Other famous folks who have regularly used either a Teeter Inversion Table or Teeter Gravity Boots include:

Lance Armstrong – Uses Gravity Boots for training.

Eva Mendes – Inverts for 20 minutes a day to keep her complexion.

Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code author) – Uses inversion therapy daily to keep sharp and overcome writter’s block.

Matt Lauer – Tried the Teeter Hang Ups table on the Today Show.

David Blaine – Uses Gravity Boots to work out in order to keep in shape for his various feats.

Any Richter – Used a Teeter Hang Ups table on the Tonight Show.

Steve Truglia – This James Bond stuntman uses his Gravity Boots to train.

Jackie Chan – Uses inversion therapy.

David Blaine and Jackie Chan… reason enough to try a Teeter Inversion Table, especially with the security of the Better Health Innovations 60 Day Trial Period.

Ozzy Osbourne Uses a Teeter Inversion Table! is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. Top Five Reasons to Use an Inversion Table
2. Which Inversion Table is Best For Me?
3. When NOT To Use An Inversion Table

Image via Wikipedia

The properties of magnets were first noticed in ancient times by Thales of Miletus, a philosopher, possibly the first philosopher in the true ancient Greek tradition. Thales was born around 624 BC and stubbornly refused to accept supernatural or superstitious explanations for the events around him. Many regard him as the Father of Science. A son of noble parents, Thales received a good education and and travelled to Egypt where he applied his mind to using geometry to work out the height of pyramids.

Thales is an a clear case where the term Renaissance man’ is a misnomer, he was an expert philosopher and mathematician as well as engaging in what was surely the first ever case of options trading, yet he was born almost two thousand years before the renaissance. When he bought an option to use all the olive presses in his home town, predicting a particularly good harvest, it was not, we are told, because he was looking to make money, but because he wanted to prove he could make money by using his wits, and not leaving things up to the gods.   One of the most famous stories about Thales concerns a battle between the Lydians and the Medes. Part of a war which had continued for five years, the Battle of Halys came to an end with an eclipse of the sun which had been predicted by Thales. The participants were so awed by the event they made peace immediately.

The story of magnetism may begin in ancient Greece, but it doesn’t end there. In the two centuries following Thales magnets became known in ancient India and China, but it was over a thousand years until the Chinese scientists Shen Ko first used a magnetic compass needle for navigation. By 1187 that knowledge was available in Europe and the world changed.

Before the invention of the compass, all long sea journeys had to be at night (when it was possible to navigate by the stars) or during the day, in site of land. The journey from Greece to Egypt was made around the coast of the Mediterranean, a much greater distance than the voyage across. The discovery of the compass paved the way for the great voyages of discovery, amongst them the discovery of America.

In 1600 William Gilbert postulated that it was the magnetic nature of the Earth itself which attracted the compass needle; before that the common belief was that there was a magnetic island at the North Pole, or even that the  needle was attracted by the North star itself.
In the 19th century the work of Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell began to unravel the mysteries of magnetism and electricity and in the 20th, Nicola Tesla went further than even Edison,  using magnets to create alternating current.

But why should this be of any real interest to you?

For years magnets have been viewed as possible treatments for a number of conditions, from sleeplessness to back pain and arthritis and numerous medical studies have been done to investigate their efficacy. Using knowledge built over all those centuries, our Therion magnetic mattress topper pads use modern technology to build powerful magnets into a mattress pad which can soothe you while you sleep.

Magnetic Therapy is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. Review: DPL Therapy System – Deep Penetrating Light for Pain Relief and Skin Rejuvenation

Image from wikipedia

One question you can ask just about anyone about their health is ‘How’s Your Back’ because most of us have back problem at one point or another. In the USA back pain is one of the most common reasons for people to visit a doctor and one of the most common reasons for surgery. In the under 45′s it is the reason given for the most time off work. The thing about back problems is that they really get you down. Especially is they’re the kind that won’t let you sit, stand, or lie without some form of discomfort. My mother has a lot of problems and when my husband has a sore back? Well there’s really not much point in talking to him, poor soul.

