Saturday, August 24, 2013

Alzheimers and dementia

We often think of our Warm Buddies being for kids or older kids (adults).
How wrong we are, we find persons suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia love these as they are tactile and offer warmth and comfort.
For the child in all of us. Ages 1 to 103
With these diseases persons lose the ability to remember, recognize, being able to cuddle and stroke a Warm Buddy give them some satisfaction and comfort.

Also older people living in assisted living accommodations love these as they are normally not allowed to take their pets with them, so Warm Buddies offer that sense of well-being and comfort for them.

Autistic kids love them too
Here is a comment from a school with Autistic and special needs children and how they are benefiting
from having Warm Buddies:
"We have started using Warm Buddies on our transitional care unit with our children who as a result of neurological trauma have difficulty staying warm on their own. The Warm Buddies are personalized for each child with their own “collar”. It is important that our kids feel like they are in a home like environment vs an impersonal medical setting. The Warm Buddies look and feel as if they are cuddling up with their favorite stuffed animal however we know it is so much more than that, they are a modality that is helping our kids stay happy and healthy". Childserve USA

Saturday, August 17, 2013

How to handle stress at work

Stress at work
 

We all need some pressure in our lives - it makes our work satisfying and helps us meet deadlines. But it's all about striking the right balance. Too much pressure without having the chance to recover causes stress, which can be damaging to our health.
Workplace stress is different for everyone - what is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and how you have learned to respond to pressure.

Symptoms
Work-related stress can cause both physical and emotional health problems. It can cause you to be more prone to physical symptoms such as:









  • tiredness and sleep problems
  • digestive problems
  • a raised heart rate
  • skin rashes
  • sweating
  • blurred vision
You may also be prone to psychological symptoms such as:
  • a lower sex drive (libido)
  • feeling that you can't cope
  • irritability and mood swings
  • disturbed eating patterns
  • finding it hard to concentrate
  • feeling less motivated
How do you know if you have work-related stress?
You may have already noticed some factors contributing to the way you feel. For example, you may feel that you:
  • often rush about, trying to be in too many places at once
  • miss breaks and take work home with you
  • don't have enough time for exercise, relaxation or spending time with your family
According to a study by The Work Foundation, nearly a third of working men say that the demands of their job interfere with their private life and nearly a quarter feel that their work has caused them to neglect their children.
Causes
Work-related stress is also one of the biggest causes of sick leave.
There are a number of factors that can make you feel stressed at work, including:
  • poor working conditions
  • long working hours
  • relationships with colleagues
  • lack of job security
  • difficult journeys to and from work
  • the way the company is managed
  • mismatch between the requirements of the job and your own capabilities and needs
  • inflexible working hours
  • too much or too little responsibility
However, often there is no single cause of work-related stress. Although it can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it's often the result of a combination of stressful factors that build up over time.
Stress management
Self-help
It's impossible to escape pressure at work altogether, so you need to learn how to manage stress effectively. There are a number of ways you can reduce the negative impact of stress. Most of these involve taking a good look at how you function at work.
One of the most important factors in reducing stress levels is managing your time more effectively. Prioritize tasks, delegate where you can and make sure you don't take on more work than you can handle. Make sure you take regular breaks at work and try to finish one task before you begin another. Here are some other things that you can do yourself.
  • Make sure your work environment is comfortable. If it isn't, ask for help from your organization’s health and safety officer.
  • If possible, don't work long hours - sometimes projects need extra time, but working long hours over many weeks or months does not generally lead to more or better results at work.
  • Take a look at your relationships with your colleagues - do you treat each other with respect and consideration?
  • Find out if your organisation offers flexible working hours.
It's in everyone's interest to keep the workplace as stress-free as possible, and generally, organisations want to keep their employees happy and healthy. If companies have good work-life policies, employees are likely to be healthier and happier and so less likely to take time off work.
If you are suffering from work-related stress, it's important to talk directly to your manager about it. Your manager has a duty to take reasonable steps to try to resolve the problem. Explain how you are feeling and discuss your workload. If you find talking about your concerns difficult, it may help to make notes during your discussion.
It's worth asking if your organisation has any policies on harassment, bullying or racism. What does your company consider acceptable? Find out how to challenge these policies from your human resources department and make sure you know what support there is for you if you decide to do this.
There are things you can do outside of work to help reduce your stress levels. These include the following.
  • Get enough exercise - this is known to reduce stress and can help you feel better. It's recommended that you do 30 minutes of exercise each day. Choose an activity you enjoy - a brisk walk is ideal.
  • Learn relaxation techniques - this can help you sleep better and relieve stress-related physical pains such as stomach pains and headaches. Ask your GP or your local library for details of classes where you can learn helpful techniques.
  • Talk about your stress with a friend or member of the family - this is a good way to get your worries off your chest. It can give you a fresh perspective and help to make stressful situations more manageable.
  • Don't drink too much alcohol or caffeine, or smoke. Instead of helping, these stimulants will increase your stress levels.
  • Eat regular meals and a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
  • At the end of each day, reflect on what you've achieved rather than worrying about future work. Don't be too hard on yourself and remember to take each day as it comes.
Our solution
Stress relief
Our Ultra shoulder wrap along with our other therapeutic wraps are use by employees and employers to help relieve levels of stress.
Our Ultra shoulder wrap fits perfectly around the neck and shoulders and offers a moist penetrating heat and the weight helps relieve the stress in the muscles. This can be worn around the house or as some companies now have these available for employees to use at their workstation at work.
Worksafe BC incorporated the use of our Ultra Shoulder wraps for their employees to use to relieve stress or tension at work.
  • Emma Chritensen their corporate ergonomist found that individuals using the wraps had a more relaxed posture while working at their workstations, their shoulders were lower, not hunched up around the ears and productivity increased.
This all natural stress relief wrap penetrates deep into muscles to dissolve stress and soothe aches, moist heat therapy can even help diminish tension headaches.
We have also put together a few of our most popular products as a Stress relieving first aid kit” at a special price.

