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Pain in the "A double S"? This 'Slab o' Gel' is under me in the car, in restaurants ....
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 7:28am
I really want to commend the people who are in pain and are still undeterred from using the computer for learning -- it is one of your greatest tools. I am posting this link so you can learn about the two types of cushions I have found to be the most helpful to me.
My overall favorite is the AliMed Gel Cushion/ "Slab o' Gel" I affectionately call it. It mostly stays in the driver's seat of my car, and I take it to restaurants and shows sometimes if they don't have good seats or I do not know what the seats are going to be like and I'm having some pain issues at that point in the day.
I hauled it on the plane to Berkeley when I went to speak at the chronic pain conference in the summer of 2009 just after Lumigrate launched on the Internet. I had FUN with the safety people as it is gel, and while it is not at all the kind that blows up planes, which is obvious by the color, they did not know that so I was 'grilled'. And then passed.
I actually packed it out there in my suitcase but then there were long delays at Salt Lake City and again at Las Vegas, and I was wishing I had it to sit on. So I figured I'd live and learn related to how it was recognized to go onto the plane with me. Between it's being heavy to carry and the questioning from those protecting our safety, I think I'll look to find another type of cushion for airplane travel (see below related to YouCan Toocan gels).
LINK FOR Ali Med 'Slab O Gel', my favorite thing today: www.allegromedical.com/cushions-covers-backs-c544/t-gel-cushion-p199139.html My Ali-Med gel is about 10 years old, it is in my car in the cold of winter (sub zero) and summer (over 100 degrees) and I carry it inside places by the handy handles and it still looks BRAND NEW. It's heavy, that's it's only 'downside', and it is a 'pretty penny' at $150(ish), but it has been worth every penny.
At Lumigrate, I work hard to provide YOU with a resource to work with no matter where you live in the United State (and hopefully beyond, as much as possible, though some details and products or services just become impossible for some places in the world, unfortunately).
Last I called, The YouCan Toocan Store's Martha Hanson was as enthused about a different type of gel that is lighter and also about 1/2 the cost (or less), so I'm going to suggest you check with their website too. It is a different type of gel and it does not hold up to extremes of temperature so you pretty much have to take it with you and not leave it in the car. Trust me, I try products out pretty thoroughly. The advantage is, it's like a waffle and is LIGHT compared to the Ali-Med Gel Cushion I refer to above.
YouCan Toocan is located in the center of the US in Denver, Colorado, so shipping is efficient time-wise; I've known about them since I was in OT school as the owner, Martha, came to speak with the room of about-to -graduate occupational therapy students.
Honestly, her company and it's little catalog of the top 200 items they sold were invaluable to me and made me a much better OT once I was out working. This was in 1997 through 2007 or so that I was working as an occupational therapist, and most people didn't have computers to look things up while we were working together, so I could show people photos of products.
Even if they didn't order something from YouCan Toocan, Martha would send me as many catalogs as I asked for, and here and there someone would become a customer. She used to joke and say she knew when I'd moved somewhere new because the sales in that area would go up. She and her daughter started the business with the idea of doing medical equipment without insurance and being direct to the consumer when their husband/father was ill/dying. I've found them to have extremely high standards and with equally good customer service.
So thank you Martha and staff! Here's the link. www.youcantoocan.com/ hope this helps if YOU have a pain in the a#$ like I do (which then flares all the back muscles up clear to my occiput (back of the head).
__________________
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
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A cush for the tush! So many of us need this.
Sitting too long and sitting on uncomfortable seats can cause more pain and can even lead to a flare for people with fibromyalgia.
How many times have you been miserable sitting in chairs at the doctor's office, on church pews, driving, on bleachers or other inadequate seating? How many events have you missed because you did not want to have more pain from sitting? How many times have you had to bring your own folding chair to your child's or grandchild's ball game because you could not sit on the bleachers? This may solve those problems.
I have come to realize that gel cushioning is different from foam cushioning and is much preferred. Many people wear gel cushions in their shoes to absorb the impact of walking. Gel mats are now available for your kitchen. A cushion for the tush would be so nice.
It would have been nice to have one of these when I was working and had to sit all day. This could have helped so much.
