2nd Multiple Sclerosis Inclined Bed Therapy IBT Pilot Study Results

Re: Night Sweats,Sunday 2-May-1999 09:04:58,206.172.163.134 writes,I
do not have a special bed and I have had night sweats for about two
months which like you say are unusual for me as well. I wonder if it
is an ms symptom? I have a congenital heart defect as well and the
doctors are looking into a possible infection in my heart that was due
to strep throat months back (may have attacked weakness in heart)
they asked me if I had night sweats (symptom of infection in heart) so
I am wondering which it is caused from. I will find out when they get
results from transesphopogal echocardiogram. ,Michelle,

SCI's and the Importance of Gravity ,Tuesday 20-Apr-1999
09:01:51,209.30.180.100
writes,****************************************************************************
SCI's and the Importance of Gravity Dependence in Nerve
Regeneration. By Andrew K Fletcher.
****************************************************************************
Work on the regeneration of the optic nerve In fish frog mouse
rat and rabbit have been carried out at the Max Plank Institute in
Germany. Ronald Meyer has also studied this field at the University of
California.
With the optic nerve in all species being surgically severed
regeneration occurs in the goldfish and frog. Within a period of four
months sight is near normal in both cases. Yet if the optic nerve in
the mammalian subjects is severed no regeneration occurs. However
Meyer demonstrates that nerve regeneration in mammals is possible by
removing part of the optic nerve and growing it on a special culture
dish. The optic nerve is observed to grow vertically down In relation
to the television screen and in doing so passes directly through what
appears to be a horizontally placed nerve- which does not appear to
be growing. Meyer concludes that there is something about being inside
the mammalian body which prevents growth and this problem of nerve
regeneration he relates directly to the spinal cord injury in man. It
is my belief from the evidence presented in the documentary that the
special culture dish used to demonstrate the growing mammalian nerve
was tilted in order to use gravity to initiate the growth and to give
it direction.
If this simple connection between gravity and nerve regeneration is
applied to the goldfish and frog it becomes obvious why nerve
regeneration of the optic nerve is achieved. Goldfish and frog are
always vertical and if found on their side they are either dead or
very sick.
When the optic nerve is cut the fluids are still able to flow in the
same direction because it is only the tube which carries the fluids
that is severed. The brain in relation to the position of the eye
remains unchanged. In my opinion nerve regeneration occurs because the
fluid circulation and the causes of said circulation remain intact.
It is my belief that nerve endings respond to exactly the same
influences that plant seeds respond to and that in order to grow they
need a stable environment. For instance if I were to turn or rotate
grass seeds they would not thrive and would become confused to say
the least.
Now apply this simple logic to the mammalian subjects. Mouse for
instance leads a very active life and is continually altering its
posture it sleeps curled up in a tight ball and contorts to every
conceivable posture during its normal daily routines even to the
point of hanging upside down at times. If I were to place some grass
seedlings along its spine and water them (hypothetically) I could
not expect them to grow. Why should I expect
a damaged spinal cord to restore itself when it is exposed to the
same postural confusion.
Humans lead a similar life to that of mouse or most mammals when our
daily routines are taken into account we are continually altering our
posture all of our lives and the most important changes in relation
to the direction of gravity occur during sleep. We roll over from side
to side curl up in a ball sleep on our back or tummy and all the
time we are doing this we are horizontal except for a couple of
pillows.
If I were to slice a person from head to toe (hypothetically) I
would find that almost all of the tiny tubes within the body run from
head to toe. Gravity therefore must have played a very important part
in the development of this network of fluid filled tubes! Even the
intestines run predominantly downward.
A baby appears to understand the importance of standing and walking
and once those first steps are taken the babies progress accelerates
at a phenomenal rate. Could it be that gravity performs the living
equivalent of a neurological computer upgrade? Is intelligence for
that matter directly related to our vertical posture? But that's
another paper for another time.
The most important observation in relation to the spinal cord injury
is the position of the spinal cord. While resting on a flat bed
irrespective of whether you are on your side front or back your
spinal cord is horizontal. If gravity is the stimulus for nerve growth
one would expect the nerve endings to become totally confused and to
tie themselves in a knot. It is my belief that this is exactly what
happens in SCI's and is evident in the massive amount of MRI scan
data from countless thousands of cases.
In Britain it is thought that confining people who have suffered
spinal cord injury to prolonged bed rest aids recovery and prevents
further damage. Some people spend a year and more stuck in bed at a
phenomenal cost to their health and to the health service. Yet there
are many papers produced which point to the fact that this practice is
unproductive and leads to further degeneration. (too many papers to
site). In fact NASA and the former USSR have used prolonged bed-rest
to imitate the harmful effects of space travel upon astronauts which
has been shown to cause neurological problems in healthy subjects.
Many countries are realising that prolonged bed-rest should be avoided
in not only SCI's but many other conditions too. Pregnancies which
used to result in a long rest period are now turned around in a couple
of days.
WHAT IF?
If my words have any truth it should be very simple to test them.
After all the culprits appear to be horizontal bed-rest and poor
sitting posture so it would be simple to intervene with a couple of
blocks of wood placed under the head of a bed to allow the bodily
fluids to run continually from head to toe. Or to raise ones bottom so
that it is higher than ones knees while sitting. But at what angle
should a bed be raised in order to stimulate the nerve endings?
I have been working with an angle of no less than five degrees to the
horizontal which I arrived at by observing the circulation of fluids
within a loop of water filled tubing which I placed across the whole
length of the bed. It was found that when coloured saline solution was
injected at the top or head end of the tubular loop at this angle or
more it generated a circulation which occurred in the whole loop of
tubing. Any lower and no overall circulation occurred Just a two tear
flow in one side of the tube which was undesirable.
Based on the nerve regeneration in fish and frog which took around
four months a newly injured spinal cord should significantly improve
within the same time-scale. However if the SCI has been damaged for
several years the progress will inevitably be much slower. This
appears to be the same for multiple sclerosis based on my pilot study
results.
Andrew K Fletcher ,Andrew K. Fletcher,Grav...@currantbun.com
Night Sweats,Sunday 18-Apr-1999 09:51:43,207.34.213.180 writes,For
about a week I have been having intense night sweats which is unusual
for me. I have only been sleeping inclined for one month. I am very
disabled with MS 7.5 on the Curts scale and could use some feedback
from anyone with some knowledge. ,Ahmed Hassan,egy...@interlog.com

