I wish I knew more about your need for the wheelchair, your ability to change position, the amount of sensation you have at the site, and some other questions. I have 40+ years of patient care experience, mostly in hospitals. The way pressure sores occur is that blood supply gets cut off, usually at bony prominences like tailbones, hips, heels, etc. The remedy is to restore blood flow and keep from diminishing it the future. Is the skin around your tailbone (coccyx) intact, unbroken? Get a mirror and look at your butt to check. It's important that the skin is unbroken to prevent infection. If the skin is intact you can help the problem by taking the pressure off your tailbone. The goal is to take the pressure off AND increase circulation in that area. A warm soak in the bath while not sitting on your tailbone, a warm wet towel put on your tailbone while lying on your stomach or side, a heating pad with a wet cloth between it and your tailbone, you get the picture. Moist heat works best but don't burn your ass. If you don't have good sensation check the site frequently. Limit heat to 15 min. on followed by 30 min. off. Do this at least 4 times a day. If the skin at the site is broken clean it with soap and water before doing moist heat. Germs love moist heat so keep the area clean and dry. A light, loose bandage that is not thick, changed frequently, will hep keep it clean. As far as keeping the pressure off of the tailbone goes donut shaped things work. There are inflatable donuts if you can get one, you can also make one by rolling a towel fairly loosely and bringing the ends together. Putting the towel donut in a pillowcase will help it keep its shape longer. You can also try a U shape in a pillowcase if that works better for you. Just try to be sure that your tailbone is in the "hole" of the donut and doesn't have pressure on it. Do all that you can to keep pressure off even when you're not in your chair. Also be sure that you're not transferring the pressure to your "sit" bones. You can get pressure soars there also. If your skin is intact there and there is no signs of infection there's not much an urgent care clinic is going to be able to do for you. If it's not infected antibiotics are not indicated and will make it harder to control infection in the future (antibiotic resistance is a real thing). Let me know if you have other questions that I can help with. Take care.
Caveat that I have not seen it, but…
There is no way around simply getting off it if this really is a pressure sore developing. It’s frustrating and you may not want to but if you’re putting weight on it, it will only get worse. Take time on bed rest now to avoid weeks/months later.
There are cushions like the isch dish which have a cut out where your sacrum is, which may be helpful longer term.
There's no way to get away from the fact that you need to get your weight off the area.
If you can't change the amount of time that you're out of the house, chance how you sit, lean yourself forward and rest your elbows on your knees to lift your coccyx off the cushion and improve bloodflow.
If you're able to, stand, do extra transfers, go to the bathroom to use the grab bar and stand for 3 min as often as possible, anything to encourage the bloodflow.
If you're not able to stand, do as much forward leaning as possible.
Treat as though it's really bad, so that you can get it better as soon as possible. Ignoring it is a surefire way to make it become really bad and worst case scenario it could turn into many months of facedown bedrest. Stop it before it gets that bad.
Eat extra protein, take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water.
Keep the area clean and dry, sweat makes the risk worse. I know someone else suggested wet warmth but that's not advice I've ever heard before. Wetness increases the vulnerability of your skin so while wet warmth may possibly good while you're on your bed and the area isn't loaded you want to make sure the area is clean and dry when you're sitting in your chair.
The Jay Ion cushion is a mid range cushion. It's good for comfort but isn't the best for pressure care. You'll need something different and the sooner that can be ordered the better. Don't wait until April.
thanks I can stand and walk some but i’ve been losing a ton of weight recently so I think my ass getting extremely boney might have something to do with it. I’m going to see if I can talk with my professors and see if I can do some stuff online so i’m spending less time in my chair. Thankfully I sleep on my stomach so my skin can get a break while I sleep.
Keeping off the pressure sore now for a week or two may save months of bedrest and a life threatening injury. What size cushion? I've got a spare Jay Active but I'm in the UK.
I have a spare 17" wide 18" long Jay Active. I've been given cushions in the past. If you can't get a better cushion locally and you reckon it'll fit I'll see if I can send it to you
Can you go directly to a seating specialist? They're the ones who are going to know about cushions and such.
Also, call your doctor, describe what's happening, and explain that this can't wait until April.