Thank you, Mardy for making us aware of this product. We need to know about products like this that will help so much.
Alice Franklin was raised on a sandy beach in Point Clear, AL and lived along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama in her youth, graduating from Fairhope High School on Mobile Bay. Prior to becoming disabled due to severe spine problems, she worked her way into management and purchasing positions in industrial manufacturing and art industries. She worked her way into Lumigrate unknowingly by impressively writing at Lent 2010 about utilizing her religious and spiritual beliefs with chronic pain/disease management (she has had fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain for decades); it turns out she holds the priesthood office of elder in her church and became active again in this office in May 2010 and has been pastor or copastor in previous churches. We are so very proud to have her words and thoughts gracing our 'pages' of this website and look forward to what the future holds for her.
Thank you Mardy,
This will help many that have problems sitting, I'm one of them. Some days, sitting is not an opition for me, I have lower back pain as well as a pain in the you know what. broke that years ago, and it still bothers me even today.
Getting a gel cushion should help me greatly. Have a nice computer chair, but it just does not seem to help with the pressure from sitting here.... The gel cushion and the chair should allow me to sit and read and write here longer. As right now, I can read a little, then have to get up and move around and come back later to write. Same a standing.
Alice thank you for mentioning the gel cushion for the kitchen, that's another one I need to check into, as standing trying to cook, or do dishes etc.. is sometimes unbearable.
More good information to help make our lives a little easier.. thank you
For me, I've done well with therapy balls being used for sitting on as well. You can buy little donuts to put on the floor to keep them in place OR put a little sand in them to weight them. Usually they are pretty inexpensive too -- $20. I'd suggest purchasing one that is for your height/size and not the 'one size fits all' that I've seen people get from some of the big box stores.
As always, I highly suggest people check out The YouCan Toocan Store in Denver, Colorado, they ship anywhere in the US (and "right now" only within the US. They're a growing company however, so maybe that will expand in the future with our support).
I went ahead and called Martha Hanson, founder and owner of YouCan Toocan and was lucky to catch her with a moment to talk about cushions. She suggested something I had not seen on the website when I looked last week, the "Roll and Go Seat Cushion". Martha said "It's a great gel, it is very flexible and is about an inch thick and is full of holes so it offers good pressure relief. For comfort it is wonderful. You can get a cover on it, but since it's pretty expensive, many people get it without the cover. I use it in my car, then bring it in to my seat at the office, and at home on barstool chairs in the kitchen. It's washable. It really reduces pressure points... The representative who demonstrated it to us had you throw your keys in it and then sit on them and you couldn't feel them!". The price is $53.95 without the cover and $89.95 with it, which some people order since it's fitted and is black and has handles and looks very nice." My response was that you likely could throw it in a canvas bag used for shopping and so widely available now and Martha agreed. And the 'holes' part is an advantage over my beloved AliMed "Slab o' Gel" (my term) because it reduces the weight, which is my only complaint about hauling that slab around with me wherever I need it.
Martha said that the other cushions which I had seen on the website when I looked last week, the Orbis forms, are great sellers, particularly for cars. They will work on an office chair but you have to be more careful with the fit of the chair to it; if there is suspended back like a secretaries chair. They've been a leader in this type of product for long time she said.
I look forward to getting together at their NEW EXPANDED store in Denver the next time I'm in the area and discussing with her the possibilities of collaborating more about products for people who are finding their way to Lumigrate. I have known Martha and her store since I was in OT school and cannot more highly recommend them. You can call and talk to their capable staff about whatever your needs are -- from adaptive clothing to reachers and mobility aids or equipment for the bath/shower -- look at all they have on their website! (Link above).
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Recently I had a conversation with someone in a far away state from me who was saying that their work entailed a lot of driving (sitting) and then sitting to do the paperwork part of their job. It was becoming problematic for her employment and there was concern, pain, etc. So I suggested this cushion and sent the link. Today I had this in a message, so I thought I'd share it here.
I'm very easy to find on Facebook if anyone ever wants to let me know what they think about this (or anything).
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! (And shop well for things that can make a BIG difference in your functioning, comfort, and wellness). ~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!