Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health and medical

How can I get rid of this mucus from throat?

InterestedInKnowing — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:07:03 -0800

My throat has been having a lot phlegm. I'm a singer and I don't know if it has to do with any dairy products I'm consuming. I haven't had a cold for several months so I'm not sure how to get rid of this problem? Any suggestions?

No glove...awww, sad, no love...

nakedcodemonkey — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:31:55 -0800

Can you hook a gal up? I'm looking for recommendations for a good latex-free, powder-free disposable exam glove for safe and very tactile sex. I understand nitrile is strongest, and slides on well. But does does such a smooth fit make your hand extra sweaty? I have mild eczema, so potentially that's a problem. And how does vinyl compare in your opinion?

Most options available in either material seem to assume that one is a lab tech wanting to restore fine motor control via added fingertip texture. For my purposes, this is less than ideal. I'd rather find something with a completely smooth glide. I've contacted a few manufacturers whose product details are ambiguous on this front, but so far they've been slow to reply.

Finally, it's unclear to me which size to get. Nitrile gloves in particular apparently run small. For dishwashing gloves, medium is a quite loose though comfortable fit; while small runs slightly short in the fingertips. Can you help me translate this into good sizing for an exam glove?

How to become more confident in my life?

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:49:09 -0800

I've lacked confidence in every aspect of my life, and it's holding me back. What can I do? Since I was a young boy, I've felt like I wasn't good enough to be successful. I never felt like I was as athletic or smart as others. In college and grad school, this sense of being a fraud and not smart or talented enough carried over.

This feeling has pervaded my entire life. I didn't apply for internships and scholarships in college. I didn't apply for jobs or scholarships in grad school. In these instances, I felt like there was no point in applying because I wouldn't get them. There would also be times when I would be paralyzed by fear of applying and being rejected, and would go sleep or watch TV.

Now, I'm in a dead end job, and am too unconfident to try and get another job. I look at jobs and my mind instantly goes to reasons why I won't be qualified for the job. Other times, I'm very fearful of being rejected. This is severely hampering my ability to advance my career.

This lack of confidence has also extended into my romantic life. I never approach women because I assume they'll say no because I'm too fat or ugly. As a result, I didn't have my first girlfriend until 25, and have only had 2 serious relationships in my 30 years. My lack of confidence has me worried that I will never find anyone or die alone.

I've been in therapy for a couple of years, and have been tangentially discussing these issues. I just recently realized through talking with my therapist that this lack of confidence is why I never take risks and why I've been held back in my life.

Are there any methods that any of you have used to get over this sort of problem? Are there any books or sites I can consult when I can't see my therapist or that will give me additional insight?

Thanks for any help. If you need to follow up, I've set up a throwaway e-mail at unconfidentman@gmail.com

How can I arrange for bulletproof independent health insurance?

rr — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:47:00 -0800

How can I arrange for bulletproof independent health insurance? It may be the case that very soon I will need an health insurance policy, not company specified, for me and my wife. In light of stories like this one, I am very concerned that even if I answer about my health history and my wife's history even to the extent possible, I will forget something and get hosed if I ever come down with anything.

Since the health insurance isn't likely to change in the US in the nearterm, I want to somehow insulate myself from this. Given that, is there any way to have the HI company pre-vet the policy in some way so that this isn't a risk later on? Or some other way to do this -- service or whatever?

I've lived with extremely active jobs for the last 15 years, so to be honest a lot of "I went to the doctor because I had a cough" kind of stuff doesn't readily come to mind even when I think about it. I would much prefer an active investigation.

Burned my hands with cleaning products. Now what?

dizziest — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:14:36 -0800

Mild chemical burns on my hands -- do I need to see a doctor? Cleaned something (not the toilet) using toilet bowl cleaner on Sunday, and stupidly didn't consider the fact that the harsh chemicals shouldn't touch my hands. Now it's Tuesday, and the red itchy spots haven't disappeared. If anything, they're slightly worse.

