Bioposture Glossary

ANATOMIC - Pertaining to anatomy, or to the structure of the body.

ARTHRITIS - Acute or chronic inflammation of one or more joints, usually accompanied by pain, swelling and stiffness, resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, autoimmune disease, metabolic disturbances or other causes.

BACK PAIN - A pain in the lumbar, lumbosacral, or cervical regions of the back, varying in sharpness and intensity. Causes may include muscle strain or pressure on the root of a nerve.

BIO FOAM - A 100% plant based memory foam produced in the USA, used in the manufacture of Chiropractor recommended memory foam mattresses.

BIOMECHANICS - The study of the mechanics of a living body, especially of the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure.

BIOPOSTURE - The trademarked term used to designate the line of Chiropractor recommended 100% plant based BioMemoryFoamâ„¢ mattresses manufactured in the USA and marketed by Sleep Analytics, Inc.

BURSITIS - Inflammation of a bursa, most commonly of the shoulder. Symptoms include pain, tenderness, and limitation of motion.

CANYONING - A term used to describe the sinking sensation and trapped feeling caused by the conforming properties and slow recovery of some memory foam products.

CARDIOVASCULAR - Of, relating to or involving the heart and blood vessels.

CARPAL TUNNEL - a passageway in the wrist through which nerves and the flexor muscles of the hands pass

CERVICAL - Relating to the top part of the spine that is composed of the seven vertebrae of the neck and the disks that separate them.

CHIROPRACTOR - A health professional trained in chiropractic; chiropractors do not perform surgery or prescribe drugs. Chiropractic is a non-pharmaceutical, nonsurgical system of health care based on the self-healing capacity of the body and the primary importance of the proper function of the nervous system in the maintenance of health; therapy is aimed at removing irritants to the nervous system and restoring proper function. The most common method of treatment is by spinal manipulation and is primarily done for musculoskeletal complaints; other methods include lifestyle modification, nutritional therapy, and physiotherapy.

CIRCULATION - Movement in a circle or circuit, especially the movement of blood through bodily vessels as a result of the heart's pumping action.

COCCYX - The last bone of the spinal column, consisting of three to five fused vertebrae that connect with the sacrum, a part of the pelvis.

CRAMP - A spasmodic and often painful contraction of one or more muscles.

DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS - The chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints; the most common form of arthritis occurring usually after middle age.

DISC HERNIATION - A spinal disc herniation, incorrectly called a slipped disc, is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion to bulge out. This tear in the disc ring may result in the release of inflammatory chemical mediators which may directly cause severe pain, even in the absence of nerve root compression.

DISC - The discs in the spine act as shock absorbers between adjacent vertebrae. They also act as ligaments that hold the vertebrae together and as joints that allow for slight mobility of the spine. There are twenty-three vertebral discs in the spinal column. Discs are composed of two parts; a tough circular exterior composed of concentric sheets of collagen fibers that surround the second part, an inner core containing a loose network of fibers suspended in a mucoprotein gel.

ECOFOAM - A trademarked term used to describe 100% natural plant based memory foam manufactured in the USA.

ECOMEMORYFOAM - A trademarked term used to describe 100% natural plant based memory foam manufactured in the USA.

ERGONOMIC - The design of objects, systems and environments that maximize the efficiency and quality of the use of human energy.

FEMORAL - Pertaining to the femur or to the thigh.

FIBROMYALGIA - Inflammation of the fibrous or connective tissue of the body characterized by muscle pain, fatigue and multiple tender points. More common in adult women.

HAMSTRING - The two tendons behind the knee.

HEADACHE - Pain in the head which can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself. There are three types of primary headaches: tension (muscular contraction headache), migraine (vascular headaches) and cluster headaches. An estimated 18% of women and 6% of men suffer migraines. Men account for 80% population experiencing cluster headaches. The headaches caused by illness are secondary headaches.

HEALING - The act or process in which the normal structural and functional characteristics of health are restored to diseases, dysfunctional or damaged tissues, organs or systems of the body.

HIP - The region of the body around the joint between the femur and pelvis.

