RV Mattress Causing Hip Pain

[Peggyy1]

Maybe I am just getting old, but we are on a trip and this rv mattress is making both hips hurt. I would gladly get a new one if I could find one that would be better and not add a lot of pounds for us to pull. Have any of you had this problem and what fixed it? Thanks! Oh, and I am not a fan of memory foam.

 

[tlmgcamp1]

The DW has had back issues for decades. We find memory foam to be the best way to go. For weight, going to a lithium battery could save you 20 pounds per group 24 battery. Further, if you are like us and can get a few seasons out of a 20lb propane tank, don't carry a second. Since you can swap out propane tanks at many big box stores, running out isn't as a big deal as it was back in the day. Those two changes could save around 50 pounds. That should be enough to compensate for the mattress.

 

[Peggyy1]

The DW has had back issues for decades. We find memory foam to be the best way to go. For weight, going to a lithium battery could save you 20 pounds per group 24 battery. Further, if you are like us and can get a few seasons out of a 20lb propane tank, don't carry a second. Since you can swap out propane tanks at many big box stores, running out isn't as a big deal as it was back in the day. Those two changes could save around 50 pounds. That should be enough to compensate for the mattress.

What name brand do youhave

 

[poohbear]

I like " Sleep Number " as you can adjust either side of the queen or king independent of each so each is comfortable to their preference

 

[Rene T]

Have you been to see a hip Dr. My DW just decided along with her surgeon that she is loaded with arthritis and the only option is a total hip replacement, It is scheduled to happen the middle of August. That’s how far out he is booking.
You should go and see a Dr and he’ll have you take X-rays to see what’s going on.. Don’t put it off

 

[NY_Dutch]

I agree with Rene, get it checked out by a doctor, probably an orthopedic specialist would be best. In my case, my bilateral hip pain turned out to be bursitis, and cortisone shots every six months or so keeps the pain at bay so far. On the other hand, the pain in my knees is arthritis, and I may need replacements if I live long enough.

 

[Rene T]

We went on a cruise 3 weeks ago and her PCP recommended that she get a cortisone shot to try and ease the pain. She went to a Dr for the shot . He ended up giving her a shot in the bursa. It helped a little she said. He held off doing it in the hip joint because she would have to wait 3 months before any surgery. He was in FL and we are now back home in NH As it turns out, it’s going to be 3 months. But if the surgeon had an opening let’s say next week, she could not have had it because of the 3 month rule. Keep that in mind when it comes to getting a shot in the hip.

 

[UTTransplant]

Oooh! I could have asked this same question. I haven’t gone in for X-rays because I am awfully sure I don’t have arthritis. Nothing hurts during the day or during movement, but after an hour or two of laying on my side, my hip hurts enough I get up to sleep in the recliner. Our mattress is 8 years old, so it is probably time to look at something new anyway. Like Peggy, I have never liked memory foam; it makes me feel stuck when turning over. I am planning on getting an egg crate foam mattress topper just to try it out. If it helps, I will look at getting a new and softer mattress.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Maybe I am just getting old, but we are on a trip and this rv mattress is making both hips hurt. I would gladly get a new one if I could find one that would be better and not add a lot of pounds for us to pull. Have any of you had this problem and what fixed it? Thanks! Oh, and I am not a fan of memory foam.

If you are a side-sleeper and have arthritis or bursitis in the hip joint, I doubt if a better mattress will do much to relieve that pain. Your weight is on the hip joint regardless of how well it is cushioned. An exception would be if the current mattress is "hard as a rock", but few are really that bad. Even the cheap crap the factory puts in Rvs.

If you want to try a different mattress, an air mattress (e.g. Sleep Number or similar) is probably the most effective way to spread your body weight across the surface and it's actually lighter than any innerspring or foam mattress. Plus they are fully adjustable and queen or king sizes have separate adjustments for each side.

An alternative is to sleep on your back rather than side. Or sleep in a recliner instead of a bed - most suffers of back or hip pain find that a big relief.

If you haven't already done so, get medical help to determine the cause, but there is no easy fix for arthritis of the hip. A hip replacement is a fairly routine procedure medically, but it's still a major surgery with substantial recovery time & effort. You will be on your feet (with assistance) the very next day, but you won't be "back to normal" for 3 or so months.

