Home Health and Fitness

The Neck Hammock provides ultimate relaxation and pain relief

NEWS – If you work at a desk all day or like most people spend hours looking down at a computer or phone screen you probably experience some degree of neck pain. I know I do and it seems like nothing helps to relieve that nagging discomfort. The Neck Hammock is a cervical traction device created by a physical therapist that helps you gently stretch out the muscles in your neck. Providing a dose of relief from aches, kinks, and pain in as little as 10 minutes a day.

It’s basically a sling that cradles your head and neck that’s easily adjustable to hang at the right height from a doorknob or railing. How high you hang it and how long you use it is entirely up to you. And even if you don’t suffer from any kind of pain, it’s a perfect way to just relax and zen out for a few minutes after a long day.

Neck Hammock is hand washable, portable, and lightweight. Making it great for in-home use or stretching out post-travel stiffness.

It even comes complete with a travel pouch, eye cover, a “do not open” door sign, a guided meditation audio file, and instructions.

The Neck Hammock is available on The Grommet for $49.95.

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The Neck Hammock provides ultimate relaxation and pain relief originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 26, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Walk more upright with the Campbell Posture Cane

NEWS – A couple of years ago, I underwent two total knee replacements in a four month period.  During each recovery, I first used a walker for a couple of weeks, then I switched to a cane for longer-term use.  The cane provided me with some extra stability as I walked, especially when going up stairs or stepping on/off curbs, but  it was uncomfortable to use.  Although my cane was adjustable for my height, it never seemed to be the right length for me.  When the physical therapist adjusted it for me, it seemed too short, and I felt like I was bending too far over while using it.  Walking for a while meant my neck was tired because I had to hold my head at a funny angle to see where I was going.  And I felt like my center of gravity was somewhere out in front of me because of the way I was hunched over.

If I had a Campbell Posture Cane back then, I think I would have felt more comfortable and confident using a cane.  The Campbell cane allows you to stand more upright, so you can see where you’re going.  My arm and shoulder wouldn’t have gotten so tired because I wouldn’t have been hunched over and leaning too much weight on wrist and shoulder joints that were never meant to be used that way.  You use the Campbell cane while standing upright in a more natural position, and you support your weight more naturally, too.

The Campbell Posture Cane is height adjustable to customize the fit for you.  The handle means you hold the cane more like a ski pole, which provides support and stability without putting pressure on your wrist and shoulder.  And the stability tip has texture for slip-resistant traction, and it’s big enough to improve your stability and even stand on its own so you don’t have to find a place to lay the cane when you sit down.  The cane helps you navigate sidewalks, stairs, and uneven terrain as easily as you can navigate your home’s floors.

The Campbell Posture Cane is $39.99 at their website.

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Walk more upright with the Campbell Posture Cane originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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LifeEar is a hearing aid that you can fine tune with an app

NEWS – I’m very fortunate that I don’t suffer from hearing loss requiring the need to wear hearing aids like millions of people do. I had no idea that hearing aids were so expensive. I’m talking upwards of $6000 expensive! That’s a lot of money to pay so you can hear clearly in a variety of situations. What do you do if you’re not covered by Medicare or other insurance policies? Is there a less expensive solution that doesn’t even require that you go to a hearing specialist to fine tune the hearing aids to your particular type of hearing impairment?

The new LifeEar CORE is a $799 hearing aid ($1599 per pair) that is the first mass-market hearing aid that can be both programmed and fine-tuned with a mobile app with no appointment needed.

Designed for people with mild to moderately-severe loss, users can use their smartphones and an iOS or Android app to create a personal hearing profile based on their ability to hear a series of tones and using a National Acoustic Laboratories algorithm that considers the hearing profile as well as the user’s age and gender. The app will also allow the user to customize special programs to be used in different situations like a noisy restaurant or a quiet setting by changing noise reduction, sound directionality, and amplification of different frequencies for each program individually.

The hearing aids themselves are designed to be discreet and with 4-8 day battery life, the hearing aids come with a year’s supply of batteries. For more info about the LifeEar CORE hearing aids, visit lifeear.com

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LifeEar is a hearing aid that you can fine tune with an app originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 3, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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The OYO Personal Gym – lose weight and get fit anywhere and at any time

NEWS – For quite some time, my family has pursued a healthy lifestyle with major changes to our diet and our exercise habits. Personally, I have lost approximately 50 pounds, and so far, I have kept the weight off for over a year. As a part of my exercise routine, I walk about 2 miles every Monday thru Friday, back and forth from the railroad to my job. However, I work long hours, and I have not been able to utilize our treadmill at home as I would like to. Honestly, after a long day, it is sometimes mentally difficult to get on the treadmill for 45 minutes. Also, I was a bodybuilder for many years, and I much prefer to be able to target specific muscle groups for each and every workout. Since I no longer work out with weights, an effective option would be great.

