Why is it Important for College Students to have a High Comfort Mattress?

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From a recent graduate point of view,  it is expected for many students to believe that having a good night’s sleep is not a priority but after time it takes a toll both mentally and physically on the body. College students are very active and have many things to do in a day. If you have ever experienced sleeping on a dorm’s mattress then you already know how uncomfortable and hard it is to sleep on it. It is probably no surprise that 70% of college students do not get enough sleep.

In a recent study, it shows that students go through a decline in their GPA who sleep less than 5 hours a day on average. For a college student to spend everyday on a dorm mattress can leave them with not only back pain but can come with the effects of lack of sleep.

Here are some of the possible effects when a college student experiences lack of sleep:

·      Increased chance of missing classes due to over sleeping

·      Lack of focus during class

·      Drowsiness during class

·      Decreased in energy

·      Affects the cognitive process

·      Health problems

·      Can make a person gain weight

·      Impairs judgment

Students should have a place of comfort and look forward to a good nights rest after a long day and be ready for the next day to perform at their highest ability. The emotional health on a student is also compromised with lack of sleep. Parents may not have much control when it comes to their children’s amount of sleep but they can encourage sleep and give them an incentive with a high quality comfort mattress to have something they can look forward to.

 What would you prefer?

VS.

At Healthy Back we offer great quality memory foam that decreases aches in your body and gives a person a great night’s sleep. Healthy Back has spent years perfecting the balance between comfort and pressure-relief. Visit healthyback.com to see more details and deals we have to offer.

Why Are Office Chairs So Important For Your Back?

Are you constantly stretching your back when you are working? Do you feel uncomfortable for most of the day? Do you wish you could focus more during work? This can all be reduced by simply purchasing an office chair that best suites to your back.

Here are some top reasons that purchasing a supportive and comfortable office chair is important: 

• Better concentration throughout work
• Reduces fatigue
• Endurance increases
• Better breathing
• Reduces, back, neck, and shoulder strains

Both lumber AND pelvic support is needed for your back especially when working a full day sitting in front of a computer. Proper support by your chair will reduce the stress you give to your back muscles. The more we sit with each day at work, the more we risk of herniating discs and other back troubles.

The Healthy Back Store Can Help!

The Healthy Back Store offers a variety of chairs where you can find the perfect one for your back. Healthy Back incorporates all this by helping you find your best chair using S.L.A.M.'s four basic criteria: Seat, Lumbar, Angles, and Motion. Healthy Back will make sure to find the best fit by going through all the four basic criteria when you come into the store. This allows your body to remain in a proper position, maintain circulation and promote motion, all very important to the health of individuals who sit for longer periods of time. Healthy Back puts in a great deal of effort to make sure they help you find the perfect fit.

Healthy Back Store Confirms Closure of East Tyson’s Virginia Location

The Healthy Back Store announced plans earlier this week to close its East Tyson’s Virginia location as soon as Friday June 29, 2012. The store’s manager Steven Faw is currently making preparations for final sales and a final inventory push, which means if you are in the area this is a great opportunity to save big on our top brand mattresses, office chairs and massage chairs!

In 2008 the Healthy Back Store purchased assets of long time local rival Joanne’s Bed & Back out of bankruptcy. The two chains had been competitors since 1994 when Anthony Mazlish founded the Healthy Back Store. At the time of the purchase, Healthy Back kept open nine of the Joanne’s store locations and rebranded them, the East Tyson’s location being one of them.

The decision to close the East Tyson’s location is largely due to its proximity to the Healthy Back Stores larger and more heavily visited Tyson’s Corner store, which is located just 3 blocks down the street. Ultimately East Tyson’s is a duplicate location. Current president and COO Steve Urban, “We are confident that the Tyson’s Corner location will be able to serve all of our loyal customers in the region in not only a larger space, but offer a larger variety of comfort solutions.”

The Healthy Back store continues to have additional retaillocations including 6 stores in Maryland, eight in Virginia, two in North Carolina, one in Colorado, and four locations in California. In addition, the Healthy Back Store continues to serve its customers with a robust online presence and knowledgeable customer service representatives in the call center.

Healthy Back is currently planning on opening new locations over the next three years and is beginning the process of vetting potential locations for these new stores. Healthy Back anticipates not only additional stores, but refreshing and potentially remodeling existing locations like was done with the Littleton Colorado store.

