People who take certain prescription sleeping pills even once in a while may be up to five times more susceptible to early death, a U.S. study suggests.

Read the entire article from CBC here

Dr. Charles Samuels is medical director of the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance in Calgary, and has written guidelines for family doctors on use of sleeping pills. He considers the drugs to be overprescribed, but worries the paper will undermine their appropriate use.

Identify source of sleep problem

“There are other options that can help you sleep better before you turn to the pharmaceuticals,” said CBC medical specialist Dr. Karl Kabasele.

Doctors say everyone could benefit from sleep hygiene — a set of behaviours such as going to bed at the same time all week, avoiding caffeine and stimulation from TV, electronics and strenuous activities before bedtime.

At Bodo we are committed to finding drug-free rest solutions,  for our customers.

• Massage therapy is one of the most effective known non-pharmaceutical treatments for alleviating chronic pain.
  • Studies have shown reduction in pain for people with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, and labor pain. People with back pain also had increased mobility after massage therapy.
• A study by the University of Miami found decreased levels of cortisol (average decrease of 31%) and increased levels of seratonin and dopamine (increases of 28% and 31% respectively).
  • Cortisol kills cells that are important for your body's immune system, so massage can strengthen your body's resistance to disease.
  • Seratonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters that work in the brain to regulate your body's mood and reward systems, among many other important functions.
• Another study by the same group found that bulimic adolescents benefit from massage therapy.
  • Massaged patients showed immediate reductions in anxiety and depression.
  • By the last day of the therapy, they had lower depression scores, lower cortisol (stress) levels, higher dopamine levels, and showed improvement on several other psychological and behavioral measures.
• Breast cancer patients were shown to have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy.
  • Immediate massage therapy effects included reduced anxiety, depressed mood, and anger.
  • Longer term massage effects included reduced depression and hostility, increased dopamine and seratonin values, a higher NK (natural killer) cell number, and increased lymphocytes.
• Smoking cravings have been reduced by massage [study]
  • In the study, smokers attempting to quit smoking were taught self-massage techniques. After they study they had lower anxiety scores, improved mood, and fewer withdrawal symptoms than the control group. They also smoked fewer cigarettes per day by the last week of the study.
• Massage therapy has been shown to be effective for depressed adolescent mothers
  • Compared to a control group, the massage therapy group had a decrease in anxious behavior, pulse, and cortisol levels.
• While hypertension used to be considered a contra-indication for massage, studies have now shown overwhelming evidence that massage is an effective treatment for hypertension in most cases and reduces blood pressure.
  • Hypertension patients given massage therapy have shown decreases in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure, decreases in cortisol levels, and lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Bodo hopes to bring a positive influence to an industry riddled with stress and anxiety for both patients and dental professionals. The Inada Sogno makes a perfect addition to any dental office, not only for staff, but for patients as well. A few moments in the chair and the stress of the dental work is considerably lessened for many patients.

If you are in the Vancouver area, come and experience for yourself the Inada difference. You don’t even have to be part of the dental industry – an “Exhibits Only” pass is available – the price of which will be credited toward your purchase of any massage chair at the show.

Dates & Times: 
Thursday, April 15, 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
Friday, April 16, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Location: 
Vancouver Convention Centre, 
1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3

Further info on the conference is available at: http://www.pdconf.com

• Received 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Honors
• A 2009 American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) Pinnacle Awards Finalist
• Featured in the latest edition of SkyMall

The Sogno currently leads the massage chair industry with sales growth that has not slowed down despite the recession, and remains the most comprehensive massage available (even taking into account the new massage chair now available from Inada). Tough economic times have actually bolstered its support as corporations, clinics, and families have had to pay more attention to the long-term cost of their wellness spending. With a 20 year lifespan and effectiveness rivaling traditional massages, many have found the Sogno to be the most affordable way to receive regular massage therapy of its calibre.

Of course, we at Bodo remain thrilled with the Sogno, as we have customer after customer who has come back and shared the difference it is making in their lives. To close off this post, here are just a couple of the testimonials we have received:

“When I sat down in the Sogno chair, the experience I had was incredible. I have done reflexology for almost 30 years and it works on all the nerve endings for your organs that end up in the feet and hands. So when I sat in the Sogno, I was amazed at what it did to my feet and body. It worked on my head, eyes, ears, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, liver, reproductive, back and bowel nerve endings. I got up after the massage and felt healthy.”

“I’m 87 years old and I can’t believe how invigorated I felt after a session in your Sogno massage chair. At first I felt a little intimidated, getting my body into the right positions and learning how to operate it, but I’m so glad I did, because I am very pleased with the results. What a great contribution to our health and fitness, with the added benefit of not having to leave home!”