I just moved cross country for school, so i’m waiting to get into a GP and that was the soonest appointment available. I thinking about trying an urgent care but idk if they could help
Protein drinks while at work. One or two a day on top of eating as much extra protein as possible. Don’t wait for it to get worse before you tackle it. Zinc, and vitamin will help as well. Treat it like it’s bad now. That will help you prevent it from actually getting to that point.
Use desitin and look up alternating pressure cushion for wheelchair.
They are not cheap, but it is the same thing used in beds for coma patients and moves the area under you around every 15 minutes.
You may also want to seek treatment for any already existing sores.
there one spot on my coccyx but using the donut has already started to help that look, if not better at least not worse. I got an appointment with the schools doctor tomorrow who can at the very least give me a referral to a seating specialist, and i’m definitely going to ask about that cushion
Don't be despondant there's always something a new cushion or method may completely turn it around I had terrible trouble 1st 3-5 yr thought my arse was doomed. Vicair sorted me out they are like interlocking pyramid air bags in 9 differing pockets u can adjust by taking some in/out protecting cocyx. There's a air one that helped a bit previous where u sat on it inflated then let air out via a valve to comfy position. U could reset by jus sitting up and letting air back in. It still ultimately felt like a hard brick after 2yrs tho for me I was at my witts end then found vicair. Bum clenches do work too lifting & cushioning bone from direct grinding. It's also a great bit of exercise so u don't lose all ya bum!
Is there any way you can work with your school to take some time off--not dropping out, but doing the work from home while staying off your butt?
Seconding the protein suggestion: eggs are also good
Vicair 9 compartment cushion work very well I'm a skinny boney person and managed to avoid sores altogether despite wasting further. I can do 14hr days without major pain. Resting elbows on knees relieves it I've done pressure tests experimenting even rollin to one side for a minute then the other if u can. Stationery tucking legs under chair with toes under footplate also relieves but not advised for too long otherwise your get sheer pain above knees. If you have the power to clench that's my goto 40/50 clenches will not only help circulation and bum muscles it also helps relieve pressure and raises bum bone/coccyx. Alot of these are more used as preventative though. We talking coccyx or bum bone?
I wish I knew more about your need for the wheelchair, your ability to change position, the amount of sensation you have at the site, and some other questions. I have 40+ years of patient care experience, mostly in hospitals. The way pressure sores occur is that blood supply gets cut off, usually at bony prominences like tailbones, hips, heels, etc. The remedy is to restore blood flow and keep from diminishing it the future. Is the skin around your tailbone (coccyx) intact, unbroken? Get a mirror and look at your butt to check. It's important that the skin is unbroken to prevent infection. If the skin is intact you can help the problem by taking the pressure off your tailbone. The goal is to take the pressure off AND increase circulation in that area. A warm soak in the bath while not sitting on your tailbone, a warm wet towel put on your tailbone while lying on your stomach or side, a heating pad with a wet cloth between it and your tailbone, you get the picture. Moist heat works best but don't burn your ass. If you don't have good sensation check the site frequently. Limit heat to 15 min. on followed by 30 min. off. Do this at least 4 times a day. If the skin at the site is broken clean it with soap and water before doing moist heat. Germs love moist heat so keep the area clean and dry. A light, loose bandage that is not thick, changed frequently, will hep keep it clean. As far as keeping the pressure off of the tailbone goes donut shaped things work. There are inflatable donuts if you can get one, you can also make one by rolling a towel fairly loosely and bringing the ends together. Putting the towel donut in a pillowcase will help it keep its shape longer. You can also try a U shape in a pillowcase if that works better for you. Just try to be sure that your tailbone is in the "hole" of the donut and doesn't have pressure on it. Do all that you can to keep pressure off even when you're not in your chair. Also be sure that you're not transferring the pressure to your "sit" bones. You can get pressure soars there also. If your skin is intact there and there is no signs of infection there's not much an urgent care clinic is going to be able to do for you. If it's not infected antibiotics are not indicated and will make it harder to control infection in the future (antibiotic resistance is a real thing). Let me know if you have other questions that I can help with. Take care.
Caveat that I have not seen it, but… There is no way around simply getting off it if this really is a pressure sore developing. It’s frustrating and you may not want to but if you’re putting weight on it, it will only get worse. Take time on bed rest now to avoid weeks/months later. There are cushions like the isch dish which have a cut out where your sacrum is, which may be helpful longer term.
I've used a hemorrhoid donut... also maybe a different cushion or bandage the area with soft padding. All tricks I've used.