The Healthy Back Store's Littleton Grand Re-Opening - From Manager Trey Wren's Point of View

The Healthy Back Store, a specialty retailer providing comfort solutions and ergonomic products for the prevention and treatment of back pain and other physical conditions, announces its Littleton CO store’s Grand Re-Opening happening this weekend, Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1.

Of the 22 Healthy Back Store locations around the United States, the Littleton CO store has been serving its community for almost as long as Healthy Back has been in business. The Littleton location opened its door in 1997, dedicated to providing its customers with the most diverse selection of leading brand comfort products. But more importantly providing customers with the most diverse selection of comfort solutions and ergonomic products for back pain and other physical conditions.

With this Grand Re-Opening celebration right around the corner and with so much work that has gone on at the Littleton location to make it all happen, we wanted to talk to the man in charge – Littleton store manager, Trey Wren. Trey has been the manager of this location since October of 2005 and has spent a lot of time getting to know the products and the customers! Here’s Trey’s reaction to the changes.

Why a grand re-opening? What's changing at Healthy Back?

“We are a store dedicated to helping customers with back pain feel better and be more productive.  So, we are moving our stock assortment toward a more ergonomic answer specializing in products that our customer can’t find anywhere else.”

What can customers expect?

“Fun, smiles, great products, and a staff of trained professionals who are here to help.”

What is the best thing about the Grand Re-Opening?

“New, exciting products and a fresh new decor.”

Why are you, manager at Healthy Back Littleton, excited about the change?

“The change will enable my staff and myself to better serve and assist  the customer find products that will help for the entire day: work, relaxing at home, and sleeping.”

What is your personal all time favorite product at Healthy Back?

“My favorite would have to be the Perfect Chair Serenity by HumanTouch.  Nothing is more relaxing after a long day.”

What is the most recommended product at your store?

“The most recommended product would have to be the Technogel Mattresses.  We sleep 1/3 of our lives.  Technogel mattresses offer a cool, supportive, & comfortable sleep surface with no pressure points.  You sleep through the night without tossing, turning, or throwing covers off and on.  You wake up refreshed, relaxed, and ready to tackle the day. That’s a great product!”

What is the most exciting thing customers can expect with the Grand Re-Opening?

“Customers can expect new products available to check out for the first time.  And of course all of the amazing giveaways like a Free YuMe Massage Chair, Technogel Mattress, and Herman Miller Office Chairs. Not to mention tons of Healthy Back products like the new Embrace bed! Plus the store is now very inviting and warm. It’s really worth stopping in and experiencing for yourself. You just might find something that will make you feel better than ever before!”

Happy New Year! It's Time to Take Care of You.
A personal letter from Steve Urban, COO of the Healthy Back Store.

Dear Healthy Back customer,

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holiday season has passed, I've had some time to think about what I want to focus on in 2012 as an individual and as a company. We all know how important it is to stay active, eat healthy and get plenty of rest. I have truly learned the importance of what the right bed can do for a good night's sleep since I started working at Healthy Back. I sleep on our Healthy Back SleepSystem 10" and each morning I wake up feeling well rested, alert and ready to start my day. As a person who jogs regularly, the pressure relieving foam has helped with my lower back stiffness and shoulder pains.

As you make your New Year's resolution to live a healthier lifestyle, get fit or just get more exercise, remember how important a good night's sleep is to helping you achieve your goals. This January we want to feature our complete bedding collections to better educate you on what type of mattress or adjustable foundation option best fits your needs.

Our mission is to provide only the best products to you our customer. As you view our bedding collections you will notice we only offer luxury mattresses made from high quality materials such as memory foam, TEMPUR, latex and a new innovative gel mattress . These materials are the best in bedding and provide optimal support, supreme comfort and unsurpassed quality.

I invite you to visit one of our stores, our website, or call one of our expert Comfort Consultants and let us show you the perfect solution to the discomfort you have endured for the past year. We would love to show you our newest items-our own revamped Healthy Back Ergo Recliner, and of course, our exclusive new Technogel mattresses. You will not be disappointed with your Healthy Back experience.

As always, I want to emphasize how important customer service is to us at Healthy Back. If for some reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase or our service, please let us know. You can be certain we will make it right.

Steve Urban
President, COO Healthy Back

Win A Free ...

At the Healthy Back Store we love a good contest and we love giving away prizes. This month we are giving away a Healthy Back SleepSystem 10" Queen Set + 2 Healthy Back Neck Pillows (valued at $1500). But you've got to hurry - the deadline for entries is 9/15/2011.