“My very first experience with Inada Sogno was like a miracle, it truly was. I have suffered for over 30 years with back pain, but after half an hour in the Sogno my back pain completely vanished! I was astonished. In fact, it was so incredible that I purchased one then and there. The Sogno even helped with my Vertigo, as I am only able to sleep in an upright position. It is so comfortable that I actually sleep in it! The service and experience with Bodo has been very memorable and I would highly recommend them to anyone.”

• You can now follow Bodo on twitter for updates. And, don’t forget the Bodo facebook page, where you can become a fan to catch the latest news.
• There’s a new detailed website about the Inada 3A,  the newest massage chair in from Inada.
• A few months back, Darby Sieben, a local internet professional, wrote an interesting article about how he learned about Bodo and made the decision to purchase an Inada Sogno. He also posted a short review of his experience with Bodo at Praized.com.
• A comparison between Ashioto and Bodo cropped up at BlogCatalog.com.
• Bathroom Guru caught up with Nathan at the 2009 Calgary Home and Interior Design Show for an interview about infrared saunas.
]]> About Bodo 2009-10-24T21:40:17+00:00 http://www.bodo.ca/blog/new_bodo_store_in_the_crossiron_mills_mall/ http://www.bodo.ca/blog/new_bodo_store_in_the_crossiron_mills_mall/#When:06:13:36Z August 19th marked the launch of our newest retail store, as part of the grand opening of the new CrossIron Mills Mall in Calgary! We're very excited to have this new location and the opportunity to introduce our line of wellness tools to the millions of people who are expected to visit each year. One of the advantages of being in a mall is that we can now demonstrate state-of-the-art wellness technology to people who would never otherwise go out of their way to discover it. For example, robotic massage chairs are still widely thought of as the old, clunky uncomfortable machines that you may have tried in malls or salons; most people are not aware of the technology advances of the last couple of years, which have elevated robotic massage into becoming an effective and economical alternative to traditional massage therapy. The Dr. Elumir Pain Management Clinic in Calgary is even pioneering the use of Inada robotic massage chairs for chronic pain relief.

Our CrossIron Mills store features Bodo LifeSpace far infrared saunas, massage chairs by Inada and LifePower, whole-body vibration machines by WAVE, and air purifiers by IQ Air, as well as a number of smaller products. One of our most interesting new items is the uCrown head massager (made by OSIM), which feels amazing and was in heavy use all day. It's an effective way to relieve tension in the head and neck, which can prevent or reduce the pain of may stress-induced headaches.

Our mall hours are 10 AM - 9 PM Monday - Saturday, and 10 AM - 6 PM Sundays. We welcome you to come and visit!



More pictures...

]]> 2009-08-20T06:13:36+00:00 http://www.bodo.ca/blog/study_infrared_saunas_as_a_treatment_for_lifestyle_diseases/ http://www.bodo.ca/blog/study_infrared_saunas_as_a_treatment_for_lifestyle_diseases/#When:21:21:44Z Did you know that using an infrared sauna can effectively treat the hardening of arteries that accompanies high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and obesity?

A lot of great information is buried inside scientific reports that are difficult to understand. We came across just such a study yesterday, performed at Kagoshima University in Japan in their Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Metabolic Medicine.

While the study actually began with an effort to find out whether saunas could be an effective treatment for congestive heart failure (congestive heart failure simply means that your heart no longer has the ability to properly pump blood throughout the body), after finding out that a whole bunch of good things happen to people with weak hearts if they use an infrared sauna, they decided to try saunas on people with "lifestyle diseases" as well, since they all have a common factor: problems with the lining of the arteries. (When too much plaque builds up in your arteries, they respond by becoming inflamed and stiff, making it more difficult for your heart to pump blood through your body. This condition, called atherosclerosis, ultimately causes heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, and poor circulation.)

Unfortunately, most scientists do not speak plain English in published reports. For example, here are the first three sentences of the study’s overview:

Systemic thermal therapy, such as taking a warm-water bath and sauna, induces systemic vasodilation. It was found that repeated sauna therapy (60°C for 15 min) improved hemodynamic parameters, clinical symptoms, cardiac function, and vascular endothelial function in patients with congestive heart failure. Vascular endothelial function is impaired in subjects with lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking.

The meaning of this is actually very simple: Taking a hot bath or sitting in a sauna causes your blood vessels to expand. Doing so over and over again (at 60° for 15 min) also improves the way your blood flows, how effective your heart pumps blood, and the way the outer lining of your arteries function (this is the lining that gets hard and clogged when you have high blood pressure, get too much fat in your blood, become diabetic or obese, or smoke).

Then they begin the study. This part is easy to understand:

We adopted sauna therapy as a thermal therapy for lifestyle-related diseases. Patients were placed in a 60°C sauna for 15 min using a far infrared–ray dry sauna system, followed by warmth with a blanket for an additional 30 min. In this condition, deep body temperature rises about 1°C and maintains during the treatment. To evaluate endothelial function we used a noninvasive ultrasound method.

