TL; dr (and at the risk of sounding like I am saying "Why don't you just..." but I promise I'm not!): Have you considered that it might be your mattress?
Long story a little bit longer: My thought is that, for me (recognizing that we have some similar pain stuff but also some different stuff, and so on) it turned out that the mattress Sweetheart and I had purchased together was a huge contributor to my pain levels, ability to function, sleep, position, etc. We'd gotten one that we loved at a hotel over a long weekend but it turns out that long-term sleeping on it was awful! Had similar "back is impossible; side is only a bit better and I can't stay like this all night because it hurts" and such. Ended up exchanging it for a different mattress (the newest variety of one that I loved in the store but never bought) that was billed as being better for "pressure points". Yeah yeah yeah said I that's all nonsense. Except that I discovered, for me, it wasn't. I was sleeping noticeably better, finding positioning on my side more comfortable and also on my back (I can't do face down because of the hip issues; rolling on to left side is nearly impossible because of same).
When I went home to NJ and was on my mattress there (for three weeks) I realized it was too cushy but better than the one that didn't work for us. Now I am in my own space but the bed I had at Sweetheart's is a Queen that I bought when we exchanged the King for us (same kind as the King so now in my new apt) and wow... it makes a very noticeable difference.
For me the other contributing factor has been conceding that a medication regimen at bedtime is helpful (as I think you know NSAIDs are mostly on my no fly list), and that keeping the level of Tylenol consistent during the day - plus the addition of lidoderm patches (name brand prescription strength) - is also essential. But the meds were doing pretty much nothing until we switched out the mattress.
Finally, I've also found that sleeping on a heated throw is also helpful because it heats a huge chunk of body. I've tried heated mattress pads but I haven't really noticed their warmth (or maybe it's just not hitting in the right places). But now that the meds have been tweaked and I'm on this mattress life is seriously noticeably better, and I haven't needed the added heat at night.
YMMV, of course! And happy to send details of the mattress brand, etc. in a PM if you're interested, or answer questions or what have you.
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Date: 2021-02-24 01:00 am (UTC)TL; dr (and at the risk of sounding like I am saying "Why don't you just..." but I promise I'm not!):
Have you considered that it might be your mattress?
Long story a little bit longer:
My thought is that, for me (recognizing that we have some similar pain stuff but also some different stuff, and so on) it turned out that the mattress Sweetheart and I had purchased together was a huge contributor to my pain levels, ability to function, sleep, position, etc. We'd gotten one that we loved at a hotel over a long weekend but it turns out that long-term sleeping on it was awful! Had similar "back is impossible; side is only a bit better and I can't stay like this all night because it hurts" and such. Ended up exchanging it for a different mattress (the newest variety of one that I loved in the store but never bought) that was billed as being better for "pressure points". Yeah yeah yeah said I that's all nonsense. Except that I discovered, for me, it wasn't. I was sleeping noticeably better, finding positioning on my side more comfortable and also on my back (I can't do face down because of the hip issues; rolling on to left side is nearly impossible because of same).
When I went home to NJ and was on my mattress there (for three weeks) I realized it was too cushy but better than the one that didn't work for us. Now I am in my own space but the bed I had at Sweetheart's is a Queen that I bought when we exchanged the King for us (same kind as the King so now in my new apt) and wow... it makes a very noticeable difference.
For me the other contributing factor has been conceding that a medication regimen at bedtime is helpful (as I think you know NSAIDs are mostly on my no fly list), and that keeping the level of Tylenol consistent during the day - plus the addition of lidoderm patches (name brand prescription strength) - is also essential. But the meds were doing pretty much nothing until we switched out the mattress.
Finally, I've also found that sleeping on a heated throw is also helpful because it heats a huge chunk of body. I've tried heated mattress pads but I haven't really noticed their warmth (or maybe it's just not hitting in the right places). But now that the meds have been tweaked and I'm on this mattress life is seriously noticeably better, and I haven't needed the added heat at night.
YMMV, of course! And happy to send details of the mattress brand, etc. in a PM if you're interested, or answer questions or what have you.