Home Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Conquering Pain With Backmate

Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Conquering Pain With Backmate

We ordered the Backmate — for the office because many of us work eight to ten hour days and more hours if we are under a deadline. Living your life on a computer all day and into the evening hour causes pain. Butts hurt, shoulders ache, the neck — is pure agony (and we’re not on the phone), legs get cramps — soreness is a daily ritual. Our boss has us ride the Peleton bike for 20 minutes every day — but then — the Backmate arrived. We think as Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, we’ll be conquering overworking pain with Backmate.

I am the only person in the office who is not a millennial — and that fact sort of hurts my feelings. I have sustained many injuries through the years, broken back and tailbone — sledding — then injured again — skiing — now I sit on that all day writing and editing.

The Backmate arrived. I demanded my spot with the Backmate first, as I feel it is my right. The guys were — well — shoving me out of the way (we are kind of like family with each other, having worked together for many years). Everyone had a story of injury — “mine is the worst” they’d claim. Through the years I have witnessed some of these severe injuries occur — so I knew what they were saying was the truth.

Eric Bostrom is demonstrating (below) the need for a Backmate — and why he worked years to perfect this system.

I threw up this pic for the office peeps to see. “Well, none of you have had something like this.” But, you see, more than one of us in our office have had a severe spine, head, neck, arm, leg and foot injuries.

oh help my aching back

Backmate is running a Kickstarter Campaign — let’s help them out.

We set our watches for a two-minute tryout and then the next person would get on the Backmate. But, those guys are such cheaters; they would not get off at their allotted time. Frankly — I was trying to work — and I got sick of their moaning (how good the Backmate felt). I was concerned with a couple of, well, chubby office peeps using the Backmate before I got my turn. No worries there, the Backmate is very sturdy and tough as it needs to be. Do you know those scenes on TV where the cops kick in doors? This piece of equipment could withstand one of those karate kicks.

All the people in the office wanted “their time” on the Backmate rollers.

Thinking to get the “rodents” off the Backmate, I said, “Okay, you can earn this much if you come up with a full body workout.” We now have at least five or six full body workouts that can be done with this one piece of equipment. You figure out what all of the physical therapy people have had you do for exercise. You go over what all the surgeons have done with you, and for you — and the practices they’ve recommended for healing.

Armed with this knowledge — you can come up with what will heal your own personal type injury. You’ll see and feel what can be done on the Backmate for you to become well again — and free your pain.

Take a moment to notice where the pain is in your body, noting the old injury. Check out that kink on the other side of your body — that pain spot is from you protecting the old injury. As you know, that spot on your body has horrible pain too.

We all began to feel the relief — but more than that — the collective sigh said what we were all thinking. “We are finally going to get the relief for which we have been searching.”

I’ve been in a pain clinic for 20 years but had to wean myself off the meds. First, I can’t afford the meds and the clinic bills anymore — but secondly — the meds were affecting my job. I missed important details at work. You can’t remember the details in tech and have your brain muddled with any substance.

My current sleep routine consists of stretching, put my legs in the leg massager, stick on the tens unit (cost of stickies, and sometimes I get sores from the stick on pads (you hear me, I know). Then I take a few Advil, and lie in front of the exact same movie I’ve watched for years — hoping to bore myself to sleep.

After trying out the Backmate, the boss said, “We’ve gotta help this guy (Eric Bostrom), this thing is fantastic — write something.”

It can be moved in one motion from top to bottom.
It can be moved in one motion from top to bottom.
easy set up for pain relief
The Backmate sets up in any doorway in seconds and provides fast relief from back and neck pain; it relieves stress; it helps sore muscles. The Backmate is easy on, easy off. We haven’t taken ours down at the office.
pain relief
Start and end your self-massage in any place you feel pain or tightness.
headache relief/neck pain help
We’ve found headache relief using the Backmate on the neck. I like to put the Backmate low to the ground for my neck. Then I lie on a yoga mat – and move my neck along the rollers.

Ultimately, I doubt I’ll ever be completely out of pain — but the Backmate — has given me hope for pain relief, and that I can work toward greater flexibility. We’ve only had the Backmate for just over a week. But, for the first time, I have hope that I can use this exercise roller before I go to bed — and be able to lie down and sleep. I used the Backmate at the office yesterday and laid down on the office couch and went to sleep, actual sleep – a real miracle. I’m ordering one for my home — we all are going to make this happen.

With the Backmate, I know I’ll be okay. I’ll let you know how it goes with the Backmate. I’m counting on it!

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Deanna was an editor at ReadWrite until early 2024. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind, Editor in Chief for Calendar, editor at Entrepreneur media, and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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