Moms Takes Notice: New BackPack Lightens School Back Pack Load

Moms, do you cringe every time you see your kids going off to school with their back packs chock full to the point that they are going to fall over ? Personally, I notice it every morning on the way to work when the children get on the bus. These days kids have to carry heavier and heavier back packs that includes their books, lunches, sports equipment, musical instruments and other school supplies.

Kid’s backpacks should be no more than 15% of their body weight, so a seventh grader that weighs 100 lbs should have a backpack that's no more than 15 pounds.

11 year old Amanda’s back pack was so full of books that she had pain in her shoulders, back and legs. "It's just too heavy for me!" she cried.

Amanda was introduced to a special type of Backpack called an AirPack, as offered on Arc4life.com.
This backpack has a unique patented, ergonomic air transfer system. This support system is created by a hidden adjustable air chamber placed in the lower back which transfers weight to the hips. The wide, foam-cushioned straps have buckles at the top and bottom to provide a two point adjustment. These back packs self-adjust side to side to provide better fit across the shoulders. Side cinches pull the load closer to your center of gravity increasing balance and stability. These backpacks come in 3 convenient sizes: Small, Medium, Large. The Air Packs also come in a variety of colors, popular with kids.

Well how did Amanda fare with her Airpack backpack? According to Amanda,the book bag has definitely lightened her load.

“When I put on my book bag with all of its textbooks, and books, its just much lighter. If feels much better. The Pain is Off. My backpack is just…I mean its wonderful. The straps help my shoulder and I have an airpack over here which the greatest thing. I mean, It helps the spine, it helps by back.[It] carries the load off of my back and shoulders. The back pack is my favorite color- its pink. Its comfortable, its light- its just the best book bag ever. I am definitely going to keep using the Airpack. It's just wonderful !"

Additional Reading Sources:

BackPacks A Pain in the Neck
The Case of the Heavy BackPack

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of the AirPack BackPacks. Available in Small, Medium and Large.

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Source: Rachel Ray: Back to School- Watch Little Amanda Handle all her Books with her AirPack on the Rachel Ray Show


Happy Halloween from Arc4life.com

Easy Pain Relief at Home: Using Heat and Ice

You were in a whiplash type accident, what should you use on your neck? Ice or Heat? You have been suffering with low back pain for 4 months, what should you use on your lower back? Ice or Heat?

The Use of Ice and Heat Therapy has been found to be very beneficial for not only decreasing pain but also controling pain. Cold Therapy or Ice should be used in the acute phase of an injury- you bump your knee on the coffee table, immediately apply ice. This aids in decreasing inflammation and numbs the immediate pain. Ice can sometimes increase pain that arises from a trigger point, so don't use cold therapy in these cases.

Use heat therapy for the treatment of muscle spasms. It relaxes the muscles and stimulates vasodilation to help remove inflammatory toxins and by products of muscle spasm. Because using heat can increase inflammation, it should be avoided during the acute phase.

**In general, begin with using ice during the acute inflammatory phase, as long as you can tolerate it, and then move on to heat therapy.

Read more about Hot and Cold Therapy - Understand the optimum way to use heat and cold for pain relief
Photo Courtesy of QueenThings on Flickr.com

Visit Ice and Moist Heat Therapy for your acute and chronic injuries: Pain Relief for your neck and lower back


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Introducing Arc4life’s NEW Lumbar Back Rest with Ice Pack Built Right in

Trying to drive or do office work with lower back pain can be very difficult. Just trying to get into a comfortable position can be impossible.

Today I want to talk about a new lumbar cushion that is great for the car with some added benefit. This lumbar support cushion will not only support your lumbar spine but it can give you the therapeutic effect of ice or heat.

Its called the Sit Back Rest Plus- Arc4life has carried the Sit back rest for many years and time and time again our customers have agreed that it is a great lumbar support cushion. The new SitBackRest PLUS now offers therapeutic benefits- A 6 x 10 hot or cold pack that can be easily fastened via a hook-and-loop closureto the lumbar cushion. The hot and cold pack helps ease low back pain from flare-ups and day-to-day discomforts such as sitting for prolonged periods of time. Use heat for sore and muscle spasms in the lower back or chronic low back pain. If you recently have suffered from acute lower back pain after a trauma or accident to the lower back, use a cold pack to decrease swelling and inflammation and decrease the pain sensation.

The hot and cold pack on this backrest helps ease back pain from flare-ups and day-to-day discomforts such as sitting for prolonged periods of time. This lumbar cushion is shaped to fit snugly against bucketseats to maximize comfort and support while driving. The hot/cold pack is covered by a soft fabric. Hence you can easily apply directly to your skin without using a towel. To use the Hot Pack, microwave for 30 sections- kneading after to distribute the heat. To use as a cold pack, store in the freezer for a few hours, preferably over night.

