Bad Back

[urnmor]

Not sure where to post this question. My wife just found out she has a bad back and ultimately may need surgery but we will postpone it as long as possible. So I suspect we are not alone with this medical issue. So just wondering if anyone has modified the seating in their AS to make it easier on their back.
Thanks in advance for any ideas

[SeeMore]

It is an issue for both of us with the wife also coping with pelvis issues. I have replaced all the foam seating in our trailer with much firmer, higher quality foam. While I was re-upholstering, I also re-sculptured the seat backs to add more lumbar support. A thin layer of memory foam over the new closed cell foam made all our seating perfect for us.

In the TV, I added a thin, memory foam, lumbar support under the driver's seat covering to contour the lower seat back to my specific needs. The passenger side just got a special memory foam pad, typically used for wheelchair bound patients, placed on the horizontal section so my wife can enjoy drive time without discomfort.

[SteveSueMac]

Sorry to hear this and hope she gets better soon.

Many of us have modified our dining/lounge areas to include a recliner or two. Not sure where all the threads are for that but Google search "recliner Airforums" and you'll get plenty of results.

Ours is shown here. Good luck!

[dkottum]

We have a 2012 Rear Bed 25 and had Jackson Center put swivel recliners in it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/398600...7637145551816/

[overlander63]

I replaced the horrible OEM couch with a higher-backed model from a later model Excella.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by urnmor

Not sure where to post this question. My wife just found out she has a bad back and ultimately may need surgery but we will postpone it as long as possible. So I suspect we are not alone with this medical issue. So just wondering if anyone has modified the seating in their AS to make it easier on their back.
Thanks in advance for any ideas

It's all personal, of course, so no one answer works for everyone.

We have a 25FB. This trailer has a dinette at the rear, where the seat by the door is a flat platform, with multiple cushions. My wife wanted a seat that gave her what she needed for eating and working at a computer. She jettisoned all the cushions and permanently mounted a plywood seat back at a carefully chosen angle (I think she settled on 10 degrees). The seat back is taller than the Airstream cushion back. She got new cushions made for the seat base and seat back (with a firmer, more supportive foam).

She finds this seat is good for sitting as intended. But not as good for lounging or watching TV. We kept the opposite side of the dinette stock, and she uses that side for lounging.

By the way, our tow vehicle has comfy 12 way power seats. Sometimes she just goes and sits in the car for a while.

Not long ago, someone posted about a different mod: They had a trailer with a side dinette, and replaced the entire dinette with a pair of power seats from a GM parts department.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by dkottum

We have a 2012 Rear Bed 25 and had Jackson Center put swivel recliners in it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/398600...7637145551816/

That's really a nice setup, I'd love to convert ours to something like that. It really looks comfortable.

[John&Vicki]

We also put recliners in our trailer due to a bad back. These are smaller ones commonly used in home theaters. Our #1 improvement so far.

John

[urnmor]

My thanks to all for the great ideas. Regarding the recliner installed at the Mother ship, do they actually recline or do only the leg rests come up.
If I get the work done I am thinking I will have Colonial AS due the work. Other suggestions again appreciated

[SteveSueMac]

The Villa recliner in ours does recline. I had it drop shipped from Villa to the mothership for the work.

[dkottum]

We have the Villa recliners, they recline, swivel and the leg rest does come up. In a normal sitting position Cheryl's feet do not reach the floor, she uses a little folding footstool. They are decent recliners, we like them very much, but you ought to try a few recliners to see what is most comfortable to you.

[urnmor]

My thanks to all we will now begin the search for the best solution for Claire

[ahoyhere]

That sucks. urnmor, it won't fix anything, but the battery powered TENS units can do wonders for pain without having to swallow pills (or at least, fewer pills). Give them a google. I use them for the pain related to a severe joint condition and my husband uses them to relieve pain from a little tear in his shoulder that is not big enough to need surgery.

We're also going to be modifying our Airstream for me.