The Healthy Back SleepSystem™ is a mattress designed by back specialists for back pain sufferers. The Lyocell fabric cover contains a moisture absorbing Tricot layer designed to help wick heat and moisture away from the body allowing the user's body to regulate naturally to resting temperature. This mattress adds an additional two inches of our advanced Zero-Pressure™ foam to our 8 inch model to provide you with an even more plush and luxurious feel with double the support, creating the perfect combination of soft and firm. While the Zero-Pressure™ foam cushions your body in a state of comfort and pressure-relief, the eight-inch layer of supportive base memory foam will support your back and keep your spine aligned. The Healthy Back SleepSystem™10 is the perfect option for couples who just can't decide between a soft mattress or a firm mattress.

Features Include:

• 2" layer of comfort Zero-Pressure™ memory foam
• 8" layer of supportive base memory foam
• Removable and washable velour cover made of Lyocell fabric with inner moisture absorbing Tricot layer
• No flip, rotate, or turn mattress

Check out what one customer had to say about this Healthy Back exclusive. "This mattress is amazing! You want to spend more money on a Tempur-pedic? Go ahead! I'll keep my Healthy Back 10" Mattress, knowing that I am getting the best sleep I've ever had, and a lot of money left over for other things." - Kelemihnl, CA.

Best thing to do ... sign up before it's too late!
Healthy Back SleepSystem Contest

 

Stretch goals at the office

Stretching is the process of putting particular parts of the body into a position that will lengthen or elongate the muscles and associated tissues. The Healthy Back Store recognizes the importance of stretching as it relates to one’s health and fitness, especially in our increasingly sedentary lives. Sitting at a desk and in front of computer monitors for long hours each day can affect one’s health and has a serious impact on the body’s flexibility, even for individuals who exercise regularly.

By undertaking a regular stretching regimen a number of changes begin to occur within the body and specifically within the muscles themselves. A regular stretching routine can produce the following benefits:

• Reduced muscle tension (stress relief)
• Increased range of movement in the joints
• Enhanced muscular coordination
• Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
• Increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)

There are a number of stretches that you can do while at your desk including:

• Touch the Sky: Reach your arms up to the sky and as far back as you can safely go. You can try grasping like you’re trying to reach the stars.
• Side Stretch: While standing, reach your one arm over head and to the opposite side. You can keep the other hand on your hip or in the air.
• Touch Your Toes: Take off your shoes if you can. Wiggle your toes. Bend at the hip and reach for your toes. Bending your knees is OK.
• Shoulder Opener: Lean your palms against the wall above your head and bending at the hip to stretch out your shoulders and back.

While stretching can be done at the desk, the Healthy Back Store also suggests incorporating ergonomic furniture or accessories into the office to help alleviate many of the pains associated with sitting all day. At the Healthy Back Store you’ll find executive chairs with built in lumbar support to maintain proper spinal alignment and task chairs with recline action, contoured cushions, responsive backrests. These chairs provide ergonomic support while promoting movement, allowing you to stretch comfortably. Even something as small as a footrest reminds you to sit all the way back in your chair, allowing the chair to take some of the strain and stress off of your back.

Men Can Get Osteoporosis Too

by Bobby Bennett

Most people don't think that men develop osteoporosis. This disease, in which bone becomes thin and fragile and can fracture easily, is mostly associated with women. Doctors don't often discuss the issue with their male patients. But men can get the hip and other bone fractures that come with osteoporosis, too, and it's no less painful or debilitating for them than it is for women.

Men are usually diagnosed with osteoporosis only when they have fractured a bone. Men don't generally experience the rapid bone loss in their 50's that women do, but by age 65 or 70, they are losing bone mass at the same rate as women. Hip fractures occur at older ages in men, which might explain why men who break a hip are more likely to die of complications than women. More than half of all men who suffer a hip fracture go from the hospital to a nursing home, and 79 percent of those who survive for one year still live in nursing homes or intermediate care facilities.

Scientists are trying to learn more about the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and its related fractures in men as well as in women. In 1999, NIH's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and two other NIH components, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), launched a seven-year study that is following 5,700 men, age 65 or older. "Mr. OS," as it is called, aims to determine the extent to which the risk of fractures in men is related to bone mass and other factors such as their bone structure, lifestyle and tendency to fall.