 

[Wasillaguy]

We gave up our waterbed that we had for 25 years. Didn't help.
She eventually got both hips replaced but wonders now if it was necessary.
She had suffered from arthritis for a couple decades- hands, hips, back, shoulders. Her fingers are disfigured from Heberden's nodes.
However, since the whole covid thing started and we changed our diet, she no longer suffers any pain at all.
I see changes too- my back would ache and vertebrae would pop if I twisted at the waist. Gone now.

 

[Larry N.]

However, since the whole covid thing started and we changed our diet, she no longer suffers any pain at all.

What was the diet change? Pain is abundant around here...

 

[Wasillaguy]

What was the diet change? Pain is abundant around here...

-Stopped eating fast food completely and eat out only occasionally.
-Stopped most processed snacks, candy, and beverages. Only a dark chocolate occasionally, usually at bedtime.
-Started daily intake of a variety of herbs/spices in the form of teas, supplements, or tinctures.
-Celtic sea salt to get the minerals missing in Morton's.
-Something fermented every day like kumbacha, tepache, raw milk or sourdough bread.
-Occasional fasting. About once a month, usually only 24 hrs but we have done 48. Amazing how good you feel after.
-Broke the regimented eating schedule of 3 meals a day. Only eat when hungry, only drink when thirsty.

Which of these actually make a difference, I don't know because we did them all.

 

[Larry N.]

Thanks- we're close to some of those, but interesting thoughts to ponder.

 

[Kirk]

but we are on a trip and this rv mattress is making both hips hurt. I would gladly get a new one if I could find one that would be better and not add a lot of pounds for us to pull. Have any of you had this problem and what fixed it?

We have dealt with that with several of our RVs. We found that the most economical solution is usually a topper since RV mattresses are almost never a standard size. Amazon has a wide variety of RV mattress toppers of different types. What we got that resolved the issues of the hard, RV mattress in our class A and later in the travel trailer that followed was the Dual Layer 4 Inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper, 2 Inch Gel Memory Foam and 2 Inch Pillow Top Mattress Pad.（RV Short Queen 60"x75"）

 

[Peggyy1]

Thanks for all the tips but my hips are fine or….they were until five days ago when we started camping. It is definitely mattress related as I am fine during the day. Sorry you all have had so many hip issues. That cannot be fun

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thanks for all the tips but my hips are fine or….they were until five days ago when we started camping. It is definitely mattress related as I am fine during the day. Sorry you all have had so many hip issues. That cannot be fun

Many of us are old, Peggy, and joint pain goes with the territory.

Sleeping on your side does put pressure on the hip in a different direction that standing or sitting, and yes a poor mattress can exacerbate that. A very thin or very firm mattress concentrates the pressure at shoulder & hip, so you can perhaps get some relief with a mattress that better supports the points in between those two. A topper is an inexpensive way to experiment with that, but an air-adjustable mattress is the most effective solution.

 

[Kirk]

Thanks for all the tips but my hips are fine or….they were until five days ago when we started camping.

I think that most RVs come with a hard mattress. At least ours have and it gets to be more of an issue as we get older. Over the 50 years that we have owned RVs, I think that we did something to improve the mattress in all except one of them. Neither of us had medically diagnosed hip or shoulder problems for most of the time that we were RVing.

 

[dcorbtt]

A 3-4" Topper is cheep and easy....

 

[UTTransplant]

After this post I got serious about determining whether my mattress was causing my hip pain or not. We first tried the big air mattress we keep stashed for guests. No hip pain, but I could’t really get comfortable because it was too high when placed on top of our regular mattress. Next step was to get an inflatable “camp pad” designed for tent camping. And it works! I slept without hip pain for the first time in months. Now Kevin is going around checking the reviews and such for the successors to the Sleep Number mattress company since they no longer make RV sized mattresses (we need an RV king - 72”x80”)

 

[Babe2201]

Have you been to see a hip Dr. My DW just decided along with her surgeon that she is loaded with arthritis and the only option is a total hip replacement, It is scheduled to happen the middle of August. That’s how far out he is booking.
You should go and see a Dr and he’ll have you take X-rays to see what’s going on.. Don’t put it off

If it only bothers him because of the mattress what good will it do to go to a doctor?