buddy'smom

I know just how you feel, I don't think mine is as bad as your's but sometimes I hurt so bad, there's nothing I can do or take that helps.

star619

I love the idea of the exercise ball! Clever.

elm

Yes, any time I take a quilting class or work at home for an hour or more. I try to go to the fitness room at my senior center and use the exercise chairs or do Qi Gong exerces. The gentle stretching that happens in both are what makes my back feel better so I bet Tai Chi or yoga or any other stretching exercises would work also.

elm

Yes, any time I take a quilting class or work at home for an hour or more. I try to go to the fitness room at my senior center and use the exercise chairs or do Qi Gong exerces. The gentle stretching that happens in both are what makes my back feel better so I bet Tai Chi or yoga or any other stretching exercises would work also.

BellaBoo

I found that by getting in better physical shape I have much less aches and pains. Not so much weight loss but building strength in your body. I went to a seminar on being fit while aging. It opened my eyes to the problems of being weak, feeling tired and getting more unhealthy while getting older. No matter your limitations, there are simple exercises to do that will make a great improvement in how you feel. One thing they had everyone do was to sit straight in the folding chair, arms straight down by our sides and raise up out of the chair using only our legs and stand straight up. It was amazing how many of the younger folks could not do it and some of the elderly could do it several times. People in wheelchairs or had back/knee/hip/feet problems had different exercises to do to show their level of fitness.

Johanna Fritz

I bought a great office chair with lumbar support . When you reach out your hands to sew and piece, Your arms extended to the table should be right at the same height as your hands, and you should not have to lean down or forward to sew. Before I have a good light source, I found I was dropping my head to see the needle area closer. With 5 back surgeries under my belt, I am very careful. At the very least, I never chain piece...trying to get up and down as much as possible.

Janet Leigh

My husband works for hours at a workbench in his barn. He was told that the distance between the top of his workbench and bend at the elbow should be approx. 6". I tried this for my cutting table and it works great for me!

Nancy Ingham

I have Arthritis of the spine with problems of slipped and ruptured discs and it took me a while to get comfortable at my sewing machine. First, make sure that your chair is a good strong supportive one (mine is a wooden high-back chair) and I use a pad/cushion that is designed for people with back issues; they are available most anywhere including Walmart. It is equally important to make sure that the chair is the right height to your sewing machine; not too low or too high. Posture is very important; I pull my chair right up to the table on which I have my sewing machine and make sure that I am sitting with a straight back up against the back of my chair. Stress also can cause issues so stop periodically, take a long slow deep breath, check your posture and completely relax your body, particularly your neck and shoulders as the stress can follow on down through your back. I just try to be aware of my body and treat it right and it has made the world of difference to me. I hope some of this may be helpful to you. So sorry for your discomfort, hopefully you will find the right solution for you. Take care.

laynak

Leaning forward when I measure/cut on a standard height table is the worst for me (if I'm sewing at a friend's house or at a guild activity). I use a drafting table at home that's quite a bit higher and is much better for my back.
When I do free motion quilting, I get stiff after awhile, probably because I don't relax doing that....much more focus. So, I have to limit my time at the machine. Taking the dogs for a walk helps.

SunlitenSmiles

same goes here - sitting for any length of time is killer for me, and just taking a trip to the ironing board does not help - not sitting is the only thing that prevents the pain - the cure for a back spasam is to lie flat in the bathtub with about 6 inches of hot water, works every time for me.