Re: Night Sweats,Wednesday 21-Apr-1999 01:34:45,195.92.199.98 writes,Hi
Ahmed
In a tropical rain forest sweating becomes a real problem. People
experience Jungle Rot where the skin breaks down.
Humidity in this environment prevents water from evaporating into the
surrounding air as it exhudes from the skin surface.
A friend of mine had a dehumidifier in his living room along with his
fish tank. He asked me how it was that he continually filed the tank
and emptied gallons of water from his dehumidifier.
There were no leaks in the tank so the water was being drawn from the
tank into the surrounding air and into the dehumidifier. This process
would of course happen even if a dehumidifier were not used. The
dehumidifier merely accelerated the problem. Eventually his fish would
all perish and he would clean out the tank refill it and start the
process all over again.
The reason his fish would die is because only pure water left the tank.
All of the toxins would remain. This was complicated by the fact that
he would top it up with tap water which in the UK contains fluoride
chlorine and who knows what else? + a fair amount of dissolved mineral
salts.
What does this have to do with me sweating?
If a dehumidifier was left running in your bedroom it would cause the
water to leave your skin surface more efficiently. This would then set
up a beneficial chain reaction beneath the skin surface because the
evaporation would leave behind the salts and this would create a more
concentrated solution. Gravity would then draw this residual fluid down
through the skin and therefore increase the flow rate of bodily fluids
in the skin tissue. The opposite of jungle rot. This would generate
more body heat and eventually the sweating problem will cease.
Why didn't I sweat when my bed was flat? When your body was
horizontal the circulation in the whole of your body was compromised.
This caused the fluids to flow through the skin tissue more slowly
With less water delivered to your skin there was less water to
evaporate.
To sum up then either your skin surface temperature is too cold or
your room is too damp or humid.
To solve this problem locate a dehumidifier. In the UK we find them in
the paper second hand for about £50.00. I purchased a new one for
£140.00
Hope this helps
Kind regards
Andrew