Enter the OYO Gym! This exercise apparatus promises to give you the flexibility and ability to target the specific muscle groups, without the need for weights and all that goes with using weights. It touts itself as a total body portable gym, featuring SpiraFlex resistance technology that replaces weights. It only weighs 2 pounds and provides up to 25 pounds of smooth resistance, and it folds up small enough for you to carry in your bag or even in your back pocket. The manufacturer also claims that it combines strength with movement, without weight or momentum. In addition, they offer a free OYO app to help you with your workouts.

If you would like to learn more about the OYO Gym or purchase one, you can do so on Amazon. It is available for purchase for $149.95.

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The OYO Personal Gym – lose weight and get fit anywhere and at any time originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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BURST Sonic Toothbrush review

REVIEW – When one thinks of a gadget, a toothbrush doesn’t immediately come to mind. But in this day of smart this and smart that, it seems everything is becoming “gadgetized.” And toothbrushes are no different. Give a toothy grin to the new BURST Sonic Toothbrush.

What is it?

The BURST is a sonic toothbrush with a built-in rechargeable battery (USB charger included). It vibrates at 33,000 sonic vibrations per minute. It has three timed teeth brushing settings. 

What’s in the box 

  • BURST sonic toothbrush
  • USB charger stand
  • Toothbrush head
  • Charger plug

Design and features

Technically, the BURST toothbrush is not a “smart” brush. It doesn’t talk to your phone or keep a brushing history or send your brushing habits to your dentist. What the BURST sonic toothbrush does is brush your teeth in a pleasant and—dare I say—fun way.

The BURST toothbrush is nicely designed and easy to hold in your hand. It’s also designed to stand upright on its wider, flat base. There’s a modern, diamond-shaped pattern embossed into the non-slip plastic handle for easy gripping. An on/off button controls three different brushing selections: Whiten, Sensitive and Massage. The Whiten setting vibrates at 33,000 sonic vibrations per minute. The Sensitive setting at 31,000 sonic vibrations per minute is a less intense version of Whiten. The Massage setting vibrates in a fast, repeating on/off pattern. After trying out the three settings, I decided to choose Whiten and leave it there.

Soft bristles are attached to a replaceable head that easily snaps on and off. The bristles are dark gray and coated in charcoal imported from Japan called Binchotan. BURST claims that the charcoal coating absorbs impurities. Okay, charcoal is used to filter impurities from water, so I’ll have to take their word for it. And no, you can’t taste the charcoal. Hiding among the bristles in the center of the brush head is a flexible “x” shaped tip that BURST claims is a tooth polisher. I have no idea how effective it is, but I can’t feel it when brushing. The back of the brush head has an embedded tongue scraper. 

The brushing head is small which allows brushing in those hard to reach places. I still have my wisdom teeth and my hygienist admits that it’s almost impossible to effectively brush them because I have a small mouth. The BURST toothbrush does reach back there and I figure all those vibrations have to be better than what I was doing. I want to be using the BURST for a 6-month period to see if my hygienist notices any improvement.

Using the BURST toothbrush is quite easy. Dentists recommend brushing for a full two minutes, so the BURST toothbrush has a built-in Quadpacer timer to help you follow this rule. The timer is automatically set for two minutes—broken into four 30-sec. intervals. When you’re done, the toothbrush automatically shuts off. The goal is to spend 30 sec on each quadrant of your mouth. For instance—upper right, lower left, etc.

There’s a minor problem I have with this approach. While brushing my teeth, sometimes I need to spit before I’m done. So I turn off the toothbrush after a timed section. Then I just turn it back on to resume—having to remember where I left off. Unfortunately, the timer settings are not adjustable.

A word of warning: Do not pull the toothbrush out of your mouth while it is still on. Those 33,000 per minute vibrations will spread 33,000 (I’m making this number up) tiny drops of toothpaste and saliva all over the bathroom. You’ve been warned.

As I said, I leave the setting on Whiten. I was unsure of how this setting would work because I have sensitive teeth. However, I have had no discomfort or bleeding with the BURST. That’s even after concentrating the toothbrush on those hard-to-reach wisdom teeth. 

One humorous obstacle I had to overcome was that the vibrations of BURST toothbrush would tickle my mouth to the point I could hardly stand it. The solution was to just keep at it and although it still tickles, I can now put up with it.

When a brush becomes worn (usually every 3 months), replacing them can be done in two ways. BURST offers a subscription service that will automatically send a new brush head every 3 months for $6. That seems reasonable. When you purchase the BURST toothbrush, you’re signed up for the subscription—but you can cancel anytime. If you do cancel, you can still buy brush heads on the BURST site.

What I like

The BURST toothbrush will actually get me to brush better and longer. Only a dental appointment will confirm how effective it’s been. Also, $70 is not an unreasonable amount to pay for a toothbrush that does what the BURST does.

What needs to be improved

It would be nice to be able to customize the timer settings. The charging base comes apart too easily.

Final Thoughts

I would bet that most people don’t brush anywhere close to two minutes. I didn’t. The BURST Sonic Toothbrush has already changed those bad dental habits. It has to be better than what I was doing—and that’s a really good thing.

Price: $69.99 US
Where to buy: Burstoralcare.com
Source: The review sample was provided by Burst. Visit burstoralcare.com for more information.

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BURST Sonic Toothbrush review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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