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| |  Waterbase Pillow Effective For Reducing Neck Pain, Headaches MARKHAM, Ontario, Feb. 6, 1997 -- A peer-reviewed independent, published clinical study on the therapeutic effectiveness of cervical pillows released by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, revealed that the Mediflow(R) waterbase(TM) pillow from Mediflow, Inc. of Markham, Ontario, Canada is a simple and effective way to reduce neck pain and associated headaches. The study also found that users of the U.S.-manufactured Mediflow waterbase pillow experienced an improved quality of sleep which in turn creates a better quality of life. The Mediflow waterbase pillow's specific engineering and patented design places the water-filled pouch at the base of the pillow (see http://www.Mediflow.com). The Johns Hopkins study titled "Cervical Pain: A Comparison of Three Pillows" was published in the February 1997 (today) issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the official journal of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. According to the study, "Cervical pillows have not been studied in conjunction with cervical pain." However, there are hundreds of so-called cervical pillows on the market and "numerous orthotic devices purporting to treat neck pain and associated headaches" and trying to capture the massive neck pain market of more than one-third of the adult population. In announcing results of the study, Dr. Robert A. Lavin from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who was the lead investigator of the clinical study team, said of the Mediflow waterbase pillow, "I cannot see how anyone treating neck pain will not have to at least consider this as a treatment modality." In addition to Dr. Lavin, co-authors of the study included Dr. Marco Pappagallo from the Department of Neurology and Dr. Keith V. Kuhlemeier from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The Mediflow waterbase pillow, a new and totally unique bed pillow, is currently the only cervical pillow on the market with independent, peer- reviewed, published clinical proof of efficacy. The pillow is a U.S.-made, Canadian invention with international patent protection. The study compared three pillows in terms of pain intensity, pain relief, quality of sleep, disability and overall satisfaction in subjects with benign cervical pain and associated headaches. The three pillows evaluated were the subjects' usual pillow, a roll pillow and the Mediflow waterbase pillow. "Overall, the waterbase pillow showed a significant advantage over the standard and roll pillows," Dr. Lavin noted. "So, selecting the proper pillow may be a simple and effective way to relieve some of that pain and improve quality of life." Neck pain is considered a pervasive and expensive medical problem. Research suggests that 80,000,000 people in the U.S. and Canada will suffer from neck pain this year, of which 30,000,000 will suffer with chronic neck pain at any given time. Another published study reported that 34.4 percent of the adult population suffer with neck pain and associated headaches in the course of any given year. In addition, 13.5 percent of adult women and 9.5 percent of adult men suffer with chronic neck pain at any given time. Neck pain is a common ailment treated by neurologists, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, geriatric specialists, family physicians, physical therapists, nurses and chiropractors. Since most patients spend close to one-third of their lives sleeping or resting on a pillow, a better engineered pillow with proof of efficacy is a very logical solution for this pervasive problem, noted Mediflow. JOHNS HOPKINS STUDY RESULTS In the Johns Hopkins study, 41 people with neck pain were recruited. All subjects were instructed to sleep using their usual pillow during the first week of the study and then were randomly assigned to use either the roll pillow or the Mediflow waterbase pillow for two weeks and then to switch to the remaining pillow for the final two weeks of the study. Each participant kept a daily diary and scored each pillow for pain intensity, pain relief, quality of sleep and level of function. The subjects also evaluated each pillow every morning and assessed the length of time it took to fall asleep, the number of times they awoke throughout the night, the degree of difficulty falling back to sleep, their quality of sleep and how rested they felt. The study concluded that "the waterbase pillow was significantly better for overall satisfaction than the other two pillows." It also indicated that the Mediflow waterbase pillow "reduced morning pain intensity, increased pain relief and improved quality of sleep" for the chronic neck pain sufferers who participated in the study. Johns Hopkins referenced other scientific studies by Nicassio and Wallston that have linked enhanced quality of sleep to improved quality of life issues, such as physical well being, alertness, emotional behavior and helping individuals to improve coping skills and to bettor deal with associated stress. Maurice Bard, Chief Executive Officer of Mediflow, Inc. invented the waterbase pillow when he could not find an effective pillow to eliminate the neck pain he was experiencing. Bard emphasized that the Mediflow pillow is the only pillow on the market that has a water bag at the bottom and that only this patented design has been clinically proven to relieve neck pain and associated headaches. Research also shows that neck pain ranks higher in terms of patient visits to physicians than most other medical conditions, including arthritis. "To be recognized by a published Johns Hopkins School of Medicine peer- reviewed clinical study is a great honor for our company," Bard noted. "There is no higher form of medical proof than a peer-reviewed clinical study and there is not a more recognized name in medicine than the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine." Because neck pain is so pervasive, this study is important to other disciplines as well, such as rheumatology dealing with arthritic pain; orthopedics dealing with injuries and a variety of other ailments; general physicians and geriatrics because cervical pain does increase with age, making the elderly especially susceptible; and psychiatry due to stress and sleep- related difficulties. This study is even pertinent for dentists dealing with patients with TMJ. PRODUCT UNIQUENESS DESCRIBED The Mediflow waterbase pillow is comprised of two main parts. A four-inch layer of polyester fiber is positioned at the top of the pillow and a specially-engineered thin water bag is located at the base of the pillow. The water bag is encased in a thermal reflector blanket, developed at NASA for their space program but now available for commercial application. The thermal reflector ensures no heat loss between the user and the water bag. The clinical study discussed the engineering of the pillow and recognized that the positioning of the water layer at the base of the pillow works in conjunction with the flat surface of the bed. This is important, the study noted, for maintaining the appropriate orientation of the pillow during use. Bard concurs with the study's evaluation of the function and engineering of the pillow. The special relationship between the compressible layer of fiber on top functions to redistribute and transfer the weight of the head and neck to the supporting non-compressible water-filled pouch. The researchers attributed, among other reasons, the positive effects of the Mediflow waterbase pillow to its ability to spontaneously conform to motions during sleep as well as the individual shape of the users head and neck. The pillow is sold through distributors in the U.S. and Canada to pharmacies, home health care stores, chiropractic and orthopedic markets, and to health care professionals such as physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists, and to other retail and medical outlets. The company also has limited distribution worldwide. -- Mediflow and Waterbase are trademarks of IWI LTD., Markham, Ontario, Canada.
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