Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Trouble sitting at a desk chair

Hi all,

I'm going to be starting a new job soon and I've been having trouble sitting in a desk chair due to my hips. The trouble began about six months ago and thought my chair was wearing out. I bought a real good ergonomic chair only to find out that the chair was never really much of a problem (it was a crappy chair), but that my hips are the problem. I've now had cortisone injections in all four bursa with some moderate relief after the injection, but the pain comes right back.

My doctor wants to do a plasma rich platelet injection, he says it should get rid of all the pain. I'm hoping he's right because I need to be able to sit when I start my job.

Does anyone use a cushion they might recommend until I get the PRP done. Also if anyone has had a PRP, do they work well for our condition? Thanks.

Jeff

Hi, Jeff:



RIDICULOUS!

Yeah, get rid of the sacroiliitis and lumbago that cause the problem in the first place!

NSD, fasting, antibiotics--anything except wasting time and money on stuff that is temporary at best, and potentially harmful long-term.

I hope that You can make the right choices early enough to prevent more skeletal damage,

John

Hi John,

I was using antibiotics and NSD, but they didn't have any effect on the bursitis. The only reason he used the cortisone was because insurance didn't allow him to perform a PRP without trying that first. The PRP, being a reinjection of my own platelets, shouldn't destroy the joint the way cortisone might. I'm just hoping it actually works.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

I worked as accountant and had to sit long periods during busy season, many times in clients chairs that were terrible. I had to bring small flat chair from home. I found chairs that were beveled towards center pinched in on hips and caused problems (even ergonomic chairs). The other thing I found to help with chairs was the cushion at Brookstones (memory cushion) by some Swedish manufacturer I believe.

Tim

don't know if some of the solutions i've found would work for you or not.

most ergonomic chairs are terrible for me, i suspect its because i'm fairly small (5'1") and so they just aren't proportioned properly, but maybe there are other factors.

i wonder if the exercise ball chair might be an option? or my chair (its a foam cushioned "seat" on a spring that is rounded on the top slightly so my weight rests on my sitz bones).

i've also found that if i sit with my legs crossed (one on top of the other), it puts a lot of strain on the tendons or ligaments? that connect muscles to the trochanter part of my leg (near where the bursa are) and if i sit with my legs slightly bowed that pain is a lot less.

i'm guessing these things won't help you, but thought i'd mention them just in case.

also wonder if this cushion could be useful:

tush cush

or this thing:

back joy

I can completely vouch for the tush cush....it is awesome!

i thought i bought one but then couldn't find it recently, maybe i just thought about buying it, thanks for the recommendation.

Jeff,
I suffered with bursitis in my hips and thighs when I was first diagnosed. I went through some extensive physical therapy, which took care of it. Electro Muscular Stimulation and Stretches gave the most immediate relief. Now if I sit too long I get up and do a few long stretches and walk for a bit and I am good to go.

I too have found that so called ergonomic office chairs aren't that great. And being well over 6' tall doesn't help with sitting issues either.

Hi Jeff
Let us all know how your platelet rich plasma therapy goes.
I googled it and the claims are that the platelets so injected provide growth factors to enhance healing of tendons etc - with applications to osteoarthritis.
Platelets have a very short life (2-5 days).
Pooled platelets (pooled from up to 5 or more units of donor blood) are given in cases where people have low platelet counts and therefore clotting problems.
The no. of platelets obtainable from a unit of your own blood would be relatively low.
Is the platelet rich plasma injected locally into joints / bursa - in which case not much of it could be injected - and therefore not many platelets injected.
I suppose reinjecting back into the peripheral blood on the other hand would seem pointless.

Good luck - David P.

hi jeff, I have the same problem when I drive. I have found getting out and walking helps. Maybe you will be able to get up from time to
& maybe that will help.