www.wildflowersaromatherapy.com
 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Sports injuries and heat/Cold treatment

Cold Treatment




With any sprain, strain or bruise there is some bleeding into the underlying tissues. This may cause swelling, pain and delay healing. Cold treatment may be used in both the immediate treatment of soft tissue injuries and in later rehabilitation.

During immediate treatment, the aim is to limit the body's response to injury. Ice will:
  • Reduce bleeding into the tissues.
  • Prevent or reduce swelling.
  • Reduce muscle spasm and pain.
  • Reduce pain by numbing the area and by limiting the effects of swelling.
These effects all help to prevent the area from becoming stiff by reducing excess tissue fluid that gathers as a result of injury and inflammation.

In the later, or rehabilitation, phase of recovery the aims change to restoring normal function. At this stage the effects of ice can enhance other treatments such as exercise by reducing pain and muscle spasm. This then allows better movement. If you have to do exercises as part of your treatment it can be useful to do them with ice in place or immediately after it is removed when the area will still be a little numb. This reduces pain and makes movement around the injury more comfortable.

Sports injuries
Sports Therapy wrap
Ideally, ice should be applied within 5-10 minutes of injury for 20-30 minutes. This can be repeated every 2-3 hours or so whilst you are awake for the next 24-48 hrs.

After the first 48 hours, when bleeding should have stopped, the aim of treatment changes from restricting bleeding and swelling to getting the tissues remobilised with exercise and stretching. Ice helps with pain relief and relaxation of muscle tissue.

Do not use heat on a new injury (for example, soaking in a hot bath, using heat packs, hot water bottles, deep heat creams, etc). These will increase bleeding and make the problem worse.

When an injury is older than 48 hours, heat can be applied in the form of warm buddy heat packs. Heat causes the blood vessels to dilate (open wide) which brings more blood into the area. It also has a direct soothing effect and helps to relieve pain and spasm. If heat is applied to the skin it should not be hot, gentle warmth will suffice.

Again all Warm Buddy heat packs and wraps are ideal for the treatment of muscle pain and are approved medical devices for this purpose

Cold packs often gives better and longer-lasting effect on the circulation than heat provides. The painkilling properties of ice are also deeper and longer-lasting than heat.

Qualities:
Recent studies have found that heat wrap therapy proved to be more effective pain management for muscle pain than oral pain medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen...more info

Why use heat for pain relief..see here


Back to school stress

Back to school stress (Relief)

Kids young and older are preparing to go back to or starting new at school,college or university.
These can be stressful times for the student or parent, what a better time and tested way to alleviate these stresses, than with a Warm Buddy heat pack or a warm up animal.
The heat and comfort generated by these really work into the muscle tissue that is causing the tensions, helps you to relax and reduce your stress.













The Ultra Shoulder Wrap has a perfect combination of moist heat, aromatherapy and acupressure to provide relief from aches pain and stress. Contains our signature anti-stress aromatherapy blend of lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, cloves and rosemary.
Stress relief ultra shoulder wrap
Used by massage therapists and spa practitioners for relaxation and therapeutic effects. Excellent for home and office use. Bring the spa experience home with you! Makes an excellent stress relieving gift. Surface wash covers.











The Sports Therapy heat wrap/heat pack used by therapists. This is a great gift for men. Extra large size, weight and penetrating moist heat provides comfort for those who suffer with back and shoulder pain. Infused with our signature anti-stress aromatherapy blend of lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary and cloves.