Dimensions of the Sit Back Rest: 13" x 14" (33cm x 36cm). – Made of Precision Cut Foam with a Durable Fabric Cover

Dimensions of the Hot/Cold Pack: 6" x 10" (15.24 cm x 25.4 cm).
On Sale at Arc4life.com: SitBackRest PLUS- The SitBack Rest PLUS a 6x10 Ice/Hot Pack

Photo Courtesy of: Arc4life.com

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.

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The High Heels Controversy: Do they Really Cause Low Back Pain?

Personally, I love to wear heels- they make you look and feel taller, elongating your body, making your feet look very pretty. In fact I would love to own a pair of Christian Louboutin

If you are working in construction, nursing, or in a factory job you can get away with wearing comfortable sneakers or shoes that provide good support for your foot. But having an office job means that every once in a while, or maybe more often depending on your style, you will wear high heels. Even if your occupation does not require it, it is nice to wear high heels for a dinner or special occasion.

With all the running around that the job candidates did on The Apprentice this season, many of the woman wore heels - And some of them suffered. Claire Young, a 29 year old, 5 ft 6 business woman wore her fashion heels on every episode. Her heels measured 5 inches. According to Claire wearing heels increased her confidence level by giving her more height, and slimming down her body. Well it also increased something else: Her low back pain. On the day that the final Apprentice Episode aired, Claire was in bed with severe lower back pain, not able to move.

This morning I was watching a segment on The Today Show where they were talking about heels getting even higher- I mean like 7- 9 inches…Can you imagine that? Even models who have been wearing heels on the runway looked like they were having a difficult time walking and standing.

Truth be told, wearing heels is not the best thing for your health, particularly your lower back. Especially if you wear heels everyday, many hours a day. Wearing heels tilts the pelvis and upsets the natural s shape of your spine, creating more stress for the nerves of the lumbar spine. It can cause low back pain, knee pain, and foot pain. You can develop trouble walking, sprains, strains and conditions of the knee and ankle. Wearing heels also changes the way the muscles of the pelvis, legs, and ankle contract. Imagine walking on tipping toes all day long- how would that feel after 8 hours? Not the best. Well that’s exactly what wearing heels does to you- it changes the biomechanics of your gait (how you walk)- which then affects the alignment of your pelvis, your hips, your knees and your ankles. It’s hard to stabilize yourself wearing long heels – this can cause more falls and sprains and strains of the ankle. Finally, often times high heels squish your foot together, causing further misalignment (and Pain) to the individual bones of the foot.


For lower back pain relief from wearing heels, it helps to use a support at night while sleeping. A simple Knee Elevator placed under the knees at night can help take the pressure off the nerves of the lower back.

So how can we woman who love our heels still wear them and not suffer from the many conditions that I have painfully listed above? Wear them for shorter periods of time. You also don’t have to wear 5 inch heels- how about 2 or 3 inch heels?

So even if I do get my Christian Louboutin’s some day, I imagine that I will wear my heels on my special occasions and feel good at the same time !! – Imagine That ! - NJ

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of low back supports, lumbar rolls, lumbo sacral belts, traction products for lower back pain relief.

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The Stress – Breast Cancer Connection

Today Blog Post comes as an excerpt directly from Arc4life's October 2008 eNewsLetter : The Healthy Back and Neck

New research has been released showing both a severe stressful life event in younger year…and… several less severe stressful events can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, having an optimistic attitude can decrease the risk.

Researchers recruited 255 women between 25 and 45 years old who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and 367 women of the same age who were free from the disease. They asked the women whether they had experienced any severe life events, such as loss of a spouse or a close relative, as well as events considered to be mild or moderately stressful, such as severe illness, job loss, or separation from a spouse. Women also completed a 15-item questionnaire to evaluate their levels of anxiety, depression, happiness, and optimism.

The researchers found women who had experienced two or more severe or mild-to-moderate life events were 62 percent more likely to have breast cancer. "This suggests that stressful events do not protect us from the effect of additional events, and even 'moderate or mild events' seem to have a cumulative effect," Dr. Ronit Peled and her team write in the medical journal BMC Cancer.

Women with breast cancer were statistically more likely to have higher scores for depression and lower scores for happiness and optimism.

However, they also found that women with a "general feeling of happiness and optimism" had a 25 percent lower risk of having been diagnosed with breast cancer.

It’s become abundantly clear over the years that stress is one of the most harmful things you can have in your life.