Our spines are complex constructions, built from  33 vertebrae with disks between them which act as shock absorbers.  They are made from  cartilage (a bit like the not quite bone in your nose) and the center is a jelly like substance which dries up as we get older. Damage to any of these disks causes the disk to rub against a nerve causing anything from mild numbness to extreme pain, especially if the inner gel comes in contact with a nerve.

I first had real back pain when I was pregnant, and found two things that really helped; cushions and heat. During pregnancy hormones are running riot creating the right environment for the baby’s growth and eventual birth. Many pregnant women suffer back pain, partially  because the additional weight in an odd place makes them walk differently, partially because their hormones are relaxing the ligaments and muscles in their bodies.

I know I wanted comfort, and with the belligerence pregnancy can bring, I felt entitled to demand it.
My favorite solution was a body pillow which helped me get to sleep, but for days when it was really bad I had a bath and tried to relax in the warm water, and since we found the heat helped, we bought a water bed which was wonderful.

Sadly the back pain didn’t go away once my son was born, but I was advised to try stretching my back and used an exercise ball to good effect. My mother on the other hand suffers terribly some days from pain since she fell and hurt her back a few years ago. After consulting an acupuncturist she bought a massage tool which allowed her to massage her own pressure points, something she says has given her considerable relief.

Other interesting treatments include for back pain include the use of inversion tables, where gravity is used to pull the back into alignment and relieve any pressure on the spine. Only a few minutes treatment is required on a regular basis.

The most common ‘treatment’ for back pain is no treatment at all. Doctors often prescribe painkillers or even anti-depressants. Most are agreed that the best thing to do with back pain is try to avoid it, by staying fit and flexible  through the use of gentle, low impact exercise. Good advice, no doubt, but too late for most of us. Speaking personally, I still have my faithful pillow and my exercise ball, and I intend to use them.

How’s Your Back? is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. When NOT To Use An Inversion Table
2. Comfortable AND Pregnant: The Impossible Dream?

LED Therapy Advances Through NASA Research

LED technology developed by NASA for plant growth experimentation indicated that this technology could be effective in promoting human tissue growth and wound healing.   LEDs do not produce significant heat and were selected for their plant growth experiments in space.  After the success of this application of LEDs, NASA looked to them for helping astronauts heal from injuries.

While in space, astronauts are subject to muscle and bone atrophy.  Also, injures that happen in space will tend not to heal until the astronaut returns to Earth.  NASA found that infrared light activates color sensitive chemicals within the cells.  NASA found the most effective wavelengths of light to be 680, 730, and 880 nm, and that these wavelengths improve wound healing.  Also, DNA synthesis in muscle cells quintupled with a single application of light at these wavelengths.

Following the successful testing by NASA, other organizations successfully tested LED technology for healing, pain relief, and skin therapy.  The DPL system was classified as a Class II Medical Device and cleared for over the counter use.

The DPL is made to NASA specifications: 4 joules per square cm and wavelengths of 660  nm & 880 nm.  As far as I know, it is the only home unit on the market made to these specs.

DPL Out Of The Box

Unpacking the unit, it is obviously a quality piece of equipment, similar in fit and finish to other medical grade devices.  In the box, we find the two LED panels, straps, a stand, power supply, user guide and quick-start guide.

The DPL Therapy System has a total of 154 Infrared LEDs (880 nm wavelength) and 20 Red LEDs (660 nm wavelength).  These are the same wavelengths that were found effective through the NASA experimentation.

The quick start guide very nice, and had us using the DPL within a few minutes of unpacking.  We liked the user guide as well, providing more detailed information.  It is an easy device to use.  For facial skin rejuvenation, one simply uses the DPL on the included stand, pointing your nose at the center of the unit.  For pain relief, the Velcro straps allow for the unit to be secured to where you hurt (elbow, back, knee, foot, etc).

We tried the DPL on various people around the office for a variety of conditions.  Since it is a rather private matter, I changed the names in the descriptions below.