Recent studies have found that heat wrap therapy proved to be more effective at treating lower back pain than oral pain medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Warm Buddy heat wraps are proudly made in Canada.
Comes with an adjustable belt to hold the wrap firmly in place. Extra long heat holding - 1 hour or longer. Contains our anti-stress blend. Use warm or cold to assist with the relief of aches, pains and stress. The perfect stress relieving gift. (10" X 26"). The cover comes in black velvet with an embroidered Warm Buddy logo.




We have all these products in stock,all colours all sizes and we ship the same day.
Don't forget to use our welcoming discount coupon code wild6 and also check out our low fixed rate shipping costs.
These stress relieving solutions will last for years.

WA+G

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Back pain relief

Back pain relief

Back pain can be debilitating, what you need are our heat packs that will offer fast natural relief for your back pain, these can be used hot or cold depending on the injury.Back pain Use it cold to reduce swelling and heat for aches and pains.
Back pain has never felt so good.
Warm Buddy heat packs have been made locally in Vancouver BC since 1996.

What heat is for

Heat is primarily for muscle pain, and for stress relief. Warm Buddy heat packs and heat wraps offer a warm moist penetrating heat, that penetrate the muscle tissue and relieve aches and pains fast  and without the need of any over the counter pain medication.
The trick is knowing what muscle pain is. Muscle causes much more pain than most people are aware of. Some kinds of muscle pain are obvious enough — like the pain you get after the first ski trip of the season, or charlie horses in the night — but these are relatively isolated and obvious examples. Also, heat isn’t especially useful for them. Charlie horses are pretty fast, and for most people a rare problem, thankfully. And that post-exercise muscle soreness is virtually immune to any kind of therapy.

"IMPORTANCE of WARM-UP AND STRETCHING"
Remember “Everybody needs a Warm Buddy”

Warm-up is one of the most important elements of an exercise program. It is particularly important to prevent back pain injury:
Warm-up is low level activity, such as a brisk walk or a slow jog, which should be completed prior to stretching and more strenuous exercise. The objective of the warm-up is to raise total body temperature and muscle temperature to prepare the entire body for vigorous activity. The warm-up period prepares the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system and the musculoskeletal system by gradually increasing the demand on those systems so that they are able to accommodate the demands of more strenuous activity.

Passive Warm-up:

The main goal of passive warm-up is to increase body temperature, either total body temperature or local body temperature, without physical activity. In passive warm-up the body temperature is usually increased by some external means, such as wearing heavy apparel, like a sweatshirt, and/or using our Warm Buddy Sports Therapy wrap or Body wrap. One of the advantages of using a passive means of warm-up is that energy is not expended in the warm-up activity. However, for best results it's recommended that passive warm-up be used in combination with active warm-up.

Active warm-up:

Is composed of two types: general and sports specific warm-up. The general or non-specific warm-up utilizes low intensity movements such as walking or slow jogging general warm-up, involving low level activity, is usually more effective than passive warm-up in increasing deep muscle temperature. Specific warm-up exercises actually involve the body parts that will be used in the subsequent competitive event. An example would be swinging a tennis racket in a practice stroke.
The advantage of the specific warm-up is that the temperature is more effectively increased in the specific body parts that are to be used.

THE PURPOSE OF WARM-UP: PREVENT INJURY - ENHANCE PERFORMANCE

Experts agree that the main purpose of warm-up is to increase the blood circulation in order to raise both the general body and the deep muscle temperatures, which in turn help to heat up the muscles, ligaments and tendons in preparation for more vigorous activity.
A proper warm-up provides many benefits due to elevated temperatures associated with it. The likelihood of any back pain injury is reduced. Athletic performance can be improved. The warm-up increases muscle efficiency, reduces potential for muscle pulls, improves reaction time and improves the speed of movement of muscled and ligaments.
Proper warm-up can also help reduce the severity of post-exercise muscle soreness. The higher temperatures and increased blood flow resulting from warm-up are important for delivery of oxygen to the muscles and for prevention of build-up of unwanted waste products which can lead to muscle soreness.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WARM-UP and STRETCHING: WARM-UP THEN STRETCH

There is an important difference between warm-up and stretching. Many people stretch and call it warm-up. This is incorrect. It is important to warm-up before stretching. If one stretches the muscles without prior warm-up, the muscles are cold and are more prone to injury, such as muscle tear or strain. Before exercising, begin with a warm-up period to raise the body temperature.
You want to get the heart pumping and increase blood flow to the muscles before stretching. Slow running in place, a slow aerobic dance, or a walk-jog (all with ball), and the application of an external heat pack, is an ideal warm-up regimen to help prepare the muscles for stretching and therefore reducing the posibility of back pain injury.

Back pain in early pregnancy:

Here is a heart felt story from Kristina
@ swankmama which will resonate with anyone going through lower back pain in early pregnancy.
Being pregnant the second time around has pretty much been the same as when I was pregnant with my son: fast, easy and free of any morning sickness or nausea. The only thing that I didn't have with my first pregnancy that I now have with this one is lower back pain. It comes and goes but the turning point was when I strained my back on our recent Disneyland vacation. I could hardly move and yet my son still wanted to be picked up constantly during our trip.

