Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Bathtubs and Fusion to the Sacrum

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Bathtubs and Fusion to the Sacrum

    Hi....

    One of our patients has asked if anyone has found a solution that would allow her to comfortably sit in a bathtub. Like many of us, she has a long fusion to the sacrum. Does anyone have a suggestion?

    Thanks!

    --Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

  • #2
    Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
    Hi....

    One of our patients has asked if anyone has found a solution that would allow her to comfortably sit in a bathtub. Like many of us, she has a long fusion to the sacrum. Does anyone have a suggestion?

    Thanks!

    --Linda
    I think the best setup is to drive a Rolls Royce into the hot tub. (I supplied the photo attachment below)

    Sitting in a bathtub is easier if one can stretch out. Sitting is so hard after surgery and stretching out and having little or no bend actually causes you to float. Its far from a "sitting" position. Floating while being straightened out is the ticket. I used 106 degrees F which is HOT! It completely removes bone and nerve pain in seconds. Drink copious amounts of water if you soak.

    The depth of my tub measures 17". I just measured it with a tape measure. This is deep enough to float. I have a large tub and I have looked at "standard" bath tubs and I don't think that would work. Mine also has a sloping back, approx 30 degrees with lumbar support molded into the tub. I turned up my water heater all the way, and measured temp with a hot tub thermometer each time. I also would drain after use to about 10 inches deep and leave that water in the tub until the next use. This way it only took a few minutes to prepare instead of waiting forever in pain.

    Any large tub or over sized deep tub like the ones used at most hot springs resorts is best. They can get much deeper than 17 inches probably up to 24 inches.

    Bath pillows....
    https://top10perfect.com/top-most-po...llows-reviews/

    (If you google Rolls Royce in swimming pool, and select images, there are a whole bunch of different photos, so its not my idea and quite popular!) I think its called a British soak.

    Ed
    Attached Files
    49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
    Pre surgery curves T70,L70
    ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
    Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

    Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

    My x-rays
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
      I think the best setup is to drive a Rolls Royce into the hot tub. (I supplied the photo attachment below)

      Sitting in a bathtub is easier if one can stretch out. Sitting is so hard after surgery and stretching out and having little or no bend actually causes you to float. Its far from a "sitting" position. Floating while being straightened out is the ticket. I used 106 degrees F which is HOT! It completely removes bone and nerve pain in seconds. Drink copious amounts of water if you soak.

      The depth of my tub measures 17". I just measured it with a tape measure. This is deep enough to float. I have a large tub and I have looked at "standard" bath tubs and I don't think that would work. Mine also has a sloping back, approx 30 degrees with lumbar support molded into the tub. I turned up my water heater all the way, and measured temp with a hot tub thermometer each time. I also would drain after use to about 10 inches deep and leave that water in the tub until the next use. This way it only took a few minutes to prepare instead of waiting forever in pain.

      Any large tub or over sized deep tub like the ones used at most hot springs resorts is best. They can get much deeper than 17 inches probably up to 24 inches.

      Bath pillows....
      https://top10perfect.com/top-most-po...llows-reviews/

      (If you google Rolls Royce in swimming pool, and select images, there are a whole bunch of different photos, so its not my idea and quite popular!) I think its called a British soak.

      Ed
      Thanks Ed. I talked to her about swapping bathtubs, especially in regard to a walk in tub, but I'm not sure that's an option for her.

      I tried a few of the pillows (before my fusion extension to the sacrum), and wasn't very happy with them. Maybe I just wasn't motivated enough to make them work. I'll pass on the web page to her.

      --Linda
      Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
      Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

      Comment


      • #4
        Linda

        That Rolls photo is the perfect office photo for any hydro therapy dept. Under you could have a caption, "We submitted this idea, but hospital admin didn't approve" LOL

        Having the right tub setup being a scoli is a huge benefit. I bought a beautiful 7ft square hot tub years ago, It was loaded and had the neck jets, wrote it off with a doctors note, but didn't use it in my recovery because I was afraid of falling. (Damn) Indoors is also important.

        I was looking at tubs online and of course they are in these gorgeous bathrooms.....this weekend I will post a few photos and probably trigger some expensive bathroom re-models.

        I re-did my bathrooms in 2000....it took a month just for the tile setter to do the tile work on the master, and what a MESS! But it was worth it and my tub was invaluable. I don't know if I would have made it through my recovery without it.

        Tonibunny knew about the soaking. Her descriptions on SSO about floating were spot on as she was a soaker with all the surgeries she had through the years.

        Below are 2 photos of tubs with sloped backs that caught my eye.

        Ed
        Attached Files
        49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
        Pre surgery curves T70,L70
        ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
        Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

        Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

        My x-rays
        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

        Comment

        Working...
        X