Using the DPL for Acne Skin Care

Amy is in her early twenties and has had moderate acne for the past ten years or so.  She was interested in trying the DPL system out to prevent new outbreaks and to help heal scaring from previous acne.  Following the directions, she used the DPL for one cycle (17 minutes) once per day, five days a week.  “There was  a little bit of warmth, which felt kind of nice.  I actually thought it was pretty relaxing and after the 2nd or 3rd time I started listening to my iPod while using it as kind of a mid-day break.”  For results, Amy found that “It may have been my imagination, but I thought that I started to see results after a few days.  After a few weeks, I definitely had less new acne and at five weeks my sister mentioned that the old scarring was much less noticeable.”

Using the DPL for a Sore Knee

Dave has had knee issues for years.  In the past he has used hot and cold therapy, but had the best success in minimizing pain by using a magnetic knee brace.  Shortly after we received the DPL unit, Dave had a flare-up in his knee.  He used the Velcro straps to position the panels on either side of his knee.  Dave said that the DPL System provided “fairly quick relief, similar to putting a heating pad on, but more comfortable.”  He reported a tingling feeling on the surface of the skin and relief of pain in the joint.  He’s used it a few more times over the past several weeks with similar results.

Using the DPL for a Sore Back

This was my own personal experience.  With the weather warming, I overdid it a little when planting new grass in the front yard.  That evening I put the DPL System on my lower back using the Velcro straps.  For me, I was not very impressed with the Velcro straps for my back.  For the short time (17 minutes) that it is on, I found it easier to lay face-down and position the two panels on my back.  I think that the Velcro system would work better for a knee, elbow, foot, etc.

I found there to be little “sensation”.  The unit may have provided a bit of warmth, but not nearly “hot”.  I found pain relief after the second application.  The first 17 minutes may have helped, but as not much as I had hoped.   I did find relief when I used the DPL later in the day and the next.  The relief was similar to what I would feel after using a heating pad (relaxation of the muscles), but I thought that it was deeper relief than with what a heating pad would typically do.

Bottom Line

I like the versatility and effectiveness of the DPL Light System.  After testing around the office, I now have a unit in my home where it is mainly being used by me, my wife, and my daughter for facial skin rejuvenation.  I feel that it is a better solution for pain relief than a heating pad, and a also provides impressive results in terms of skin healing.

The technology has been thoroughly tested and the DPL has been cleared by the FDA, so I feel that this is a safe way to get the results you are looking for.

We have more information about the DPL on our Better Health Innovations Site here: DPL Therapy System

Review: DPL Therapy System – Deep Penetrating Light for Pain Relief and Skin Rejuvenation is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. Joint Pain: News About Glucosamine & Chondroitin and a Personal Story of Knee Pain
2. Magnetic Therapy
3. Review: Nightwave Sleep Assistant for Falling Asleep Naturally

Body Pillow from Better Health Innovations

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Personally I think Charles Dickens was really a woman. That line from the opening of a ‘Tale of Two Cities’ is one of the best descriptions of pregnancy I’ve comes across. The best of times, certainly, a new baby is worth celebrating. The worst of times, well fortunately it’s only a few months, but with morning sickness at the start, back pain, swollen ankles, painful breasts and just not being comfortable ANYWHERE at the end, it can also seem like the worst of times.

I will never forget my first pregnancy. The morning sickness was unpleasant because I was traveling a great deal, but once that stopped and I spent most of my time at home writing, I began to ‘bloom’, Then, about the end of the sixth month sitting just wasn’t comfortable and not too long after I began to find it difficult to find a comfortable position in bed. By the time I hit 36 weeks I could remember vaguely that at the beginning I had been worried about the experience of birth. Would it be painful, and if so, how bad? By that last month all I could think of was how much I wanted the baby out. My biggest problem was lack of sleep. With all those helpful people telling me how little sleep I’d get after the baby was born, I wanted to be sure I got some in before hand, but it really wasn’t working out. At 38 weeks my consultant said he felt a cesarean was in order and I nearly kissed him.