Now, before you chide me and tell me to see a doctor immediately and not be an idiot, they're not that bad. Still red, still painful, but only the tiniest amount of blistering (I had to stare for a while to even see it), and not so painful that I haven't been able to live my life just fine. Still, it concerns me that they still hurt and that they seem to be worsening.

Also, my insurance kind of sucks and I'm in my last week of grad school with a major project due on Thursday. I definitely don't have time to deal with the student care center (slow, awful, probably expensive) if it's not strictly necessary. That said, if someone with medical training tells me it's necessary, I'll go.

Otherwise, feel free to tell me about your experience, but know that I've already googled this plenty and am well aware that it's always a good idea to seek medical attention for chemical burns. I've read enough FAQs about this to notice that they're all copy-and-pasted versions of the same thing, and they seem to think I'm pretty much on the line between ok and not ok to just let this shit heal itself.

Help regarding partial seizures

gibbsjd77 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:35:44 -0800

I have never had seizures before. I am a 24yr old male. Recently I had multiple partial seizures which lasted approx. one hour each time. They took place over the course of one week. Since my last episode I have been mild/moderately dizzy, and see lights/spots/visual disturbances everywhere I look. The severity of this has varied, but it is always there. I have felt this way now for over a week. It is really difficult to function normally. My doctor was somewhat helpful, but gave no advice on how to deal with or preferably stop my current symptoms. I would appreciate any suggestions/answers from anyone who is familiar with this problem. Thank you for your time. I found this following description online. I believe this is what I have. I was dieting very strictly while taking Lamictal. Personally, I think that is what caused my seizures.

Nonconvulsive
Complex partial status epilepticus, or CPSE, and absence status epilepticus are rare forms of the condition which are marked by nonconvulsive seizures. In the case of CPSE, the seizure is confined to a small area of the brain, normally the temporal lobe. But the latter, absence status epilepticus, is marked by a generalised seizure affecting the whole brain, and an EEG is needed to differentiate between the two conditions. This results in episodes characterized by a long-lasting stupor, staring and unresponsiveness.

Epilepsia partialis continua is a variant involving hour, day, or even week-long jerking. It is a consequence of vascular disease, tumours, or encephalitis, and is drug-resistant.

Under the definition for Status epilepticus one of the causes is:

Dieting or fasting while on an anticonvulsant. Those with epilepsy or who are on anticonvulsants are advised to consult with their physicians prior to dieting or fasting

Best Way to Get Healthcare While Back in the US

andoatnp — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:40:51 -0800

I will be returning briefly to the US after 6 months abroad and I would like to partake in some of that wonderful US healthcare before I head back abroad. I have a couple of questions. I was planning on spending a year abroad (in Israel) where I have the most basic emergency-only insurance that will not cover me in the United States. I will be spending a week in the United States at the beginning of March and if at possible I would like to see some medical professionals (dentist, dermatologist at least, possibly other stuff, depending). I will be in Georgia and Texas.

I have never been without health insurance before, so I am wondering if anyone has any experience about this or advice on what I should do. If it matters, the last time I had health insurance was COBRA in July, through an old job. This is not emergency stuff, just annual check-ups.

I assume I can just start calling up dentists and dermatologists in the areas I will be and see if someone will see me, but I'm wondering if there is a way to keep the costs down or if there is some sort of travelers insurance I can get that will help defray the costs.

what medical tests to have for prevention?

binocularfight — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:36:06 -0800

i finally have good health insurance and i'm going to the doctor! what sort of tests should i have done to make sure everything is ok? i finally have health insurance that covers testing, and i'd like to have a round of lab work done to make sure everything is running smoothly. i am certainly going to have a gynecological exam, but i was hoping y'all could give me some advice on some other tests to request. i'm going to ask to have my triglycerides and cholesterol tested. a while ago, i had heard something about a blood test that people should do that is an early indicator of heart disease, but i can't remember what it is. if you could tell me that one, or anything else that you think i should do, i'd really appreciate it. i haven't had health insurance in a while, and consequently, i haven't had any tests done in a while. while i understand this is weird, i'm REALLY excited to have bloodwork done. so aside from the standard physical and gyno exams, what should i request?

