2nd Multiple Sclerosis Inclined Bed Therapy IBT Pilot Study Results

Julian is going to Jump from an aircraft News article,Friday
21-Apr-2000 02:47:43,212.1.128.63 writes,Sunday Independent April 16th
2000 page 4 Burrington Way Plymouth PL5 3LN UK
Heading: RAISING HIS BED TOWARDS THE SKIES BY ANTHONY ABBOTT.
WHEELCHAIR-BOUND Julian Boustead is taking to the skies for a
parachute jump to raise awareness about a simple bed treatment
that's given him a new lease of life. The 37 year old - who was
left paralysed after breaking his neck during a charity assault course
run. Struggling to get out of bed in the morning and always felt the
cold until he took the simple step of raising the head of his bed on
blocks of wood by a matter of inches. Julian who lives near Torquay
has urged everyone to try the Naturesway Sleep System Pioneered by
West-Country Inventor Andrew Fletcher and first revealed in the Sunday
Independent nearly three years ago. He said; 'I used to feel dizzy
when I got up and I couldn't stay outdoors for long because I always
felt the cold. 'After the first night I got out of bed straight
away with the help of the nurses and I did not feel faint My
circulation has also improved. I would never put the bed back again and
all my family are sleeping on raised beds.' Now Julian a former
professional boxer and equestrian expert who still teaches youngsters
riding has premised Andrew Fletcher he will do a parachute jump this
summer to show other sufferers the benefit of the bed treatment.
Julian Colour Pictu

Re: Sub heading: Wheelchair-bound Julian Boustead will jump from the
skies this summer. Picture Steve Porter
It was former engineer Andrew who contacted Julian two years ago after
learning of his plight and suggested he tried the bed method.
Gravity
Andrew was fascinated by the way water moved up trees through roots and
wandered how the gravity and the flow of water would effect the human
body. He put some bricks under the head of his own bed and within four
weeks his wife's varicose veins had disappeared. Since then he has
discovered his treatment has helped MS sufferers get some feeling back
in their legs and arthritis sufferers.

Re: About a year sleeping inclined.,Tuesday 16-May-2000
22:05:12,205.188.193.172 writes,I'm a lot like you Carol. It's
been about a year since I started sleeping this way for my MS symptoms.
I had occasion to sleep flat only once in the past year but occasion
number 2 is this weekend...I'm deading it!
I am greatful for everything Andrew has done for all of us with MS. I
certainly intend to let him know about any further developments...bad
or good so that he can continue tracking my progress. It only seems
fair with all he has done! It's a shame that he doesn't CHARGE $$
for his time and talents he has shared with us...that would make the MS
community take note! It really annoys me that they collect all the
money they do to further drug research not to help someone who only
has his brain's efforts to give to us!
I'll assume that we will have a second year of continued success
Carol!!
,Terri,tesa6...@aol.com

Re: About a year sleeping inclined.,Sunday 14-May-2000
05:53:30,212.1.128.63 writes,Hi Carol
Thank you for posting your report. It is a great help to my work and
everyone else who reads it. I just wish more people would follow your
example here and tell it the way it is. Good or bad it needs to be
said.
You know without this message board we would have a tremendous
struggle on our hands to convince others to try the raised bed. I
probably would have walked away from people with multiple sclerosis had
it not been for the few like you who have decided to try to help our
cause and fellow sufferers of neurological conditions. As it is today
we are convincing the medical profession and the media to take an
interest in our study.
The fact that you slept flat and found a negative difference enables
everyone to see that the bed is helping. If anyone doubts that the bed
is helping all they have to do is revert back to flat bed-rest.
It has been argued that no double blind placebo based study has been
conducted under the supervision of scientists and the medical
profession. This is not because I haven't tried to enlist the support
of these people I have lost count on how many times I have tried over
these last 6 years. I have folders full of negative replies and not a
single logical argument against the inclined bed in any of them. At the
last count my personal debt was in the region of £13 000 which some
could argue is not a lot for six years of research. But to my family
and me it is a great burden and I don't know how much longer I can
continue without some financial assistance from the powers that be. The
problem is that the charities and funding bodies have no facility for
affording support to individuals working independently and the majority
of the medical community have no wish to include my discovery in
medicine. Because it is an alternative to popping pills and injecting
chemicals which have little to no effect on multiple sclerosis and
other serious medical conditions.
There is another route however. If we could gain more support from the
media we could begin to address the problem of professional
disinterest from a very powerful standpoint and this would undoubtedly
raise some serious discussion.
One thing has occurred to me for some time now. If a scientific
controlled study is required to get people to question the way that
they sleep. Why is it that flat bedrest has been accepted without
question? Searches on the Internet produce thousands of studies that
confirm my argument against Flat bedrest. It is undoubtedly an
unhealthy way to sleep yet the majority of the World's population
never question why they do it. Everyone sleeps flat on flat beds
because they are made flat and for no other reason. Where is the
science in this? This becomes as ludicrous to me at least as the idea
of sleeping inclined is to the majority of people I have approached.
When my family look at a flat bed now it looks wrong even sinister.
If we sleep flat for any reason it feels like our bodies are upside
down and we are falling through the bed. And on those rare occasions
If we have had a little too much to drink and sleep flat while away
from home we get a hangover if we sleep at home on our inclined bed
we don't!
The thing that really gets me down is that the majority of people who
take the information are unwilling to help with the study and to me
this selfish act is alien to my beliefs. If they have a problem with
the study form then they should at least tell me what's wrong with it
so that I can make some changes.
If the form is too complicated let me know and lets see how we can
improve it.
Kind regards
Andrew