Of course they were all right. After the birth I had a hungry baby to feed, and that was another problem. I was determined to feed him myself, but none of the chairs in our house seemed designed for the purpose. If I was propped up with cushions everything went well, but it was really difficult to do by myself, which meant daytime feeding often went badly and I’d be a wreck by the time my husband got home.

Fast forward some years and I was pregnant again, but this time I was prepared and determined to go into motherhood in an altogether calmer, more organised fashion. Morning sickness was worse, but I limited my travelling. All I needed was the solution to the sleep problem. I’d just had an ultrasound scan which confirmed I was carrying a boy ( I wasn’t), when a very good friend brought me a pillow. Not just any old pillow, it was a really funny shape and we all had a good laugh at it, but just in case it was useful I took it to bed,and had a great night’s sleep. I stuck to that pillow throughout and never suffered from the sleeplessness that plagued my first pregnancy. I joked that the pillow was my favourite bedtime companion, we even gave it a name: Bob. After the birth I found Bob the pillow was ideal for feeding, and my husband often came home to find my son and I, the baby and Bob, all warm and cuddled together dozing happily.

If you know someone who is pregnant, do them a favor and save them from hours of lying awake thinking. Give them a pillow like Bob. There are many pregnancy maternity body pillows around, you’re bound to find one to suit. There’s no greater gift you can give a new mother or mother to be than the gift of comfortable sleep.

Comfortable AND Pregnant: The Impossible Dream? is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. How’s Your Back?

Inverting with a Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Table or a Stamina Inversion Table can improve health, reduce back pain, relieve stress, improve circulation, and more.  With that said, there are health issue that may prevent you from using one.

If you have any of the conditions below, please seek approval of your licensed physician prior to inverting.  Note that this is not an exhaustive list, it is intended for reference.  If you have any doubts, please consult your doctor prior to inverting.

Anti-Coagulants (Use of): Blood-thinning drugs or aspirin to reduce clotting of the arteries and blood vessels. The use of anti-coagulants signals people at risk for circulatory problems.

Bone weakness, recent fractures, skeletal implants: Inversion may exacerbate these conditions.

Conjunctivitis – (Pink eye): An inflammation of the transparent membrane that covers the front surface of the eyeball and the inner surface of the eyelids caused by bacterial or viral infection.

Glaucoma: A condition of elevated pressure within the eye because of an obstruction of the outflow of the clear, watery fluid circulating in the chambers of the eye. The resulting pressure (which is imperceptible without an eye exam) kills cells in the optic nerve, which can lead to a gradual loss of vision.

Heart / circulatory disorders: Any condition involving the circulatory system.

Hiatal hernia, ventral hernia: A hiatal hernia occurs when intra-abdominal pressure increases cause a portion of the stomach to move into the chest cavity through a weakness in the diaphragm. A ventral hernia develops at the site of previous surgery, usually along vertical incisions. It may also result from weakness in the abdominal wall.

High blood pressure, hypertension: A common disorder in which the heart is pumping blood through the circulatory system with a force greater than that required for normal blood flow. An elevated blood pressure which exceeds 140/90.

Middle ear infection: The middle ear helps equalize air pressure in the ear. A person may feel discomfort or disorientation during inversion.

Obesity (extreme): In some people obesity can be associated with the undetected onset of many of the circulatory and eye problems mentioned above. The weight capacity of each of the inversion products should not be exceeded.

Pregnancy: Pregnant women should exercise caution when inverting.  Actually, just skip it and get a good quality maternity body pillow to align yourself at night.

Retinal detachment: A separation of the retina, the thin, delicate membrane covering the rear portion of the eye, from the optic nerve. Usually results from a hole in the retina that allows the vitreous humor fluid to leak. Treatment is almost always surgical. A retinal hemorrhage, in most cases, can heal by itself.

Spinal injury: Any severe spinal cord trauma requires a person to consult their physician before inverting.

Stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel in the neck or brain becomes blocked or when a vessel in the brain bursts open. Symptoms include paralysis, difficulty speaking, memory loss, and impaired thought processes.

Transient ischemic Attack: Often called a “ministroke,” a TIA occurs when the blood supply is temporarily interrupted to a part of the brain due to a blockage. Often precedes the onset of a full stroke, and requires immediate action.

The best thing to do should you have any concerns is to talk to your doctor.  You can print this list and bring it in to discuss it

When NOT To Use An Inversion Table is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. Top Five Reasons to Use an Inversion Table
2. Ozzy Osbourne Uses a Teeter Inversion Table!
3. Which Inversion Table is Best For Me?

Teeter Hang Ups EP-550 Inversion Table at Full Inversion

1. Relieve Back Pain: Reduce nerve pressure, relax tense muscles, rehydrate discs, and realign your spine.  In fact, in a recent study released by Professor David Mendelow, head of Neuroscience at New Castle University in England indicated that patients who invert regularly with an inversion table are 70.% less likey to require back surgery.
2. Relieve Fatigue & Stress: Full body stretching unlike anything else, lowers heart rate through rhythmic rocking, lowers EMG activity (an measure of muscle tension).
3. Detoxify/Improve Circulation: Helps the lymph system by moving lactic acid from the limbs, aids your heart by moving blood from the limbs/extremities, Helps relieve varicose veins.
4. Increase Oxygen Flow To Your Brain: More oxygen to your head could help with mental function/stimulate hair growth/improve skin tone, helps brain cells thrive & develop.
5. Improve Your Functional Fitness: Realignment of back, strengthens ligaments, improves orientation & balance training for athletes.  Exercises like sit-ups and stretching can be done on your inversion table.

Shameless Self-Promotion (it is our blog…)

Top Five Reasons to buy your inversion table from us at www.BetterHealthInnovations.com or www.BeFitInnovations.com

1. Always the Best Prices: In fact, we will beat any advertised price you can find plus 10% of the difference for up to 90 days after your purchase!!  Yes, there are some reasonable conditions.


Teeter Hang Ups EP-550 at 60 Degree Inversion

2. Fast Shipping: We mean FAST.  Your inversion table will ship from a distribution center near you, either Pennsylvania, Georgia, Washington, or Nevada.  Unless you really want to lug a 65+ lb. package home from a store or wait for UPS to deliver from someone who only has one distribution center.  Speaking of that… most inversion table retailers are simply middle men who do not actually stock the tables.  We stock them and we use them ourselves!
3. 30 Day Money Back:  For Teeter Hang Ups inversion tables, try it for up to 30 days.  If you don’t like it, the table may be returned for a full refund with no restocking fee.
4. Authorized Dealer: Your table will be brand new, not a repack or blem.  Your table will have the full factory warranty (5 years for Teeter Hang Ups).
5. Full-line dealer: We carry the entire Teeter Hang Ups and Stamina inversion table lines.  Whether you need a part of Gravity Boots or you need a full-blown powered commercial inversion table, we’ll take care of you!

On Better Health Innovations: Inversion Tables

On Be Fit Innovations: Inversion Tables

Here’s a helpful video made by Roger Teeter for Better Health Innovations:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc1r20oNa1w

Top Five Reasons to Use an Inversion Table is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. Ozzy Osbourne Uses a Teeter Inversion Table!
2. Which Inversion Table is Best For Me?
3. When NOT To Use An Inversion Table

Teeter EP-550 SPORT Inversion Table

Brand:  Teeter Hang Ups or Stamina or something else?

Teeter Hang Ups offers MANY unique advantages, which places them on top of the inversion therapy market.  These include:

• 5 Year Warranty on all parts.
• 30 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee (use it for 30 days, if it does not work for you, get a full refund).
• UL Listed – passed UL certification testing for medical equipment.
• Longest continuous manufacturer of inversion tables (20+ years!).
• Ability to add features such as gravity boots, stretch handles, etc.
• Instructional materials such as a DVD and book are standard.
  