about me: i'm a 27 year old female in seemingly good health. i'm very active, i eat well and exercise and get plenty of rest. however, my dad died 4 years ago and i ate to deal with it. i gained 40 pounds. i have since lost about 25, and am 5'6" and about 175 pounds. my goal is to lose about another 25, to put me in a better place than i was before. i'm doing this slowly and healthily, so i don't need any diet coaching. i am worried about what the weight gain could have done to different systems in my body. i gained mostly in my abdomen, which i know is bad for adding a risk of heart disease and diabetes. also, my dad had demensia, and there is a risk of heart disease and high blood pressure in our family. finally, i had bronchitis last winter and still have a tight feeling in my chest (although i'm fine otherwise, and not producing anything from my lungs). the tightness isn't severe, it doesn't affect my exercise (actually, exercise makes it feel better usually) and it comes and goes, but i haven't been able to shake it.

thank you so much for your help! i really appreciate your time in reading and responding. take care, everyone.

Do no harm

rosswald — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:41:18 -0800

Any recommendations for (preferably) online Public Health Journals, Communities, or Blogs? I sat in a room with Commissioner Frieden today and that, plus my friend giving me all of her GRE equipment, has motivated me to pursue my public health career.

What the hell happened to the health care system

serazin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:53:04 -0800

I don't understand why health care suddenly costs so damn much. I can understand a few factors - nurses' pay has gone up, new treatments are more expensive (and doctors prescribe more expensive treatments - sometimes unnecissarily) but these factors don't seem to explain how insanely costly health care has become. And where is all that money going? Again, I understand that CEO pay has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, but is that enough to explain the enormous cost of health care these days? Another area of confusion for me is how little time doctors (and nurses) can now spend with patients. I understand doctors are pressured to see more patients, but how does that work on a practical level - has the ratio of primary care providers to patients changed significantly in the last 10 or 20 years? Is a higher percentage of the population seeking health care? If not, how can it be that each doctor is seeing so many more patients a day? I'm confused!

How much should I put in my medical Flexible Spending Account?

grouse — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:35:27 -0800

How much should I put in my medical Flexible Spending Account for next year? I am in the 25 percent marginal tax bracket. The minimum is $240 for the year.

If I put $240 in and I spend at least $192, then I have broken even. Given that I have a $200 deductible on my medical insurance, that seems likely, as that is less than the cost of two visits to a general practitioner, or one visit to a specialist. On the other hand, now that I live in a country where I have to pay to visit the doctor, maybe I won't be assured of a couple of visits beyond an annual physical (free).

I don't have any expenses that I can definitely expect, such as ongoing drug prescriptions. Searching through previous AskMes reveals a wealth of things I could spend the money on rather than waste it. I've never done this before so I would welcome your thoughts.