ILIOPSOAS - One of the pair of muscle complexes that flex, adduct and laterally rotate the thigh and lumbar column, consisting of the psoas major and the iliacus.

IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME - Progressive pathological changes resulting from the impingement of the aromion, coracoacromial ligament, coracoid process or acromioclavicular joint on the rotator cuff.

INFLAMMATION - A protective tissue response to injury or destruction of tissue, which serves to destroy, dilute or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue. The classical signs of acute inflammation are pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function.

INSOMNIA - Insomnia is the inability to obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep. The difficulty can be in falling asleep, remaining asleep, or both. People with insomnia do not feel refreshed when they wake up. Insomnia is a common symptom affecting millions of people that may be caused by many conditions, diseases, or circumstances.

INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS - Lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.

JOINT PAIN - Pain in a joint. Also called Arthralgia.

LIGAMENT - A band of fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages, serving to support and strengthen joints.

LOWER BACK PAIN - Acute and/or chronic discomfort in the lumbar region of the spine caused by a number of factors.

LUMBAR - Of, near or situated in the part of the back and sides between the lowest ribs and the pelvis.

MIGRAINE - A severe recurring headache, usually affecting only one side of the head, that is characterized by sharp pain and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances.

MIGT - Mercury in Glass Thermometer

MYALGIA - Diffuse muscle pain or tenderness, usually accompanied by malaise.

MYOFASCIAL - Pertaining to a muscle and its sheath of connective tissue or fascia.

MYOSITIS - A rare disease in which the muscle fibers and skin are inflamed and damaged, resulting in muscle weakness. There are several types of myositis that affect different parts of the body.

NERVE - A cordlike structure comprising a collection of nerve fibers that convey impulses between a part of the central nervous system and some other body region.

NEURALGIA - An intense burning or stabbing pain caused by irritation of or damage to a nerve. The pain is usually brief but may be severe. It often feels as if it is shooting along the course of the affected nerve.

NEURITIS - The inflammation of a nerve or group of nerves that is characterized by pain, loss of reflexes, and atrophy of the affected muscles.

NEUROLOGIC - Having to do with the nervous system.

NEUROPATHY - A condition affecting the nerves supplying the arms and legs. Typically, the feet and hands are involved first. If sensory nerves are involved, numbness, tingling and pain are prominent, and if motor nerves are involved, the patient experiences weakness.

NUMBNESS - A partial or total lack of sensation in a body part resulting from any factor that interrupts the transmission of impulses from the sensory nerve fibers. Numbness is often accompanied by tingling.

OPEN CELL FOAM - Foam that allows air to flow out of the cells of the foam when it is compressed, similar to the way a wet sponge allows water to follow out of it when compressed. Memory foam allows the air to flow out and also through it, and then returns to its original shape when the pressure is released. Memory foam can be compressed to 10% of its original volume for shipping and will recover to exactly its original shape and volume. Provides superior support and comfort in a mattress because it conforms to the shape of the body.

OSTEOARTHRITIS - Chronic inflammation of the joints, especially those that bear weight. Cartilage softens and wears away and bone grows in its place, distorting the joint’s surface, causing pain, stiffness and limited movement.

OSTEOPOROSIS - A disorder in which the normal replenishment of old bone tissue is severely disrupted, resulting in weakened bones and increased risk of fracture. Although osteoporosis can occur in anyone, it is most common in thin white women after menopause. Osteopenia results when bone loss is significant but not as severe as in osteoporosis.

PARTNER DISTURBANCE - The disturbance caused by transfer of motion when one partner moves in a shared bed. Much less common in memory foam mattresses compared to traditional innerspring mattresses.

PHYSICAL THERAPY - The promotion of health, the prevention of disability and the evaluation and rehabilitation of patients disabled by pain, disease or injury with treatment by physical therapeutic measures as opposed to medical, surgical or radiologic measures.

PLANT FOAM - Memory foam made of renewable plant based materials.

POSTURE - The position of the body with respect to the surrounding space. A posture is determined and maintained by coordination of the various muscles that move the limbs, by proprioception and by the sense of balance.