About a year sleeping inclined.,Sunday 7-May-2000
22:52:41,205.188.197.44 writes,I have been sleeping with the head of my
bed raised 6 inches for about a year. I have MS and also eat a low
fat diet and take lots of supplements. My condition is better now than
it was when I began sleeping inclined. I can now take a half mile walk
almost every day and a year ago I couldn't walk to the corner. I
have been eating low fat for two or three years and taking the
supplements that long too. I suppose some may attribute the
improvement to the diet etc. and I'm sure it has made a difference.
However I'm also sure enough that the inclined bed has helped a lot
too that I will sleep that way the rest of my life. I sleep better
seem more energised and have less numbness and tingling in my feet and
legs. I slept flat two or three nights during the year and could
barely go to sleep that way - my legs are much more numb and tingly and
tend to 'go to sleep' when I sleep on a flat bed. My arms also
used to 'fall asleep' a lot when I slept flat but I don't think
it has happened once since I have been sleeping inclined. I am very
grateful to Andrew and his discovery. Carol ,Carol,cah...@cs.com

Sleeping Inclined for about One Year,Tuesday 23-May-2000
23:09:34,204.210.50.58 writes,I am writing this for my daughter who has
relapsing/remitting MS. She does not have a computer but I personally
encouraged her to begin sleeping inclined a year ago when she was first
diagnosed.
She reported an immediate decrease in the "numbing and tingling" in
her legs. Recently she told me that she decided the inclined bed
wasn't doing anything so she removed the blocks for two days and she
immediately replaced them and said she will sleep inclined for the rest
of her life!! She reports that there is a noticeable reduction in her
MS symptoms when she sleeps inclined.
I personally have been sleeping inclined for over a year and a half.
As a primary progressive person I have not noticed many of the
improvements that others have reported but just being relieved from
getting up several times each night is enough for me to keep my bed
elevated. I just returned home from a 10 day visit with my son and his
family and I could certainly tell the difference. I would be tired
every morning just from getting up so many times each night.
God bless you Andrew for sharing this great MS management tool. And I
am so happy to hear of the success John and other people with spinal
chord injuries are experiencing.
I encourage everyone with MS to remember that no two of us experience
MS alike and therefore our results will undoubtedly vary. Also
PLEASE PLEASE everyone send Andrew reports of your progress. They
are essential for his work.
Smiles and {{{{{hugs}}}}} to all.
Betty Iams ,Betty Iams,bia...@san.rr.com

Re: Info. please,Wednesday 28-Jun-2000 16:30:38,195.8.87.225
writes,Hello Linda
I have just sent a longer reply to Mike he is about two messages above
you.
This has worked wonders for me and I am sure it will for you read my
reply to Mike and if you would like to contact me please do my injury
was also incomplete so you will probably take the same path that I have
it takes time and it can be painful but there are ways of helping the
pain problem.
All the best John ,John,honico...@clara.net