Need home health care / home aide in NY

exlotuseater — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:07:38 -0800

Help. Please. (Live-in?) Home Health Care in NY. Really long explanation inside. My parents are in their eighties, dad had a triple bypass in April or so and mom has a whole bunch of problems. Mom was hospitalized (sepsis from a massive UTI) in June of this year, and was sent to sub-acute rehabilitation afterwards; her situation is complicated because she has Rheumatoid Arthritis (a particularly bad case) and the loss of muscle tone from being in the hospital really set her back. She has had a bunch or recurrent infections, UTI's, Clostridium difficile, etc, and so bounced back and forth between the hospital and the rehab. It seems that she's finally ready to come home, and I need some advice.
They both live in an Independent living set-up (continental breakfast, full sit down dinner, linen service, cleaning once a week) and they are going to continue to do this until they absolutely must leave--obviously, assisted living or nursing home is the next step, but my concern is quality of life, and everyone seems to agree that this will be best served by having a full-time aide.
Right now, my mother will need help getting dressed in the morning, help with showering, perhaps toileting, transferring from bed to wheelchair and back. Maybe other, unforeseen issues as well. She can walk ~80 feet right now, but otherwise she moves around by shuffling around in one of those "transfer wheelchairs" (I think that's what they're called--the ones with four little wheels). She might only need someone in the morning and at night, but I'm guessing that with toileting and whatnot, it's more likely that she'll need someone all the time, at least for now.
They are making a move from one apartment to another, larger one within the same facility; there will be a small den for an aide with another bed, nightstand, bureau for clothes.
The aide does not need to be a nurse, although a CNA would be good. Dad needs a little help too, as he's slowing down cognitively--medicine management, etc.
My questions include, how much can we expect to pay for this service? Would getting two aides to cover two shifts be better and potentially cheaper than one live-in aide? What have your experiences been with live-in help? What agencies do you know of in NY, specifically Suffolk County, Long Island? I am getting references from people in-house (all of whom I mostly trust in terms of quality, I just don't know about cost, what's "fair" or exorbitant. It is also my understanding that, depending upon the discharge plan, Medicare might pay for all or some of the aide service if mom has an outpatient rehabilitation plan or concurrent qualified nursing care (which she might need.)

I'm sorry if this question seems incoherent or rambling; I'm the only child (no other relatives who can really do anything, I'm an MA grad student who lives 150 miles away from them, I'm taking classes, I'm a TA with my own class, I work a second job, and I have been in a state of complete crisis for the past seven months trying to take care of everything, driving back and forth every week. (Also in the midst of dealing with an Elder Law Atty, we're trying to get mom's medicaid app. going). I'm not intending to sound dramatic or histrionic, I'm telling it like it is--in fact, things actually seem like they are calming down a little, I'm just trying to organize everything from the apartment move to the aide vetting, and I'm really just looking for your advice and experience.

*breathe*

I have a midterm tonight, so I will be studying like a madman, but I will check into the thread as often as possible to provide clarification and feedback to anyone who might offer advice.

Thank you so much MeFi.

Why Is Obesity Help Often Excluded By Health Insurers?

WCityMike — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:26:28 -0800

Why do medical insurers treat obesity different than other vices? Not a GYOB (I've got one); I literally don't understand the facts of the situation. What do I mean? A moment's thought yields thousands of examples every day where medical insurers cover medical treatment that helps people recover from the aftereffects of their own choices. Childbirth. Smoking. Heart attacks. Lacerations incurred while drunk. (And accidents caused by drunk driving.) Alcohol and/or drug rehabilitation programs. And so on. We make mistakes with our body every single day, and they incur a medical cost to our body's well-being. Most of those medical costs are alleviated by insurance.

But medical services available to help people recover from the aftereffects of obesity seem to be almost specifically excluded. Nutritionists? Nearly always excluded in every plan I've seen. Physiatrists or sports medicine for medically safe exercise? Ditto. Removal of large amounts of loose skin post weight-loss? Some people have navigated their way through appeal processes into coverage, but it's not covered without great effort and trial.

What puzzles me is that preventative and "repair" treatments has got to be more cost-conscious than paying for heart bypasses, etc., so it makes from the ultimate viewpoint that means the most to these companies, the Almighty Buck.

So what's up? Where am I making the mistake in thinking this through? The pattern seems to have boundaries that are clearly enough defined -- it seems highly, highly improbable to me that this wasn't a purposeful policy decision.

What are innovative ideas for healthcare to save money, increase efficiency and improve outcomes?

mintchip — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:06:55 -0800

What are innovative ideas for healthcare to save money, increase efficiency and improve outcomes? What would be some ideas for changes to the existing US health system to save money and improve outcomes? For example, ways to better manage chronic disease, reduce medical errors, reduce duplicate tests, etc.

I'm interested in new ideas as well as ones that have been proven to work in other countries but could be "hacked" to fit the convoluted system we have here in the US.

Are sites like Healthgrades worth the money? Are there better ways to research doctors?