PULMONARY - Pertaining to the lungs or to the respiratory system.

RADICULITIS - An inflammation involving a spinal nerve root, resulting in pain and hyperesthesia.

RADICULOPATHY - Disease of the spinal nerve roots.

REFERRED PAIN - Pain felt in a part other than that in which the cause that produced it is situated.

REFLEXES - Reflected actions or movements; the sum total of any particular automatic response mediated by the nervous system.

SACROILIAC - Pertaining to the part of the skeletal system that includes the sacrum and the ilium bones of the pelvis.

SACRUM - The triangular bone just below the lumbar vertebrae formed usually by five fused vertebrae and lodged dorsally between the hip bones.

SCIATICA - Pain or discomfort associated with the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from the lower part of the spinal cord, down the back of the leg to the foot. A sharp or burning pain that radiates from the lower back or hip, possibly following the path of the sciatic nerve to the foot.

SENSORY NERVE - A peripheral nerve that conducts impulses from a sense organ to the spinal cord or brain.

SLEEP - A period of rest for the body and mind during which volition and consciousness are in abeyance and bodily functions are partially suspended. Also described as a behavioral state with characteristic immobile posture and diminished but readily reversible sensitivity to external stimuli.

SLEEP ANALYTICS - The study of all aspects of sleep and the environmental factors that impact it.

SLEEP HOT - A term that refers to the propensity of older types of memory foam to capture heat from the body and raise the temperature of the foam to the point where it may interfere with the quality of sleep. Some new open cell memory foams have eliminated this problem.

SORE BACK - A pain in the lumbar, lumbosacral, or cervical regions of the back, varying in sharpness and intensity. Causes may include muscle strain or pressure on the root of a nerve.

SPINAL COLUMN - The series of articulated vertebrae, separated by intervertebral disks and held together by muscles and tendons that extend from the cranium to the coccyx, encasing the spinal cord and forming the supporting axis of the body.

SPINE - A term for the backbone that includes the vertebrae, disks and spinal cord as a whole.

SPONDYLOLISTHESIS - Forward displacement of one of the lower lumbar vertebrae over the vertebra below it or over the sacrum.

SPONDYLOSIS - A degenerative disease of the spinal column, especially one leading the fusion and immobilization of the vertebral bones.

SPONK - Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee. Derangement of osseous circulation that leads to necrosis of osseous tissue.

SPRAIN - An injury to a ligament when the joint is carried though a range of motion greater than its normal range without dislocation or fracture.

STENOSIS - The narrowing of an opening or passageway in the body. A term commonly used to describe heart valve and vessel abnormalities as well as narrowing of joint spaces, as in cervical stenosis.

STRESS - An organism’s total response to environmental demands or pressures. The term can be used to denote both the causes and the experienced effects of these pressures.

TEMPERATURE - An expression of heat or coldness in terms of a specific scale. The level of heat natural to a living being.

TENDINITIS - The inflammation of a tendon, a tough rope-like tissue that connects muscle to bone.

TENDON - A tough cord of dense white fibrous connective tissue that connects a muscle with some other part, especially a bone, and transmits the force which the muscle exerts.

THORACIC - Refers to the chest area. The thorax runs between the abdomen and neck and is encased in the ribs.

TORTICOLLIS - A type of movement disorder in which the muscles controlling the neck cause sustained twisting or frequent jerking.

TOSSING & TURNING - Used to describe the changing of position while sleeping. Some tossing and turning is normal and healthy. When it is excessive and caused by cutting off of circulation due to pressure points developing on a too firm or worn out mattress, it interferes with the quality of sleep and should be addressed by replacing the mattress with one that provides optimum comfort and support.

TRIGGER POINT - A spot on the body at which pressure or other stimulus gives rise to specific sensations or symptoms.

TROUBLED SLEEP - Sleep that is disrupted by any cause, including sleep disorders, environmental conditions, stress, illness or a worn and uncomfortable mattress, preventing the sleeper from obtaining the 7 to 8 hours of deep, restorative sleep necessary to maintain good quality of life.

WEIGHT BEARING - Referring to the ability of a part of the body to resist or support weight.