June 23rd 2008 - Prodisc
- Recovery - so far so good!

*************************
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  #10  
Old 04-04-2008, 08:07 AM
chasswen chasswen is offline
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http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Better-3-Inch-Elastic-Mattr...ref=pd_sim_k_title_7
people wondering about a bed should try thing like this. i hear its helped many spineys.
and then if you like the feel and sleep one could then think about spending the cash on a tempur pedic
chuck
__________________
ddd 1990
2003 mri,xrays,shots,emg
2004 discogram ouch pos l4 l5
facet block neg
lost all appeals BCBS 5 months of that
3 surgeons later
surgery with dr. bertagnoli aug 2nd 2006 in Bogen Germany Successfully ProDisc-L L-4 L-5
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