Ostara — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:35:53 -0800

I am trying to find an excellent neurologist for my Mom in Omaha, NE. I have been doing research with little success. Are sites like HealthGrades worth the money? Are there any other ways that I can research a doctor's background and perhaps read reviews on them? My Mom suffers hearing loss and headaches and they are both getting worse. She is 60. Her old neurologist is pushing 80, and seems to be just going through the motions or his job at this point.

She needs to find a new neurologist who is very pro-active and systematic in finding out what's wrong. I am trying to do research for her but it seems like every site with actual information on doctors wants me to fork over at least $30 to read a report on a single doctor. I don't mind paying the money if it is actually worth it, so I was looking for some feedback or other ideas on how to research doctors. Thanks.

Medical suggestions for accident victim in India?

maya — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:40:33 -0800

Earlier this week I witnessed a pedestrian/car accident while traveling in Calcutta, India. A boy was pinned between two vehicles and his leg is badly injured. [warning] Here is a photo of his leg a few days later. His care is deficient as best and I am looking for advice and suggestions. Inside is an excerpt from my blog where you can find the full story, including known medications administered. His leg was stitched at the government hospital, under dire conditions. He has no broken bones. He has received an IV saline drip continuously except for the 4th day when he received 2x250ml of blood (about 1 pint). He never lost consciousness and responds to questions. He has no feeling around or below the wound (right calf, extending behind knee). There is obviously nerve damage, but I have no idea how extensive. His right foot seemed cold the first night but blood flow seems to have returned. He told me he can move/extend his right leg at the knew but it is extremely painful. He is very thin and his leg is somewhat swollen. Around the wound his skin is warmer.

Advice so far:
*try squeezing a toenail, it should blanche and then return to normal
*make sure he can move his foot
*Pus, if it is a white/thick substance is obviously a sign of infection and he needs stronger antibiotics. However, if it's blood and a more-or-less clear/yellowy liquid, that's normal as part of the healing process.
*the abrasion on the left of the photo should have a different bandage than the rest of the wound, and should be kept moist

As mentioned in my blog, I know advice without face-to-face consultation is inadequate. Anything stated will be taken as suggestion only, and I will consult a doctor that can see him before suggesting or administrating any changes in his care.

Tips on keeping medical notes and records organized

xo — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:12:57 -0800

I'm looking for tips on organizing personal medical records and information, assuming a chronic or complicated health problem. Things like X-rays and MRI discs, blood test results, prescriptions, notes taken during appointments with the doctor, notes made on non-appointment days about symptoms, medical history, insurance policies and bills, therapies tried and discontinued... what are great ways to keep it all organized, for ease of use (and consistent record-keeping) both for the patient and his care partners?

Preventive Medicine

netbros — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:24:03 -0800

Are expensive, precautionary tests for health preventive maintenance an abuse of the medical system? We change the oil, belts, and filters in our cars on a regular basis to avoid failure. We update our computers appropriately with the latest security patches. Women get mammograms, men prostate screenings. Occasional chest x-rays have become routine. But what about the more expensive diagnostic testing?

My grandfather died of heart disease. My father survived a heart attack when he was 52, but has had two angioplasty procedures since. Obviously, at age 55, I am at high risk for heart disease, but am otherwise very healthy. A couple years ago I talked with my physician about testing my arteries before they clog or blow. He ordered a preventive stress test, and everything looked rosey.

Is this kind of testing abusive? How about MRI or CT-scan for those with a family history of stroke? Will this kind of preventive testing cause insurance rates to go up for everyone? Should it be more common? Thanks in advance for your help.

Treatments deemed unnecessary after the fact, do we have to pay?

Sloben — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:12:43 -0800

Several months after her last visit to physical therapy, my fiancee was informed that her health insurance company won't pay for the last two months of it because they didn't think it was "medically necessary". Even if she upheld all her obligations, including co-pays every visit, is she liable for these charges? (more details inside) Some details:
- Jan: She was referred to an in-network physical therapist from her primary care physician due to pain from a back injury.
- June: Almost 5 months later the therapist stopped therapy as they felt they had done all they could do. She had paid her co-pay every visit and had even inquired about whether she needed additional referrals from her physician, to which she was answered no.
- Nov: Almost 6 months after the last visit, she was informed by the health insurance company that they weren't paying for the final two months of visits due to lack of "medical necessity".
- Feb: The physical therapist starts sending us bills for the final two months of treatment.