Fluid movement and toxins,Wednesday 21-Apr-1999 10:46:05,24.4.252.36
writes,I've been using the inclineed bed for 3 months. Two years ago
I had an exposure to mercury and I've been trying to de-tox since
that time. How does the inclined bed affect this process? Does the
fluid movement pull toxins out of areas where they are stored at a
rate faster than the liver and kidney's can handle them? Needless
to say I've been experiencing difficulties. There have been some
positive results. But I hope the adjustment process will end soon.
,Jean,

Re: Fluid movement and toxins,Thursday 22-Apr-1999
13:47:22,195.92.199.98 writes,Hi Jean
This is a good question and shows that you have absorbed the logic
behind the sloping bed.
Mercury is a very heavy substance and would as you quite rightly
suggest move rapidly towards the kidneys and bladder.
However if you had a high enough level of mercury in your body to
effect such a dramatic shift in fluids you would be in serious trouble
from the level of mercury in your body.
It may be then that other minerals including calcium and the
sedimentary deposits from the arteries are shifting.
Overloading the kidneys could be an interpretation of renal discomfort.
Another interpretation could be that renal function is increasing and
that the discomfort could be similar to a few muscular pains after a
three mile jog.
I do find this subject interesting. The initial storage of mercury in
your body would have been aided by gravity running in the wrong
direction through the bodily fluids causing heavy substances to be
pulled down into the tissue and bone as opposed to being drawn through
the kidneys and out through the urine.
Incidentally has your urine changed in strength and colour since your
bed was raised?
If mercury is moving from the body you could send in your toe and
fingernail clippings to your GPand ask for them to be tested for
mercury. I would be very interested in hearing about any such test
results.
Could you tell us what positive results you are experiencing?
Kind regards
Andrew

Re: Fluid movement and toxins,Saturday 24-Apr-1999 08:43:15,24.4.252.36
writes,Thanks for your reply. But I still want to know if the fluid
movement on the raised bed can help dislodge the heavy metals that have
lodged in the tissues and bones. My improvements include: bladder
control constipation correction and small improvement in balance.
Also morning stiffnesss. I should add that I switched to a flat bed
for 2 nights 1 week ago. All these improvements reversed immediately
so I am back on the raised bed again. Jean ,Jean,camj...@home.com

Re:

Re: Fluid movement and toxins,Saturday 24-Apr-1999
15:39:08,212.1.128.61 writes,Glad to hear of your improvements I
wonder if there are any neurologists out there who would be interested
in lending a hand instead of just looking in?
The toxins in your body could well be flushed out of your system by
avoiding horizontal bed rest. I would add that if this does not shift
the toxins then nothing else will
Andrew
,Andrew,Gravity.currantbun.com

Re: Fluid movement and toxins,Saturday 26-Jun-1999
23:44:05,205.188.199.23 writes,Have you tried sweating-sweat baths as
an adjunt. It is the ancient method for detoxing mercury and has been
updated by studies which I can probably send you if wanted. ,Bob
Reeves,reree...@aol.com

Re: JUST STARTED,Friday 23-Apr-1999 22:56:53,205.188.196.37 writes,I
hope things go well for you. My husband suggested that I let you know
that he HATED the bed for a week or more. He only stuck with it cause
it was helping me. After a couple of weeks he started sleeping more
soundly than he ever has. He sleeps through thunder storms things
falling in the house (I thought we had a burlger! - just a minor
mishap...) kids getting sick his fire pager etc... Don't give up
on the bed - I hope it is as useful for you as it has been for me -
What MS symptoms? ,Terri,tharri8...@aol.com