  Stamina Inversion Chair

Stamina offers a high quality line of inversion tables as well, but without many of the features above.  Stamina are a bit less expensive, and they offer a unique inversion chair.  We recommend the Stamina Inversion Chair for customers that have weak ankles or knees.  We don’t like the inversion effect of an inversion chair as much as an inversion table, but for many the choice is limited.

Other manufacturers: Because we are such a large inversion table dealer, we evaluate a lot of other manufactures.  Here’s the problem… most of these are made by contract manufacturers in Asia, who may be making Shark Mops one day and then inversion tables the next.  The warranties are virtually non-existent and testing has shown significantly inferior quality.

We do have positive experience with the Body Solid Inversion Table.  Body Solid is a major fitness equipment brand, and their quality is almost as good as Teeter Hang Ups.

Teeter EP-550 Inversion Table

Which Model is right?

Teeter EP-550 Inversion Table: This is the “base” inversion table from Teeter Hang Ups.  It can be upgraded later with Gravity Boots, Stretch Handles, Inversion Massage Mat, or Training Handles.

Teeter EP-550 SPORT Inversion Table: Same as the EP-550, but comes with Gravity Boots.  Many people prefer the comfort of Gravity Boots over the standard ankle clamps, expecially when they invert fully.  The Gravity Boots are nicely padded and come with calf loops to put a slight bend in your legs.  Also comes with EZ-Stretch Handles, which help you manually decompress your spine which inverted

Teeter EP-950 Inversion Table: Many people think that this is the best inversion table because of the higher model number, but it actually is made for a very specific purpose.  The EP-950 has a ratcheting handle that operates the foot/ankle clamps.  The handle comes up to your knees so you don’t have to bend all the way over to your ankles to fasten your feet.  This is a great feature if you have back pain to the point where you can not bend all the way to your ankles.  If this is not a problem for you, get the EP-550 or EP-550 Sport.  Note that the EP-950 has slightly larger frame material, but we really don’t think this is a very big deal…

Teeter DEX II

Teeter DEX II: It looks kind of like a roman chair, but it’s not…  We recommend the Teeter DEX II to people with weak ankles and knees (we even like it better than an inversion chair).  The stress is placed on your thighs and back of legs.  We don’t like it as much as a table, but it is definitely the way to go if you have ankle or knee problems.

Who to buy it from?

There is no better place to purchase an inversion table than the internet.  Your table will be delivered to your door, so you don’t have to lug a large 80+ pound package home.  Usually, “free” shipping is offered.  With that said, be careful!  Many inversion table “dealers” are nothing but middlemen between you and the manufacturer.  With any problem you have with the table, they direct you back to the manufacturer.  Then, there are “dealers” who somehow got a hold of repacked or overstocked tables that do not have the warranty.

How can you be sure?  Ask the internet retailer if they actually stock the tables or if they simple ship manufacture direct.  Ask if people in their organization actually use inversion tables.  Most importantly, ask about the return policy (30 days for teeter) and about the warranty.  This is a fairly large purchase that you will use daily for years - get started on the right foot!

More Information

We have several articles on our wellness site: Inversion Therapy Articles at BetterHealthInnovations.com

Here are Inversion Tables on our fitness web site:  Inversion Tables at BeFitInnovations.com

Here are Inversion Tables on our health & wellness web site: Inversion Tables at BetterHealthInnovations.com

Of course, an inversion table sold through either of our sites comes with the full manufacturer’s warranty, return policy, etc.  We stock these ourselves in our Pennsylvania and Nevada distribution centers and ship manufacturer-direct when we need to.  As one of the largest inversion table dealers on the web, we ship several tables every day!

Which Inversion Table is Best For Me? is a post from the Better Innovations Health, Fitness, and Wellness Blog

Related posts:

1. Ozzy Osbourne Uses a Teeter Inversion Table!
2. Top Five Reasons to Use an Inversion Table
3. When NOT To Use An Inversion Table