Rick Morel wrote:
I hope it's okay to post this.

We don't want to, but we have to sell our floating home. Cathy
suffered a back injury and unsucessful surgery in the 90's. We were
told a day would come when she couldn't handle the movement and such.
We were hoping that day was years away, but it looks like it's now.
So, after almost 3 years of living aboard and not as much cruising as
we'd like, it's time before she gets worse.

A couple of ideas for you from a spinal care professional (me). First of
all, I don't know the details of her spinal condition, but I can make a
few guesses that might help. Here's one. If you haven't tried a spinal
manipulation regimen from a top of the line chiropractor, you should. Or
at least get an opinion from one. How to find one? It would take a small
book to answer that question. I suspect you think she has a problem that
can't be helped with chiropractic, but I doubt you are correct.

Part of that same regimen should be core strengthening exercises. In the
last decade there has been an explosion of research and knowledge about
the importance of certain exercises to restore lost function of the
muscles that protect the spine. Here's the interesting part. Core
strengthening exercises work best when done on an "unstable platform."
This is the reason for "stability balls," half domes, and a wide variety
air-filled or foam platforms that you see in gyms nowadays. You live on
an unstable platform of sorts. There is a fairly good chance that your
life aboard has actually been helping her. She should be doing much
more, but moving to an RV is likely to be worse for her. Sitting for
long periods is particularly bad for spinal conditions. Sitting in
trucks and cars, even worse.

Anyway, I doubt the direction you are going, by itself, is going to be
of any help to her, and it is likely to actually make things worse.

Stephen