Andrew,Grav...@currantbun.com
JUST STARTED,Friday 23-Apr-1999 05:03:58,205.188.193.187 writes,SLEPT
FOR THE FIRST TIME SIX INCHES INCLINED. FIRST FIVE MINUTES I FELT AN
INCREDIBLE AND UNCOMFORTABLE PRESSURE IN MY LOWER BACK AND SOIME
EMBARASSMENT AS OUR 4 TEENS MARCHED BY THE BEDROOIM POINTING AND
LAUGHING. SLEEP WAS LIGHT AND I COULD FEEL THE TRETCHING OF MY JOINTS.
MY LEFT FOOT HOWEVER WAS NOT FREEZING COLD AS IS A USUAL NIGHTLY
OCCURRENCE. BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I DID NOT SLEEP AS SOUNDLY AS USUAL BUT
WE ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE "NEWNESS".
AM LOOKING FORWARD TO GOOD RESULTS. HAVE HAD A PRETTY BAD MONTH AND AN
ATTACK WHICH BROUGHT ON NEW SX OF VERTIGO ON LEFT SIDE FACIAL
NUMBNESS AND FURTHER WEAKENING OF LEFT SIDE.
SHARON ,SHARON,HIHOPES...@AOL.COM

Re: JUST STARTED,Friday 23-Apr-1999 18:52:41,208.250.56.202
writes,Stick with it. It does get better as far as the "newness"
of sleeping in this position. I too have teens and can understand the
embarrassment but when you start to see the improvements in your
overall condition it won't seem that way anymore in fact you will
find yourself telling anyone who you think might benefit from this
sleeping position about your results and encouraging them to try it
too! ,Pam,

unexpected weight gain,Sunday 25-Apr-1999
I've been using the inclined bed for a little over a month.
About 3 weeks ago I began to notice a slight weight gain (about 5
lbs). It's been creeping up another couple of lbs. My husband has
begun to notice a similiar weight gain. It seems odd that we would
both notice the same thing. We only eat one meal a day together and
there haven't been any particular changes to our diet. We've begun
to wonder if it's the bed? If so is 5-10 lbs the max or will it
continue? If it is the bed I'm just curious - why?
,Terri Harrison,tharri8...@aol.com

Re: unexpected weight gain,Monday 26-Apr-1999
Hi Terri
Thanks for your update and for the messages on the board.
With regards to weight gain. Yes this may be attributed to the bed. I
suspect that it is because of an increase in density of muscle fibre
and bone as the opposite is observed in astronauts who live in a
gravity reduced environment. Interestingly NASA and the Russian Space
Programme have used prolonged bed rest as a cheep alternative to space
flight in order to investigate the effects that a reduction in gravity
has on the human body.
If we apply this weight gain and weight loss through posture changes to
a person who has a chronic weight loss problem such as a person who
has AIDS it might be all that is needed to correct their
deterioration. Food for thought? I also have a theory on this.
My own weight increased by 10 lbs but my clothes still fit me. A friend
put 14 lbs on and his clothes still fit him. The opposite effect has
also been observed in people who are overweight. A reduction in size
and weight has been reported by several people. This suggests that
this reaction to the intervention might be from a fluid reduction in
people who store excessive water in their bodies. With this in mind it
may help people who suffer from severely swollen limbs particularly
with a condition known as elephant-titis (spelling guess).
Bone density loss becomes a problem in later years for many people. The
bones become honeycombed and brittle as calcium is excreted via the
bladder. Which incidentally is observed in astronauts during space
flight and prolonged bed rest. This massive bone loss often results in
the formation of stones as the calcium arrives at the kidneys and
bladder faster than the organs are able to deal with it. Should we not
be looking at brittle bone disease and premature ageing in children?
Or perhaps famine in the Developing Countries. How much could be
achieved if only the medical world would embrace this discovery
instead of filing it away in the "It will never work drawer"
without even investigating it. Does it really matter who I am?
Try to reduce your food intake preferably not eating anything
substantial after 6pm.
Your improvements reflect the pilot study results. You should continue
to improve over the rest of the year and beyond however there may be
some good and bad days on the way such is the nature of MS. But as a
rule of thumb the bad days should be less problematic than previous
ones and with one difference you shouldn't lose any function as a
result of a relapse should you experience one.
Kind regards
Andrew

