Too Much Sitting!

[potsgirl]

Ok, this is a new one for me. Does anyone else have problems with their rear ends getting numb from sitting/lying in a chair and bed so much? I'm not bed-bound, and I can move around the house and get out for walks a couple of days a week, but recently my rear feels like it's a mass of jello and it gets numb. Not an attractive feeling. What do you do?

Cheers,

Jana

[It'sMyLife]

I get this if I sit on the floor or a hard chair. Haven't found a solution yet. My hands also fall asleep though while I'm sleeping if I place them on my chest while lying on my back. Just far enough above my heart I guess. I hate it 'cause I like to sleep that way!

[flop]

Sounds your rear isn't getting enough blood flow to it whilst you are sitting down. It is quite common in people who sit very still. I get the same problem if I am a passenger in a car and have a lot of luggage packed round me.

The first thing that may help is to try to fidget and wriggle about regularly whilst you are sitting. My autonomic nurse commented that I am a very fidgety person and said it was a good habit to have if you have POTS. Move your weight from one side to the other or change position regularly. Rather than sitting for a long period try to get up and walk round the room a few times every hour to get the blood flow moving again.

Another thing that would help is a special pressure relieving cushion to sit on. The basic ones are made from special weight distributing foam, more fancy ones are air filled and the top-of-the range ones have alternating air pressure cells. Does your PCP have a nurse that you can speak to? - often nurses are much better informed about skin care and preventing pressure areas and pressure sores than doctors.

Flop

[flop]

Darcy - might be worth trying to put a cushion / rolled towel under your elbows so that the slope "uphill" for the blood is more gentle, it would also stop your wrists being flexed so much which may be contributing to the sleepy hands. I sleep on my side but naturally my wrists and fingers flex and I wake up with numb fingers. I have been told that for me it is the wrist position causing median nerve compression (carpal tunnel syndrome). I have been given wrist splints to wear at night which solve the problem but are hot and uncomfortable to wear. Supporting my wrists with cushions seems to solve the problem.

Flop

[It'sMyLife]

Thanks, flop!

[potsgirl]

Thanks for the advice! I do have a special pillow to sit on as I suffer from vulvodynia as well (chronic pain around the vaginal opening). Unfortunately, that stops me from moving around in my chair, but I'll try getting up and moving around the room more often. I'm a fidgeter, too, just not when I'm seated since the chronic condition kicked in. I'll also try my PCP.

Thanks!

Jana

[flop]

Jana - ouch, that sounds painful and I can imagine why fidgetting whilst seated is not something you do! Standing up regularly should have the same benefit as fidgetting so probably a better option for you.

Flop