Continue Reading more from the October Issue of the Healthy Back and Neck eNewsletter

October 2008

1. Article - Fish Oil May Be Better Than Drugs For Preventing Heart Failure
   
2. Health Tip of the month- 6 Of The Best Foods For Under A Dollar !!!
   
3. Inspirational Story of the month- Bet You Missed This Incredible Story From The Beijing Olympics…
   
4. Testimonial of the month - Cervical traction neck Pillow- for patients with military neck
   
5. Featured product -Slim Rest Lower Back Support for Low Back Pain Relief while sitting
   

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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The Importance of using a Good Neck Pillow for Sleeping to Prevent Stiff Neck

Waking up with a stiff neck is not fun at all. It can only ruin a great day, but it can affect all the activities you planned for that day. One way to make sure you are getting the best nights sleep is to use a good cervical orthopedic neck support pillow. It can make a big difference and make sure that your neck is positioned correctly. Basically you want a neck pillow that will conform to the cervical spine shape: A C curve. This is the best sleeping position for your neck. The cervical traction neck pillow is an example of a great neck pillow for sleeping. It has two distinct sides to the pillow:

• Support Side of the pillow- support for the cervical spine and support for the neck muscles
  
• Traction Side of the pillow- this will give you a gentle stretch in your neck while you are sleeping. This is particularly good if you have arthritis of the neck, a disc herniation or bulge, or even stiffness of the neck muscles

With an effective neck pillow, you can experience a deep sound sleep because your body is able to relax. Muscle spasms are decreased because pressure is relieved when your head and neck are supported correctly. Blood flows better through relaxed muscles, thus enhancing circulation. A good neck pillow can even reduce snoring and allowing for easier breathing while sleeping because you air passages are unrestricted.

Enough cannot be said about using the right and correct neck pillow for sleeping at night. Check out Arc4life's Neck Pillow Reviews to help you choose the best neck pillow for sleeping.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units



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Treating Children and Teens for low back pain with self training methods: A Study

Low Back Pain is common ailment in adults, but is also among children and adolescents. Exercise increases strength and endurance with positive benefits for Low back pain relief.

A new study released by Spine on September 29 by Dr. Laurie Barclay and Dr. Desiree Lie compared the effects of a self exercise program for low back pain in children and adolescents . This study found that lower back pain improved with treatment.

"LBP among children and adolescents has increased," write Anna Ahlqwist, MSc, RPT, from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Friskrehab, Göteborg, Sweden, and colleagues. "The literature shows that children with LBP also suffer from this condition as adults. Thus, it is important to prevent and treat LBP in children and adolescents."

It was the goal of the study to show how 2 different treatments administered to children and adolescents with Low back pain affect perception of health, pain, and physical function over time. For twelve weeks 45 children and adolescents were put into 2 groups:

• Group 1: received individual physical therapy and exercise and a standard self-training program and back education
  
• Group 2:a self-training program and back education but no individual therapy.
  

To measure how the children and adolescents did, outcome measures that were used:

• Child Health Questionnaire Child Form 87- this measures quality of life
  
• Children completed self-assessment scales on health-related quality of life and back function and questions about daily function, leisure time activity, and perceived pain.
  
• Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire
  
• Painometer – a handheld pain measurement instrument, was used to measure pain intensity, quality, location, and duration.
  
• Back Saver Sit and Reach
  
• test of trunk muscle endurance administered before and after the treatment period (Hamstring flexibility and trunk muscle endurance were assessed )

Over time, both groups had statistically significant improvements in most outcome measures. Compared with group 2, group 1 had statistically significant improvements in physical function, measured by the Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire, and in the duration of pain, measured by the Painometer

• The authors concluded that all assessments in back pain and function and quality of life showed improvement in both groups, but the Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire score and duration of back pain showed greater improvement in the group with individualized education.
  
• The authors recommended that combining physical activity and exercise was a useful strategy to address LBP in children and adolescents.

According to the study authors: "An individual assessment by a knowledgeable physiotherapist and an active treatment model improve how children and adolescents experience their back problems with respect to health and physical function, pain, strength, and mobility, regardless of whether treatment consists of a home exercise program with follow-up or home exercise combined with exercise and treatment supervised by a physiotherapist,"
"A cost-effective treatment model that includes careful individual back examination and analysis of appropriate home exercise with follow-up and evaluation will help the majority," the study authors conclude.

A self-training program of exercise with individualized therapy is associated with greater improvements in the Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire disability score and pain duration compared with a similar program without individualized therapy. Both exercise programs improve all pain, function, and quality-of-life outcomes in children and adolescents with Low Back Pain.


Additional Sources: Spine 2008;33:E721–E727
Picture: Gamercize on Flickr


Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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