Results After Four Weeks,Saturday 1-May-1999
I have had RR MS for 7 years which has mainly effected my left
leg. Walking has become quite diffucult in the last 8 months. After
reading Betty Iams results using Andrew Fletcher's raised bed theroy
in her monthly newsletter I wanted to try it. One month ago I
started sleeping with the inclined bed. After two weeks the swelling
in my left ankle & foot has completly gone for the first time in a year
and a half. After four weeks I began to have more strength in my left
leg for short periods of time. Mostly in the mornings. I seem to be
walking better at times. My knee is bending more and the spacisity is
much better. I am sleeping very soundly at night. I encourage anyone
to try this. It is inexpensive with the only cost being the price of
the wooden blocks. I am excited with the results so far and I am
looking forward to walking unaided.
Linda ,Linda,

Re: Results - 2 Months,Wednesday 5-May-1999 08:41:37,209.30.180.139
writes,Jim Thank you for the encouragement! I have been
participating in the study for two months also. Although I still am
not walking I have received some benefits. I sleep great! My left
foot has very poor circulation and swells. Just in the last week or so
I have noticed less swelling and generally not until late in the day.
Andrew mentioned to me that I may have to wait the first four months to
see any results. At this point what do I have to lose. Yes I was
beginning to be discourged but I am still going to use the inclined
sleep. A good night's sleep and fewer trips to the bathroom is a
great start. ,Cheryl,clin...@flash.net
An E-Mail I recieved,Sunday 2-May-1999 07:15:04,208.236.239.73
writes,I was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting MS in October 1998. It
has played havoc with my life. I am interested in the study. How do I
join? The email was so long I didnt see it in there. I will try this.
I wake every morning with a headache. I haven't been able to get a
job until mid-April 1999. I got the job but had to "leave out"
that I had MS. Every other job I told them up front and was not hired
for "reasons undisclosed". I was more then qualified for these jobs
and in one case know the individual they hired over me. Very
unreliable and unknowledgeable. Thanks for this message. ,Sherry
Absolom,she...@magpage.com
How to join your study?,Wednesday 23-Jun-1999 12:56:26,205.188.193.31
writes,I have been interested in your study after finding it on Betty
Iams site. I tried a slant pillow at first and found it helped but put
my neck in a crink as I kept sliding out of position. Now I sleep in
my Lazyboy recliner and find it very restful. I'm not sure if it
helps my m.s. Can sleeping in a recliner be a substitute for raising
my bed up 6 inches? How about the Craftmatic beds that put one in a
recliner chair position? I realize that they don't have a continual
straight recline but set the hips back slightly and raise up the knees.
I would like to join your study. ,Lori,WMDS...@AOL.COM

Results - 2 Months,Wednesday 5-May-1999 05:56:01,216.111.88.2
writes,Symptons of MS for 1 year- Classified MS only 6 months of that.
In my 10th month I heard about the inclined bed study. When I started
sleeping on an incline I was walking with a severe limp had cold feet
numbness waist down on both legs complete use of upper body no
eyesight problems. 1st week took some adjustments to sliding down bed
stiff neck - but my feet felt warmer and I went to the bathroom less.
Over the next few weeks my symptons greatly increased to the point that
I was completely bed ridden by the 6th week. Complete numbness from
under the arms down to feet left arm weak and numb right hand losing
feeling. I was in using a wheelchair. Then wow in the 7-8 week I
began to notice some recovery - feeling started to come back to my legs
my arms hands. I noticed during these weeks that early morning hours
3-6 a.m. were optimal movement less symptons swelling gone pretty
much felt great. From the early morning hours on throughout the day my
legs would swell fatigue set in pretty much symptons would worsen.
The bed position is greatly increasing circulation in my body
increases my sense of well being it feels good to lie down during the
day on the incline position - refreshes me. My condition now is that
of using a walker to move around legs are not swollen anymore feeling
is coming back in legs and my arms are almost back to normal. My wife
has noticed that her knees do not ache anymore when she wakes up. Plus
her feet are not cold at night anymore. I recommend this sleeping
arrangement to everyone I know. I will keep everyone posted on the
recovery status. God Bless and Best Wishes - Jim
,Jim,cn...@earthlink.com