So, they put the patients in a sauna for 15 minutes a day for two weeks. And what did they find?

Improved endothelial dysfunction… Since endothelial dysfunction represents an early stage of atherosclerosis, we think that sauna therapy could prevent atherosclerosis

And thus we have our conclusion. Just like with the congestive heart failure patients, when people with lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking began using a sauna for 15 minutes a day, their hardened, plaque-filled arteries began to perform much better, suggesting that regular use of an infrared sauna may actually help prevent the hardening of arteries which causes heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, and poor circulation.

[Study: Clinical Implications of Thermal Therapy in Lifestyle-Related Diseases]

*Hat tip to SaunaScape for pointing out this study

]]> Far Infrared Therapy 2009-05-06T21:21:44+00:00 http://www.bodo.ca/blog/saunas_and_the_common_cold/ http://www.bodo.ca/blog/saunas_and_the_common_cold/#When:19:50:01Z One of the most interesting aspects of our work is digging in to scientific studies that shed light on innovative wellness therapies. This morning, we stumbled into a University of Vienna study which adds another item to our already-quite-long-list of the benefits of infrared saunas: their effectiveness at reducing the incidence of common colds.

The Vienna study involved two groups of twenty-five people. The first group experienced regular sauna bathing, while the second group abstained. They then kept track of the frequency, duration and severity of common colds for six months.

The result? Significantly fewer episodes of common colds in the sauna group, particularly in the last three months of the study.

[PubMed: Regular sauna bathing and the incidence of common colds]

]]> Far Infrared Therapy 2009-05-06T19:50:01+00:00 http://www.bodo.ca/blog/ultra-fine_pollutants_cause_the_most_damage/ http://www.bodo.ca/blog/ultra-fine_pollutants_cause_the_most_damage/#When:18:34:34Z One of the most surprising and counter-intuitive facts about air pollution is that it affects the heart at least as much as the lungs. While your respiratory system can protect itself from larger particles in the air (like dust), ultra-small particles sneak past the body's protective systems and actually enter directly into the bloodstream through the lung's air exchange chambers. Most of these tiny particles have never existed in the human environment until modern industrial processes and materials were invented. When they get into the bloodstream they have a similar effect to secondhand smoke: plaque builds up in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Bodo partners with IQ Air because they produce the only filters available to consumers that are capable of targeting these ultrafine particles (all the way down to 0.003 microns). Compared with HEPA filters, which are only effective on particles down to 0.3 microns, IQ Air filters particles 100 times smaller.


The red staining represents areas of plaque development in the aorta (lipid and macrophage content are part of atherosclerotic plaque development). Exposure to ultrafine particles results in the highest degree of plaques, while filtered air reduces plaque development substantially.

The graphic above comes from a recent UCLA study which sought to clarify what type of pollutants do the most damage. Present pollution laws and measurements only look at larger particles, down to 2.5 (PM2.5) or 10 (PM10) microns, which is problematic since these are the particles that the body has the best ability to resist. Ultrafine particles (less than 2.5 microns) are produced by diesel combustion, as well as many industrial processes and materials. These particles are coated in chemicals that are sensitive to free radicals, which cause cell and tissue damage known as oxidation. Oxidation then results in the inflammation that causes clogged arteries. The ultrafine pollutants also block "good" cholesterol (HDL) from carrying out its anti-inflammatory role which normally counteracts oxidation.

The study also found that pollution can begin causing cardiovascular damage in as little as five weeks, whereas previous studies were carried out over periods of several months or more.

[UCLA Newsroom: Study shows how ultrafine particles in air pollution may cause heart disease]

]]> Air Purification 2009-04-27T18:34:34+00:00 http://www.bodo.ca/blog/infrared_saunas_as_a_treatment_for_depression/ http://www.bodo.ca/blog/infrared_saunas_as_a_treatment_for_depression/#When:00:05:20Z It's obvious to us regulars that spending time inside a warm sauna is a refreshing, relaxing escape from the stresses of day-to-day life that are so hard to leave behind. But could sauna use be effective for treating depression? In some cases, the answer appears to be "yes":

In 2005, a study was published in Psychosomatic Medicine in which a group of 28 mildly depressed patients with appetite loss and subjective symptoms were studied. Half the patients were given a sauna treatment every day, while the other half were given bed rest. Patients given sauna treatment showed significant improvement in somatic complaints, as well as hunger and relaxation scores compared with the control group. As well, the plasma ghrelin and daily caloric intake improved in the sauna group significantly more than in the control group.

As with many of the benefits of infrared saunas, once again, science is in agreement with the intuitions of practitioners.

Study: Masuda A, et al. Repeated thermal therapy diminishes appetite loss and subjective complaints in mildly depressed patients. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2005 67 (4): 643-47.

]]> Far Infrared Therapy 2009-04-25T00:05:20+00:00