In the NCI component of "Mr. OS," scientists are trying to answer the question of whether having a high bone mass is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. In women, if you have a high bone mass, you have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Both types of cancers are thought to be associated with your whole lifetime exposure to the sex hormones your own body makes.

NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is also supporting a part of "Mr. OS" that is looking at the role of sleep in the health of older men.

Men are more likely than women to have a high risk of fracture due to secondary causes, like a specific disease (such as celiac disease, in which a person's intolerance to a protein found in wheat and other grains interferes with their intestinal absorption of calcium) or taking medications that can affect bone mass (like the steroids used to treat asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases). Knowledge of the diseases and conditions that can affect bone mass can help to prevent men as well as women from reaching the point of fracture before diagnosis.

Getting enough calcium is very important for preventing osteoporosis. Adults 19 - 50 years old need 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium every day; those over 50 need 1,200 mg. The best way to get enough calcium is through your diet. Buy fortified orange juice and cereals, and eat lots of green leafy vegetables and low-fat dairy products like cheese, milk, ice cream and yogurt.

You should also get enough vitamin D. If you spend 15 minutes outside in the sun each day, your body should make enough on its own. If you have limited sun exposure, scientists currently recommend 200 to 400 international units (IU) if you are under age 70 and 600 if you are over.

It's also important to do regular weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, tennis, weight training and dancing. These exercises may strengthen your bones and may also help with your balance. That will reduce your risk of falling and thus reduce your chances of breaking a bone.

If you already have osteoporosis, doctors are prescribing most of the same medications that they are giving to women. Alendronate (brand name Fosamax) and risedronate (brand name Actonel) both now come in a once-a-week pill. But they can cause problems with your stomach or esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth with the stomach) if not taken exactly as directed. The Food and Drug Administration has approved teriparatide (brand name Forteo) only for those who are at high risk of fracture; the drug must be injected daily for no longer than two years. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your options.

When should I replace my mattress?

The easiest way to know whether it is time to replace your mattress is to ask yourself how you slept last night. Although the Better Sleep Council recommends you replace your mattress every five to seven years, many people sleep on a mattress that isn't worn out but that should be replaced because it doesn't fit them correctly.

There are several reasons why a mattress might not fit you correctly anymore. The most important is the mattress doesn't provide proper support for the body's spinal alignment which causes you to wake up with discomfort, pain, or the need to wake and stretch out kinks and stiffness. Secondly, the mattress doesn't have the right type or number of pressure relief layers on top of the support layer which can create pressure points causing you to toss and turn, interrupting sleep and leaving you feeling un-refreshed in the morning.

Dealing with chronic pain

A large number of people in the United States suffer from chronic pain, pain that just won't go away. Chronic back and neck pain will last beyond the expected healing time and often interfere with daily life. Whatever the cause of chronic pain, feelings of frustration, anger and fear can make it more intense. Aside from physical treatments, there are a number of psychological methods of paint management, such as relaxation, biofeedback, and imagery that may provide relief and should be discussed with your health care professional.

Relaxation is one of the simplest, but rarely followed, methods of relieving bodily pain. Concentration and slow, deep breathing can release tension from muscles and relieve pain. The Healthy Back Store offers a wide selection of relaxation products including our massage chair inventory featuring brands like Inada and Human Touch. These highly sought after personal massage chairs can be assigned to target the parts of your body that need the most attention, while sending your entire body into a state of pure relaxation.

Other techniques like biofeedback can be taught by a health care professional who uses special machines to help you learn to control your mind and body, such as heart rate and muscle tension. As you begin to release muscle tension, the machine immediately indicates appropriately. Once the technique is mastered, it can be practiced without the use of the machine and help of the professional.

Muscle tension is more commonly relieved using inversion tables and inversion therapy. By using an inversion table, available at the Healthy Back Store, for just five minutes a day, you will align your body with the downward force of gravity, which will increase the space between your vertebrae, relieving pressure on the areas in your back that are in pain such as the discs, ligaments, and nerve roots.

There are also a number of distraction techniques that will help you focus your attention away from the pain and towards more pleasant subjects. This can be as simple as watching television, reading a book, or listening to music, but can also be practiced through imagery or hypnosis. Imagery involves concentrating on mental pictures of pleasant scenes or events to reduce pain. Hypnosis can be practiced through the use of a therapist or by learning the methods of self-hypnosis which can be utilized when pain interrupts.

Individual, group, or family therapy may be useful for those whose pain has not responded to physical methods. People who suffer from chronic pain often experience emotional stress and depression. Therapy can help you cope with these feelings, making it easier to manage your pain.