That's where Wildflowers Aromatherapy & Gifts came in to the rescue! Wildflowers is a Vancouver based eco-conscious company run by Peter and Patricia and serving customers worldwide. They carry a full line of Warm Buddy products which provide back pain, neck & shoulder pain and stress & tension relief. Filled with natural milled rice, Warm Buddy heating pads and wraps are aromatherapy scented with pure lavender flowers and essential oils making it a relaxing and soothing experience for your body. Wildflowers also prides themselves on buying all locally made products to share with the world.

To heat up your Warm Buddy, you simply put it in the microwave for the required time {my Warm Buddy Body Wrap takes 2-3 minutes - I've been warming it up at just under 3 minutes} and it will retain its heat for hours. I love that I can use it on my back as soon as I take it out of the microwave since the heat has been distributed evenly and it's not super hot to the touch. Usually, I wake up a few times a night for a bathroom break {another pregnancy "symptom"} and my Warm Buddy is still warm! The website says that it will retain its heat for 1 hour or longer and it seems like mine is on the longer side.

In addition to heating up your Warm Buddy, you can also throw it in your freezer {in a Ziploc bag} to reduce inflammation and relieve lower back pain related to sprains, bumps and bruises, inflamed muscles, etc.

When my lower back pain was at it's worse, all I could think about during the day was coming home, putting my heated Warm Buddy Body Wrap on my back and waking up virtually pain free. I found that it helped alleviate the pain during the night so I could sleep better and the pain wouldn't return until halfway through the next day. I would highly recommend Wildflowers and their Warm Buddy Body Wrap as a natural, pain relief alternative to taking pain medication to relieve the pain. In addition, the Body Wrap comes with a washable cover that can be hand or machine washed.
Thank you Wildflowers you are a life saver with your Microwave heating pad for back pain relief.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Autism and heat therapy

Here is a comment from a school with Autistic and special needs children and how they are benefiting
from having Warm Buddies:
Large warm up puppy used by Childserve USA

"We have started using Warm Buddies on our transitional care unit with our children who as a result of neurological trauma have difficulty staying warm on their own. The Warm Buddies are personalized for each child with their own “collar”. It is important that our kids feel like they are in a home like environment vs an impersonal medical setting. The Warm Buddies look and feel as if they are cuddling up with their favorite stuffed animal however we know it is so much more than that, they are a modality that is helping our kids stay happy and healthy". Childserve USA

ChildServe USA

Friday, August 2, 2013

New products arriving this fall 2013

New products coming this fall 2013


New Therapeutic Relaxation Products
New Warm Buddy Relaxation Set
Our new relaxation products contain buckwheat hulls with our new cozy fabric to provide the ultimate in style, comfort and support.

Relaxation Neck Pillow:
This all natural and light weight buckwheat hull pillow can be used to reduce stress and provide comforting lumbar and neck support. Use at home, in the office, car or for traveling.

Relaxation Therapy Cushion:
This super soft and light cushion adds therapeutic comfort and support to relieve stress while sitting. For use at home, office, car and traveling.

Relaxation Set:
Includes our Relaxation Neck Pillow and Aromatherapy Sleep Mask together in a set that will have you relaxing in total comfort where ever it may be needed. Comes in handy travel ready packaging.

*Matching Cozy Throws are available (60" X 50")


New Warm Buddy Scarf and Bear Paw Mitts
New Luxurious Fur Scarf
Luxurious Fur Scarf:
The perfect warm and cozy accessory for cooler days and nights. This luxurious fur scarf matches our famous bear paw mittens!

New Warming Slippers
New Warming Slippers
Warming Slippers:
Taking foot comfort to the next level! Our new Warming Slippers can be used hot, cold or at room temperature. They are created from the highest quality materials and O-So-Soft. Machine washable and available in two luxurious fabric options: black fur and leopard plush.

New Warm-up Plush Animals
New Little Buddies
Little Buddies:
Super cute and soft Bears, Puppy and Kitten in a smaller size (11 inches). Removable inner heat pack inside.

Large Kitten and Puppy:
Warm Buddy customers have been asking for a Cat so due to popular demand we have a re-created a Large Black Kitten and Large Black/Cream Puppy.

New Sleepytime Bear and Kozy Kat
Kozy Kat and Sleepytime Bear
Sleepytime Bear and Kozy Kat:
These animals are designed with baby safe features and can be used as a puppet too. Made from the softest plush fabric and they warm-up too!

Matching Baby Blanket Set:
Our new baby blanket set is created from a luxurious tan and cream two toned plush bubble fabric. Comes with a mini bear pet.