Advice for sleeping w/ Miami J Brace post C6-7? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

NoVa30 · 12-26-2004, 03:30 PM

Hi all:

New to the board here. Had my ACDF surgery on Wed, 12/22. Came home from the hosp on Thurs, 12/23. I am fitted with a Miami J-Brace and absolutely cannot fall asleep with this thing on. Does anyone have any advice?

Miami J Brace
http://www.supports4u.com/miamij/miamij.htm

Thanks.

MacG · 12-26-2004, 08:52 PM

Pillows, Pillows, and more Pillows

Hiya!

In kind of in the same boat, I'm wearing a aspen collar. I checked out the site listed on your thread and the Miami J looks similar to the aspen.

I use about 2 pillows under the head ( to adjust the incline ) a pillow on each side of body and a pillow to put between your knees ( in case you want to lie on your side.) Hope that helps ....

By the way, what were your symptoms post op? Seems C5-6 symptoms are very similar to C6-7.

Hang in there!
Mac

NoVa30 · 12-27-2004, 05:51 PM

Thanks for the reply. I received permission from my doctor today to switch to a soft collar while sleeping (still wear the hard collar during the day).

As for my post op symptoms....everything was fine until today when I started to get an uncomfortbale feeling in my right arm...similar to pre-op pain but not nearly as severe. It should be pointed out that I did a decent amount of typing today so perhaps that has something to do with it? Still, I am surprised b/c in theory, the disc which was encroaching the nerve had been removed. So why the uncomfort in the arm?

MacG · 12-29-2004, 02:54 AM

Hiya NoVa -

Sorry, I wanted to know about your "pre -op" symptoms. Glad to hear that you are allowed to aternate between the soft and hard collars. Did you suffer for a long time before you had the surgery?

Mac

NoVa30 · 01-03-2005, 08:18 AM

MacG:

Pre-Op symptoms:

The most prominent symptom pre-op was discomfort/pain in my right arm. This was especially true during any kind of wrist or finger extension activities such as typing or pulling socks on my feet. Lifting a fork or spoon to eat was not fun either.

Sometimes the discomfort/pain was shooting. Sometimes it was constant. Sometimes it seemed like spasms in my muscles.