All these psychological methods of pain-relief are an excellent complimentary tool to physical Healthy Back products. Be sure to take a look at our selection of back- and neck-care products to find the perfect option for you.

What is Sciatica?

Image via WikipediaSciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. It controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg and provides feeling to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg and the sole of your foot. When you have sciatica, you have pain, weakness, numbness or tingling. It can start in the lower back and extend down your leg to your calf, foot, or even your toes. It's usually on only one side of your body.

Sciatica may be due to a ruptured intervertebral disk, narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerve called spinal stenosis, or an injury such as a pelvic fracture. In many cases no cause can be found.

Sometimes sciatica goes away on its own. Treatment, if needed, depends on the cause of the problem. It may include exercises, medicines, and surgery.

Acute versus chronic back pain

Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. Chronic pain is measured by duration, pain that persists for more than 3 months is considered chronic. There may have been an initial mishap – sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause of pain – arthritis, cancer, ear infection, but some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States; only the headache is more common. Fortunately, most occurrences of low back pain go away within a few days, but others can take much longer to resolve or lead to more serious conditions.

Back pain is generally categorized as Acute or Chronic. Acute or short-term back pain typically lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is mechanical in nature and is the result of a trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different.

Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. Chronic pain is measured by duration, pain that persists for more than 3 months is considered chronic. There may have been an initial mishap – sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause of pain – arthritis, cancer, ear infection, but some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States; only the headache is more common. Fortunately, most occurrences of low back pain go away within a few days, but others can take much longer to resolve or lead to more serious conditions. Back pain is generally categorized as Acute or Chronic. Acute or short-term back pain typically lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is mechanical in nature and is the result of a trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different.

Tips for better sleep

Do you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep? Do you wake up tired and feel like you have to nap during the day? Even with a top-of-the-line memory foam or latex mattress, sleep can still be difficult for a number of reasons such as stress and poor day-to-day habits. Whatever it is, bad sleep does more than just make you tired; it aversely affects your health and cognitive capacity.

Fortunately, there are numerous methods to improve your sleep that are simple, easy, and do not involve a prescription.

Try out these suggestions and start experiencing a deeper, more fulfilling nights sleep.

• Try to keep a regular sleep pattern by habitually going to bed and waking at the same time every day‚ even on weekends and vacations. After some time, your body will naturally get accustomed to your sleep cycle and it will become easier to have a good nights rest.
• Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. Coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and medications that contain caffeine stimulate your body and mind and can keep you from falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Even though alcohol can make you feel sleepy, drinking around bedtime can also disturb sleep.
• Regular daytime exercise can improve nighttime sleep, but since it too can be stimulating and keep you up, avoid exercising within 3 hours of bedtime.
• Avoid daytime naps, which can skew your body’s notion of sleep and thus interfere with nighttime sleep. If you feel you cannot get by without a nap, set an alarm for 1 hour or less and get up immediately when it goes off.
• Reserve your bed for sleeping. Your body and mind need to associate your bed with healthy sleep, and watching late news, reading a suspense novel, or working on your laptop in bed can keep you up later than expected and stimulate your mind, making it hard to fall asleep. If you want to perform late night activities in bed, try utilizing a backrest or leg rest to put your body in an optimal position for comfort and health.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. There are specialized mattresses available, such as our Healthy Back Pure Latex line, which are designed to cool your body a crucial few degrees if you get too hot during the night.
• Sleep with a ‘Hot Water Bottle’. This method, popular in the United Kingdom and Europe, provides comfort and warmth in your bed, and can help alleviate sore joints and muscles. The Hotties Micro Hottie is the market leader for hot water bottle type products, and is available at the Healthy Back Store.
• Avoid liquids and spicy meals before bed. Heartburn and late night trips to the bathroom are not conducive to good sleep.
• Instead of working right up to bedtime, try performing relaxing activities such as listening to soft music or taking a warm bath to get you ready to sleep. These processes help your body and mind wind down from a hectic day, and a warm bath also may soothe aching muscles.

Yoga may reduce lower back pain

According to a recent study reported by HealthDay News, people who practiced yoga experienced a decrease in chronic lower back pain marked by less discomfort and feelings of depression in just six months.