Since then we have appealed the "medical necessity" assessment with the health insurance company and were denied. They essentially said they had repeatedly asked for additional notes from the therapist regarding the final two months, and once they received them had deemed the treatment ineffective (and unnecessary) because she wasn't demonstrating the required improvement to prove the ongoing treatment medically beneficial.
We have also filed a complaint with the Illinois Dept. of Insurance, but they essentially said there is nothing they can do.

The therapist is getting aggressive and threatening to call a collections agency if we don't pay several thousand dollars.

We feel that at some point during those two months someone should have at least let us know these treatments might not have been covered instead of half a year later. We are mostly upset with the therapist because it seemed like they racked up 60 days worth of charges even while the insurance company was not paying them, all while my fiancee was never informed or given alternative options. We have researched things quite a bit, but short of getting a lawyer, haven't found any details in terms of legal obligations and obligated time frames that might help us out. Any help or suggestions from the hivemind?

What makes raw eggs dangerous?

lord_yo — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:20:15 -0800

What is the relationship between the age of a consumed raw egg and the risk of food poisoning, and what factors influence it - in general, but also specifically to salmonella? While I understand that the longer you wait to consume a raw egg, the higher the risk of food poisoning, I have trouble understanding some details about it - specifically:

- Are the dangerous organisms typically inside the egg, or is it contamination from other sources that introduce them?

- What is more important - the quality of the egg, or the waiting time before consumation?

- Is the risk of getting salmonella via raw eggs a stochastic one (i.e. there either are salmonella in the egg, and then you will surely get it, or there isn't, and you will not get it), or is it a risk that's getting bigger over time (i.e. if there are salmonella in the egg, the chances of you getting food poisoning depends on the time you wait before eating it).

How do I sell a piece of medical equipment?

Slacktastic — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:10:10 -0800

How do I sell a piece of medical equipment to the chiropractic/wellness market? I have a ST-8 Light Beam Generator made by Elf Labs that I want to sell. It was purchased and used by my (now deceased) wife while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. It is supposed to assist in removing blockage in the Lymphatic System.

I don't know if it is snake oil or not. It was one of many things tried to help my wife survive (you would be surprised at what you will do to try to save a loved ones life). I have found negative and positive opinions on the validity of this treatment but have spoken to one MD who says it is a valid therapy. It does concern me that the validity of the machine is questionable but it seems that there is a market for it, albeit an elusive one.

As far as I can tell it is used mostly by wellness centers, chiropractors, and possibly rheumatologists.

The problem I am having is finding how to sell the machine without loading it up and going door to door. I'm a pretty good researcher but haven't come up with any sites or message boards catering to this market.

I have seen a couple of these for sale on ebay but they didn't sell.

Any ideas?

What's up with my leg?

billysumday — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:27:03 -0800

Medical Filter. Recently (in the past month or so), one of my legs seems to have either grown longer than the other one, or one has shrunk. I walk around with a bit of a limp, and my right foot slaps the pavement. It doesn't hurt at all. Additionally, when I run or play tennis (I'm in a weekly league), my toes on my right foot get numb and prickly, like when your leg or arm goes to sleep. Then, today, I went running but had to stop because my right foot was starting to hurt. Now, about an hour after running, I'm sitting here behind the computer, and I notice that the back of my right leg, sort of between my calf muscle and my ankle, is feeling a bit numb and seems to be filling with water. Not a lot, just a noticeable swelling compared to my left leg. Again, it doesn't really hurt, but it does feel and seem odd. Obviously, I'm going to try to get an appointment with the doctor tomorrow. Until then, any ideas what might be going on with me?

Why is my toe tingling?