New foam in the cushions will be step #1. Thanks for your posts, SeeMore!

Then, a recliner.

When she shop for her recliner, be sure to test it. A recliner with the wrong length from hip to knee bend can sort of pull the legs forward and in my experience, that hurts in the hips and back.

[paiceman]

Sorry to hear of your wife's bad back. I have two broken vertebra in mid back from the service, long time ago and now another down very low and two severely herniated discs in the same area. I could not use the AS without lounge chairs, which we have in the front area, the same as Stevesuemac pictures, but we have two. Life saver.

Not sure what is wrong with your wife's back, however, my personal doctor (33 years with him) and a chiropractor both have told me that the success of lower back surgery is abysmal and many people come out worse than prior. So, despite surgeons telling me they can correct my issue, we have decided to not have it done. Best of luck, switch to the lounge chairs - does not have to be from AS, we used another brand in our other AS, wall hugger types.

Bud

[mimiandrews]

Bud, just be sure you know exactly what's going on with your back. A few years ago, I lost an old friend who delayed even visiting a doctor for a "back problem," because he was afraid of the statistics on back surgery. When he finally got it checked out, it was bone cancer in his pelvic bone, inoperable.

[xrvr]

Climbing up and down the AS steps can be very damaging to your back. Make sure the steps are very stable, use wooden ones if necessary.

[KJRitchie]

I had a herniated disc in 2000. I was 49 then. Couldn't walk more than 100 yds due to sciatic nerve pain down my right leg. Tried physical therapy which proved a waste of time and money. Went in for surgery at 6am walked out at 4pm with no leg pain. 16 years later and I've had no reoccurrence. I do have a stiff back getting out of bed. Movement and exercise seems to keep that at bay. I really need to loose about 30lbs to get the excess fat weight off my back.

I ordered a Lambright Lazy Relaxor wall hunger recliner covered in matching Ultraleather. I'm having the rear dinette and table modified in August to allow the recliner to fit. The rear dinette area is not comfortable enough for relaxing unless you are 25 years old. I ordered the chair from the manufacturer.


Good luck.

Kelvin

[urnmor]

Back pain is definitly no fun, however, Claire is adamant about no surgery unless absolutely necessary. Her doctor also adised not to the have the surgery unless the pain gets to the point where it is the only option. Currently she rides the stationary bike at the gym for about 5 miles and takes advil. She says the bike really helps.

As to the chairs we are looking. She has ruled out the theater type as they are to soft.

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by mimiandrews

Bud, just be sure you know exactly what's going on with your back. A few years ago, I lost an old friend who delayed even visiting a doctor for a "back problem," because he was afraid of the statistics on back surgery. When he finally got it checked out, it was bone cancer in his pelvic bone, inoperable.

Mimi thanks for your concern. I've had several CT scans, which is how I found out about the fractured vertebrae from my days in the USAF. I've had MRI and recently had a pet scan to see if it was cancer and I've had enough blood work to empty out my body of blood in the past 18 months. It's all as I stated, just another fracture and two severely herniated discs. I've checked on surgery and the supposed real statistics are about a 95% success rate. So, I'll live with the pain and make it work.

Thanks again

Bud

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by urnmor

Back pain is definitly no fun, however, Claire is adamant about no surgery unless absolutely necessary. Her doctor also adised not to the have the surgery unless the pain gets to the point where it is the only option. Currently she rides the stationary bike at the gym for about 5 miles and takes advil. She says the bike really helps.

As to the chairs we are looking. She has ruled out the theater type as they are to soft.

The chairs they used to put in the AS trailers as lounge chairs and the ones we have are actually quite hard. We put Stressless Chairs in a 25' we had for a while, you might look into those. They are quite firm and very comfortable and used to come in different sizes depending on one frame. I have found walking is much better than a bike, as the position the bike puts me in hurts quite a bit. We walk about 4 miles each morning and it seems to help a lot.

Bud