In the study led by Kimberly Williams, a research assistant professor in the department of community medicine at West Virginia University, researchers divided 90 people, aged 23 to 66 and who had mild to moderate functional disability as a result of chronic lower back pain into two groups. One group did 90-minute sessions of Iyengar yoga twice a week for six months. The other group continued their normal routine of medical therapy or treatment.

Iyengar yoga, a form of hatha yoga that is becoming very popular in the United States, builds strength, flexibility and body alignment through a series of specific poses aided by props. These props help minimize the likelihood of injury or strain, and allow disabled and elderly participants to achieve beneficial positions that would be difficult on their own.

The study found that at the three-month and six-month marks, a greater proportion of those who had participated in yoga reported improvements in their pain and functionality than those who had not.

“I have found yoga and Pilates are great for chronic lower back pain,” Dr. Todd J. Albert, chairman of the department of orthopedics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals and the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, said. “There is so much concentration on core strengthening, which is critical for people who have been de-conditioned. Lower back pain can cause people to stop exercising because of discomfort or fear of causing further injury to their back. The lack of activity can cause the back muscles to become ‘de-conditioned’ or weakened, setting up conditions for even more chronic pain.”

“Exercises such as yoga help reverse muscle weakness by strengthening the mid-section, including the back extensors, abdominals and gluteus, which are key for stabilizing the trunk and decreasing the load on the spine. Strengthening those muscles is like creating a brace around your torso,” Albert explained.

Perhaps the most surprising finding of the study was that the yoga participants also reported fewer symptoms of depression. “There is so much data excitingly pointing to the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual benefits of yoga,” said Mary Lou Galantino, a professor of physical therapy at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. “ I also believe there’s a social aspect to yoga. It can foster a sense of community and overarching well-being”. According to Galantino, the “holistic approach to one’s well being” through “proper breathing, postures, and meditation” is what alleviates depression for many people who are and are not experiencing chronic pain or a disability.

Galantino’s one worry is that “if we westernize it and make it solely an athletic program, then you may not receive all of the benefits.” According to Williams’ research, this worry can be hushed at least for now, as her participants who practiced yoga consistently felt better both physically and mentally in a matter of months.

There are many alternative ways to treat lower back pain, which represents between 20% and 25% of medical claims and exceeds $34 billion in annual direct medical costs, other than yoga, and even participants who do practice the ancient exercise should supplement it with other types treatment. Fortunately, there are numerous easy methods to help with nagging back pain all day including ergonomic office chairs, on-the-go Lumbar Supports, and state-of-the-art home massage chairs. However, if you are looking for real treatment of lower back pain instead of just alleviating it, a spine-straightening inversion table is what you need. All of these products, including an assortment of exercise products from mats to props for Iyengar yoga, are available at HealthyBack.com. Take your first step towards a painless, healthier, and perhaps even happier future.

Rock your office like a BOSS

Find comfort in your office... like a BOSS. Classic tall back executive style and presence never felt so good! Imposing height, ergonomic comfort - perfect for directing your minions. We bring you : The Presider, learn more here. or buy it here.

Chill(ow) out!

Beat the heat and cool down your aches and pains with the Chillow. Be the first to write a review on the product page then post on our Facebook wall and we'll send you an extra one as a thank you!

The best latex bed collection for back relief

Over the years buying a mattress has become a major investment. There is the cost associated with a new bed purchase, but also the important personal cost of selecting the right mattress for each individuals needs. And when considering that most mattresses last upwards of 10 years, selecting a bed that fulfills these ever-changing needs is crucial. The challenge becomes- finding the world’s best bed!

The Healthy Back Bliss Pristine Pure Latex is the top-of-the-line mattress and they are certain there is nothing in the world quite like it. Composed of Natural Talalay Latex, the finest and most durable latex material in the world and proudly produced in the United States, the Pristine is made of an unprecedented 100% premium latex. In all, the full 12 inches of this uniquely blended latex provide the most luxurious and plush mattress available. Containing three specialized layers that provide optimal balance and pressure relief, support, and durability throughout the night and the lifetime of the mattress.

Win a better nights' sleep!

Don't miss your chance to win a brand new 10" HealthyBack SleepSystem, complete with 2 free neck pillows! Click here to enter.

How do you choose the perfect mattress in just one visit to a store?

Well, at Healthy Back - we hope that our ergonomic experts can accurately select the best bed for your comfort and back relief needs (that's why we have such a long - 180 day - comfort guarantee). But even that is not enough for some picky sleepers. Check out this article about spending the entire night in a Healthy Back store to choose the perfect mattress!