EKStickland — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:25:05 -0800

My pinky toe has been tingling for two days; what does it all mean? So, since last night (Wed. 26th), the pinky toe on my right foot has been tingling, a pins-and-needles kind of feeling. The sensation is strongest on the underside of the toe, towards the tip. There is no obvious sign of injury/abnormality, and it is similar in color and temperature to my other toes. The sensation isn't strong, as I'm able to sleep without problems and it's not particularly distracting. But it's damn weird, and I'm wondering what might be going on.

Any ideas?

Who should store our baby's cord blood?

sublivious — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:51:42 -0800

Who is the best cord blood bank? I'd like to enlist your experiences with cord blood banks. Who's easiest to deal with? Can we count on the cord blood being available no matter if the bank suffers financial hardships? Cost is an issue as well but that's not to say I want the cheapest bank I can find. Ideally I'd like to find a good balance between ease of use, dependability, and cost.

Make my chair back four or five inches taller?

Clay201 — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:42:16 -0800

Is it possible to add an extension to a chair back to make it four or five inches taller? I have cervical dystonia, which means that a muscle or muscles in my neck contract continuously, pulling my head forward and to the right. I'm receiving medical treatment, but it'll probably be at least a few more months before we make a lot of progress on that front.

In the meantime, I've found a simple apparatus that helps quite a bit. It consists of an elastic headband connected to a nylon strap. The strap wraps around the back of my desk chair and the headband attaches to the strap. This rig holds my head up so that I don't have to, giving the muscles in the back of my neck some much needed rest. I've significantly reduced the frequency of my headaches.

The problem is that the chair in question isn't really tall enough. The seat back, at 28 inches, doesn't come all the way up to the top of my head. Consequently, the strap sits at about shoulder height and I have to slump down in my seat to use it. This is pretty rough on my lower back, an area where I've already had plenty of problems.

I need a seatback that's 32 to 34 inches in height. However, few office chairs can match this spec. I've found some with 30 or 31 inch backs, but they're obscenely expensive (300 to 1500 bucks.) The aforelinked web page does sell a sort of portable seat-back that straps to your chair, providing extra height. However, it's only about 30 inches tall. If all else fails, I'll try it and hope it does the job. But if it doesn't, I'm going to end up paying about forty bucks in shipping just to try it and then return it.

(Note: If you're googling up office chairs and checking the specs to see whether I'm high on crack, keep in mind that "back height," which we're discussing here, is different than "seat height" or "overall height." Sometimes, "back height" isn't listed and you have to subtract the seat height from the overall height to yield an approximation.)

I found an old wing-back living room chair that's tall enough but can't get it into my bedroom. And even if I could, I'm not sure about the feasibility of using something like that as a desk chair. I've googled for ergonomic chairs, wheelchair accessories, back support doodads, and everything else I thought might possibly help. A few items were interesting, but none took home the cupie doll.

However, I'm hoping there's another solution. I'm hoping I can make my own seat-back extension. It turns out the back on my current chair (a standard issue desk chair bought at Office Depot on sale for about 50 bucks) is made of a curved sheet of plywood with a little bit of cushioning and a fabric cover. Remember, the idea here is to add a net of about 4 or 5 inches in height. So suppose I got another piece of plywood about 18 inches long, positioned it about 13 inches below the top of the chair (allowing it to stick up about 5 inches), and then nailed it in place? I'd need to add some padding, of course, and it would look ugly as home made sin, but I think it would serve my purpose, provided it could take the strain I'd put on it.

From an engineering/carpentry standpoint, is this just a ridiculous idea? If the plywood-n-nails approach wouldn't work, is there anything else that would? We're talking about adding four or five inches. It just seems to me that there ought to be a way to do this. (I have someone who can help me with the physical labor). Just keep in mind that this hypothetical extension is going to be supporting the weight of my head, so it would have to be sturdy.

All suggestions are welcome, but I ask that if you're going to post to say that I should just get the portable seat back mentioned above, just save your keystrokes. If the modification attempt falls through, that'll be my plan B.

Thanks for reading.