I finally got the approval (the money to pay for it was sent) for getting the Shiatsu Chair Pad for my back from Ontario Works. It came at a good time too.... my back *had* started feeling a bit better (the muscles (from Fibromyalgia) anyway... the Degenerative Arthritis is the source of constant pain in my lower back and neck areas) and I stubbornly took advantage of that fact and the bits of nicer weather we've had on and off, and did a bit of weed pulling and rose bush trimming that should have been done last year. And well, the muscle pain has started up again. *sigh* Guess I should have waited another week to see if the pain was really gone or just taking a short break.
Oh well, I will pick up the Chair Pad today and use it a couple of times tonight, along with taking my medication. :o)
Okay Katherine & Liz, I'll let you know how it goes with the chair pad. I do know that when I tried one just before Christmas (when my back was killing me from walking around the mall) for a couple of minutes trial, my back felt 95% better and I was able to get on with the rest of the Christmas shopping that Matthew and his best friend wanted to do. I always have a constant nagging lower back ache, but that's from the Degenerative Arthritis and not the Fibromyalgia.... that's why I didn't say my back felt 100% better. ;o)
The man at the store today told me to remember to remove the screw from the back of the chair pad... the screw holds the balls in place and when you remove it that allows the balls to roll up and down the entire length of the chair pad. It actually starts at your buttox and kneads the muscles while working it's way all the way up to the top of your shoulders. Oh it is absolute HEAVEN!!! Matthew didn't realize that it started down quite so low, so when he sat in it and it started down there he almost jumped out of the chair. LOL
The lady I spoke with a couple of weeks ago said that when she tried it for the full 15 recommended minutes her back felt bruised because it was too much for her. I can see that, considering that my back felt much better after only a couple of minutes.
Katherine, have your doctor write Keith a prescription for the Shiatsu Chair Pad... then photocopy the prescription and pass the copy in to Social Services for their approval. They may ask for a letter describing what it is going to be used for... they did here. My doctor wrote a letter saying that it, along with my medications & heating pad when needed, would help with my continuous back pain due to Fibromyalgia and that he recommends that I have one. After they received the letter from him, it only took them a week to send me the money approving the chair pad. Good luck to him on getting the approval, I know they hem and haw about approving a lot of things... but it is worth keeping after them through your doctor, because eventually things get done. They are expensive, but worth the money... if they hadn't approved it, I would have (when I could manage to save enough) bought my own.
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