Thank you all for the responses. I have an office chair at my sewing desk that can be raised and lowered and it has one of those back support things on it. I take many breaks because I have 3 yr. old, enough said there. My bed is pretty high off the ground but it still is difficult to sandwich a quilt on it.

Kathy I will take pictures and show it all off when I get the quilt quilted. Had to take the quilt to my Mom's to quilt it because I don't have the spaced here to quilt such a large quilt so it will be a while.

I actually am seeing a chiropractor for a quilting injury to my neck and back! I was machine quilting a large quilt with 2 layers of batting and pulled my neck.

I thought I was alone in the pain center! Thanks for the tips, as well. I want to keep moving, moving, moving and being productive and many of your suggestions will make that happen.

Nope I am hurting too. I agree, get up frequently, use hot tub/bath/ hot shower. Try and have equiptment on the right hight and take frequent breaks. This is supposed to be fun!

You are certainly not alone in this! Ergonomic workplaces, lots of quick breaks, stretching, etc. can really help though.

The pain we endure when we get in that really creative mode....

Those pulsating shower sprays are nice also.. kind of pound your sore muscles with jets of water.. quilting is not for the wimpy.. but do figure out your best working height and do what you can to raise/lower surfaces to that level.. and a really good sewing chair is a very good investment!

I hear you....and I am not going to go there! But if you are using your bed to measure and such....you might consider raising the bed with some of those things you can get from Target or wooden blocks...you will not be bending over so much...
And remember....breaks, breaks, breaks....every twenty minutes or so...

My great-grandmother told me that once my back hurt and I had stuck my finger with my needle 25 times that I was officially a quilter. She taught me to make quilts when I was 12 and she was a funny lady. If you can't remember to get up and move around,just set a timer and put it in another room.Then you have to get up to turn it off.

Quilting for 4 days and only stopping when you have to sounds like you are torturing your body.I take long walks and only sew for short periods of time.....

I agree with the break taking....thank goodness we have two dogs (two cats also)....they all require bathroom breaks and attention.....without them I'm afraid I'd be in the same position that you are cjomomma. Even tho you take breaks when you do....do you bend and move body parts to help relieve the pressure and stress? When I take the dogs out I find myself doing things in the yard and garden when seems to help me so very much. I also got the back weight thing that you put over your shoulders with a weight that hits about the middle of your back several years ago. It was pricey but it helps to keep my neck, shoulders and back in alignment.