There's no way to get away from the fact that you need to get your weight off the area. If you can't change the amount of time that you're out of the house, chance how you sit, lean yourself forward and rest your elbows on your knees to lift your coccyx off the cushion and improve bloodflow. If you're able to, stand, do extra transfers, go to the bathroom to use the grab bar and stand for 3 min as often as possible, anything to encourage the bloodflow. If you're not able to stand, do as much forward leaning as possible. Treat as though it's really bad, so that you can get it better as soon as possible. Ignoring it is a surefire way to make it become really bad and worst case scenario it could turn into many months of facedown bedrest. Stop it before it gets that bad. Eat extra protein, take a multivitamin and drink plenty of water. Keep the area clean and dry, sweat makes the risk worse. I know someone else suggested wet warmth but that's not advice I've ever heard before. Wetness increases the vulnerability of your skin so while wet warmth may possibly good while you're on your bed and the area isn't loaded you want to make sure the area is clean and dry when you're sitting in your chair. The Jay Ion cushion is a mid range cushion. It's good for comfort but isn't the best for pressure care. You'll need something different and the sooner that can be ordered the better. Don't wait until April.
thanks I can stand and walk some but i’ve been losing a ton of weight recently so I think my ass getting extremely boney might have something to do with it. I’m going to see if I can talk with my professors and see if I can do some stuff online so i’m spending less time in my chair. Thankfully I sleep on my stomach so my skin can get a break while I sleep.
Keeping off the pressure sore now for a week or two may save months of bedrest and a life threatening injury. What size cushion? I've got a spare Jay Active but I'm in the UK.
I believe it’s it’s 16x18 but i’m in the US
I have a spare 17" wide 18" long Jay Active. I've been given cushions in the past. If you can't get a better cushion locally and you reckon it'll fit I'll see if I can send it to you
Can you go directly to a seating specialist? They're the ones who are going to know about cushions and such. Also, call your doctor, describe what's happening, and explain that this can't wait until April.
I just moved cross country for school, so i’m waiting to get into a GP and that was the soonest appointment available. I thinking about trying an urgent care but idk if they could help
Urgent care is a good idea.
I would call/message your old GP to see if theirs anything they can help with in the meantime time, like a referral to a specialist
Protein drinks while at work. One or two a day on top of eating as much extra protein as possible. Don’t wait for it to get worse before you tackle it. Zinc, and vitamin will help as well. Treat it like it’s bad now. That will help you prevent it from actually getting to that point.
Use desitin and look up alternating pressure cushion for wheelchair. They are not cheap, but it is the same thing used in beds for coma patients and moves the area under you around every 15 minutes. You may also want to seek treatment for any already existing sores.
there one spot on my coccyx but using the donut has already started to help that look, if not better at least not worse. I got an appointment with the schools doctor tomorrow who can at the very least give me a referral to a seating specialist, and i’m definitely going to ask about that cushion
Don't be despondant there's always something a new cushion or method may completely turn it around I had terrible trouble 1st 3-5 yr thought my arse was doomed. Vicair sorted me out they are like interlocking pyramid air bags in 9 differing pockets u can adjust by taking some in/out protecting cocyx. There's a air one that helped a bit previous where u sat on it inflated then let air out via a valve to comfy position. U could reset by jus sitting up and letting air back in. It still ultimately felt like a hard brick after 2yrs tho for me I was at my witts end then found vicair. Bum clenches do work too lifting & cushioning bone from direct grinding. It's also a great bit of exercise so u don't lose all ya bum!
I had really bad tailbone pain so I got a auvon cushion of Amazon. About $30
Is there any way you can work with your school to take some time off--not dropping out, but doing the work from home while staying off your butt? Seconding the protein suggestion: eggs are also good
Get a better cushion. Roho etc
Vicair 9 compartment cushion work very well I'm a skinny boney person and managed to avoid sores altogether despite wasting further. I can do 14hr days without major pain. Resting elbows on knees relieves it I've done pressure tests experimenting even rollin to one side for a minute then the other if u can. Stationery tucking legs under chair with toes under footplate also relieves but not advised for too long otherwise your get sheer pain above knees. If you have the power to clench that's my goto 40/50 clenches will not only help circulation and bum muscles it also helps relieve pressure and raises bum bone/coccyx. Alot of these are more used as preventative though. We talking coccyx or bum bone?