Memory Foam visco-elastic support products, suffer aches and pains

We provide this health resource to visitors of the Community Room of SeniorSSuperStoreS in an effort to keep baby boomers, seniors and the elderly informed of matters that can affect their lifestyle.

Baby boomers, seniors and the elderly seem to suffer from a variety of "aches and pains," and we are constantly looking for solutions, especially solutions that don't come out of a pill bottle!

Has your physician or chiropractor recommended you get a foam support product to provide relief for your back pain, neck pain, headaches, to improve your posture, or to help you sit or sleep more comfortably?

Do you have trouble sitting for extended periods of time, such as in front of your computer?

Is that favorite easy chair, that is soooo comfortable, actually causing you back and leg pain, but you don't know how to add the right cushioning to ease the problems?

Are you aware that one of the most common causes of sciatica (that sharp, shooting pain that runs down your leg) is the position of your back and legs while you sleep?

People who suffer from these problems have tried various foam cushioning products over the years with little success. Why? One of the most common reasons is the fact that most consumer-directed foam products are too soft and "squishy" - almost like not having any support at all. The solution has been to try to find higher quality foam support products that were both economically priced and comfortable (i.e., not too hard).

Then, along came a new consumer-product known as "memory foam" made from visco-elastic foam rubber. Several companies have been marketing these products over the years, but the price has been too prohibitive for many seniors and the elderly to afford them. Thankfully, that has begun to change recently.

What is memory foam?

Visco-elastic memory foam was originally developed by NASA and used on space shuttles to relieve pressure on astronauts caused by G-Forces during take off. It is several times denser than regular polyurethane foams, is temperature sensitive and it always recovers to its original shape. It is also called slow-recovery foam. Due to its distinctive property in relieving pressure, memory foam has been developed into many products such as pillows, toppers, wedges, supports, etc.

What benefits does memory foam offer?

Memory foam offers the following benefits that, in combination, provide the ultimate stress and pressure-relieving support:

Memory foam has higher density and thus is more supportive and conforms to your body more.

Memory foam is temperature sensitive. In normal temperature, it is firm; but when you use it, it reacts to your body temperature and molds to your shape. This way, it minimizes the pressure points, distributes the weight more evenly and provides customized support.

High quality memory foam often has open cell structure that breathes better and helps distribute the weight evenly.

Are all memory foams the same?

No. There are huge differences in quality.

One of the key differences is density. Usually, the denser the foam, the more supportive it is and the more it conforms to your body. High density foam (e.g., 6lb/ft3 ) is usually made with a molding process while low density (e.g., 3.5lb/ft3) is the result of a foaming-and-cutting process.

Durability is another important quality aspect. Due to manufacturing differences, some foams lose their "slow recovery" property over a short period of time while high quality foams never lose their resiliency.

Cell structure is also important. High density, high quality foams usually have much smaller cells and thus many more cells per unit volume. This helps the foam breathe better and thus distributes weight more evenly.

How do I know which memory foam product is high quality?

Hold It: A high density memory foam product is heavier than other products of the same size.

Press It: If you use your hand to put pressure on the foam, it should recover to its original shape slowly. If the foam recovers too quickly, then the quality is probably lower.

Look at It: High quality foam usually has smaller and denser cell structure. If you see big cells, then the foam�s quality is probably lower.

Use It: If the foam loses its supportive property and feels like a regular foam after being used for a short period of time, then its quality is low. High quality foam maintains its resiliency even after a long period of time.

We at SeniorSSuperStoreS have found a line of superior quality memory foam products, the Astar Health products, at remarkably lower prices. (As an example, one long-established manufacturer's suggested retail price for an orthopedic memory foam pillow is almost $100; we retail our orthopedic pillow at less than $40.)

Why should you buy Astar Health memory foam products?

Superior quality. Astar memory foam products are manufactured with superior quality. The Astar DreamFoamHD products are the highest density memory foam manufactured with the molding process. All Astar memory foam products have excellent cell structure and superior durability. The products are of professional quality because all products are tested by and supplied to back care professionals. They also proactively seek customer feedback to constantly improve their product quality. They have generous warranties and a 30-day Return Policy (except where prohibited by health regulations) to make sure that customers are 100% satisfied with the product quality.

We feature an array of Astar Health memory foam products, including the pillow, leg pillow, foam travel pillow, seat cushion, foam headrest, coccyx cushion, lumbar support cushion, wheelchair seat cushion and the lumbar comfort pad in our Health Products department.