18 months and still going strong,Saturday 3-Jun-2000
04:37:09,62.7.96.50 writes,I have now been sleeping inclined for 18
months apart from a period of 3 days when a rather bad attack of back
pain prompted me to change to flat sleeping. After the second night the
various nightly visits to the bathroom started to reoccur. The bed was
put back to the inclined and the problem was gone. I am still awaiting
improvements with my walking and balance but I am confident they will
improve with diet and exercise as well as the inclined bed As an aside
my wife can't contemplate sleeping on a flat bed in the future. Thank
you Andrew for your patience ,Michael
Hunt,Michael.L.H...@btinternet.com
Info. please,Friday 26-May-2000 12:34:55,205.188.193.152 writes,Have
just heard about your website. I am SCI level C5 6 7 incomplete 20
months ago. Could I get some more info please. Do I simply raise the
head of my bed by 6 - 8 inches? ,Linda Wright,linmarwri...@aol.com

Re: raising the bed helps ?,Wednesday 28-Jun-2000 16:15:00,195.8.87.225
writes,Hello Mike I also had horrendous phantom pains for several
years I also would have tried anything and did raise my bed head eight
inches the first night the pains ceased and I had a wonderful nights
sleep. There were no pains at all for about two months then I got
really bad pains which sometimes lasted for a couple of days but these
were not phantom pains but nerve regeneration pains they came at
varying times usually about a week apart they went in the reverse of
the original pains but after about two years there is feeling and a lot
of movement in both legs. I it was not for the muscles between the
knees and the buttocks being weak I am sure I could walk.
I lowered my bed to six inches and it felt as though my feet were in a
bucket of red ants. so I raised it up to eight inches and that feeling
stopped.
I wish you all the very best stick with it and I am sure you will get
results.
John ,John Cann,

Re: Just Starting,Thursday 3-Aug-2000 13:13:22,195.92.67.66
writes,Just Starting Saturday 29-Jul-2000 13:00:27 209.224.35.157
writes:
I will be sleeping on my newly adjusted bed tonight for the time. I
first heard about this two days ago and know nothing but what I read
here. If someone could send any additional information I will need I
would appreciate it. All I know is to raise my bed 6 inches at the
head. I have ms. I am a quadriplegic. I will try almost anything within
reason at this time. If this doesn't work all I have to do is lower
my bed. I'm very excited wish me luck.
Peggy
Hi Peggy
Welcome on board and I wish you every success for the future as I am
sure everyone does.
You have a long way to go so be patient and never sleep flat not even
for a few hours as this will slow the regeneration process down
considerably.
About three years ago I tried to convince a very good friend of mine
from school to try this he sustained a spinal cord injury following a
motorcycle accident. I could not reach his positive attitude.
I asked him to contact John Cann and ask him how much he had regained.
John managed to convince him where I had failed and within five weeks
of sleeping inclined he woke and for the first time in many years he
felt that he had legs attached to his body and knew where they were.
He also noticed a draught on his legs while sitting next to the window
and finds that he somehow feels fitter and stronger. Early days for
Steve but he now knows that this is not an empty promise and will stick
it out for as long as it takes.
I took the video of john Cann walking on Carlton Television News
(albeit local news) and I definitely saw a tear in his eyes.
To help a friend in need to overcome what everyone else says is
impossible gives one such a tremendous feeling of warmth. To hear him
thanking me for not giving up on him was priceless.
Peggy I would like to say thank you for posting this and letting
everyone share your challenge.
Respectfully yours
Andrew
,Andrerw,

Re: Just Starting,Tuesday 8-Aug-2000 17:52:54,24.94.9.161 writes,Hello
Peggy
Congratulations on your decision to sleep inclined. It is a great tool
to help us all deal with the challenges MS brings. Do be patient with
yourself and let us know how you are doing.
Betty ,Betty Iams,bia...@san.rr.com
raising the bed helps ?,Wednesday 7-Jun-2000 16:26:18,62.125.149.238
writes,this sounds like it could be a very exciting discovery..
please send me details..
I am tetraplegic (C5/6 complee) since a RTA six years ago. I'm
willing to try anything that may help.
I suffer from water retention irritable bowel un-satisfying sleep;
and a lot of pain and discomfort from 'phantom' pains. This looks
like just the sort of thing that might work. All relevant info.
gratefully recieved...
makan...@netscapeonline.co.uk ,Mike,makan...@netscapeonline.co.uk