What do you sit on? My butt is so painful!

[Jessrose21]

I've been sedentary for so long that my muscles have atrophied to the point where I'm always sitting, standing or lying on my bones. They dig so painfully into my flesh that I can't stay in one position for long. I've tried an eggcrate foam cushion and a gel honeycomb type cushion so far. Neither alleviates the pain. I'd be willing to pay up to a couple hundred dollars on a wheelchair cushion if I knew of a good one. Thanks.

 

[wabi-sabi]

I haven't found anything that really works. I just stack up the pillows and keep shifting around so the pressure doesn't build up too much in one spot.

 

[Judee]

I wonder if you folded a down comforter multiple times and sat on that if it would help. It might get pretty warm in the summertime though.

 

[wabi-sabi]

What is your wheelchair seat made out of? Mine is just a piece of fabric that sags in the middle like a hammock. That was painful until my Dad built a wooden seat. Then I put a pillow on top of the wood. More support made the seat hurt less.

 

[Dysfunkion]

An old extra wide seat falling apart bar chair. Pillow in the middle. I need to find something to replace this old thing but I haven't found a chair specifically like it. Can sit cross legged on it and it's comfy for extended periods of time unless I'm too tired but then I'll actually just be laying down since just sitting becomes too much of a pain in that case.

 

[Viala]

Correcting sitting posture helps with this to a degree, when back have proper support some of your upper body weight is spread more evenly and goes not only to your butt but also to your legs and back muscles. A lot of desk chairs do not have proper back support, they say it is ergonomic but often it's not. You can work around it by buying a lumbar support cushion, it's quite cheap, the main point is to sit straight and not lean too much forward or backwards. There are some good youtube videos about correcting sitting posture.

That's in theory, in practice it is difficult to sit this way when having low energy. I have tried to work with it for a while, the truth is correcting posture requires strenghtening muscles and that requires additional energy, but it is worth it especially in this condition.

 

[Jessrose21]

Correcting sitting posture helps with this to a degree, when back have proper support some of your upper body weight is spread more evenly and goes not only to your butt but also to your legs and back muscles. A lot of desk chairs do not have proper back support, they say it is ergonomic but often it's not. You can work around it by buying a lumbar support cushion, it's quite cheap, the main point is to sit straight and not lean too much forward or backwards. There are some good youtube videos about correcting sitting posture.

That's in theory, in practice it is difficult to sit this way when having low energy. I have tried to work with it for a while, the truth is correcting posture requires strenghtening muscles and that requires additional energy, but it is worth it especially in this condition.

I sit in a bed because I need my legs up. You're right that sitting up straight helps, and I have a pile of pillows behind me. Unfortunately my back is so sensitive it hurts to have anything pressing against it. Plus, now my shoulder blades dig through my flesh, no thanks to a brand new mattress I slept on for a few hours. I woke up in agony.

 

[Jessrose21]

What is your wheelchair seat made out of? Mine is just a piece of fabric that sags in the middle like a hammock. That was painful until my Dad built a wooden seat. Then I put a pillow on top of the wood. More support made the seat hurt less.

I actually sit in a bed to keep my legs up, otherwise my blood drains to my feet and legs.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

With our sub cutaneous fat pads broken down; and loss of muscle etc, its bone on bone around here too.

I got some silicone cushions which help a bit, and mostly I have to try to vary my position where I sit and where I lie down...

 

[wabi-sabi]

I actually sit in a bed to keep my legs up, otherwise my blood drains to my feet and legs.

I do this too. I have 7 different bed pillows of various thicknesses and I keep shifting them around.

Some days I am well enough to do glute squeezes and I pretend to keep some muscle mass that way.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I pretend to keep some muscle mass that way.

Nice, I liked that.

I"m super appalled at what I look like in a mirror.

Doctor visit yesterday, I weigh 127 pounds.

I weighed 128 pounds at 29, when I got married.

I had muscles then.

I was much healthier at 185.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I actually sit in a bed to keep my legs up, otherwise my blood drains to my feet and legs.

When I had a lounge chair with the feet up part, I developed some plantar fasciitis.

Maybe it's just a coincidence or odd timing. But later on , I got rid of the chair, and I don't have plantar fascitus any longer.

 

[wabi-sabi]

I"m super appalled at what I look like in a mirror.

Me too. The glute squeezes don't make me look any better, but I do feel a bit better.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The glute squeezes don't make me look any better, but I do feel a bit better.

isometrics.

yeah, that.

I need to try to fight back a little harder. I lift up by 20 pound grandaughter, but she is getting too heavy.

so then I'll stop lifting the 20 pounds.