According to Cleveland Clinic, between 85 to 90 percent of the people in the U.S. will experience back pain at some point in their life. While this incapacitation can be frustrating – not to mention uncomfortable – surgery or other invasive measures are rarely required. There are a number of other strategies that can help alleviate back pain, improving your quality of life and ability to move freely. 

If you're experiencing back pain, try one – or more – of these five strategies to find relief: 

1. Relax and reduce stress
Back pain is anything but comfortable. Understandably, that discomfort may cause you to tense up, which in turn can make your back hurt even worse. It's a vicious cycle. Depending on the severity and cause of your back problems, a first step might be to simply help your body relax. That might come in the form of a standing under a hot shower or taking a few hours to indulge in an activity you enjoy. 

Trying massage therapy is another solution. Regular massages can help decrease the tension that builds in your back, neck and shoulders when you're stressed, stopping some of the pain before it even begins. 

2. Lose weight
While your back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, excessive weight can exacerbate the condition. If you are overweight, that could be one of the things contributing to your pain, or possibly the cause itself.  The Arthritis Foundation reported that even people with back pain who only need to lose 10 or 20 pounds can benefit from slimming down. 

While eating extra veggies and increasing your daily level of activity are generally good rules of thumb, you should discuss your health with your physician before making any significant lifestyle changes in the pursuit of weight loss.   

Gentle stretching and activity can help to alleviate back pain.

3. Exercise and stretch
Though it may be tempting to lay down and not move when experiencing back pain, light activity can actually help alleviate the condition. Cleveland Clinic reported that exercise-oriented physical therapy is an important component of treatment for people who are living with chronic back pain, even if it sometimes feels uncomfortable.   

"Rest can sometimes be the worst thing you can do for back pain," Dr. Santhosh Thomas, a rehabilitation physician and medical director of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Spine Health, told U.S. News & World Report. "I try to reassure patients that all pain is not associated with harm." 

Building up the muscles that strengthen your back can help prevent future problems. Consider scheduling an appointment with a physical therapist or another licensed provider who can help determine which exercises will be most beneficial for your body.    

4. Rest as needed
That being said, sometimes rest will prove to be the best option, at least for a time. Just make sure that you don't remain stationary for too long unless advised by a health care professional. Harvard Health Publications recommended limiting it to only a few hours a day for no more than two days. If your pain is so extreme that you need to be still longer than that, you should consult with your physician.  

5. Use cold therapy 
Cold therapy is another strategy for dealing with back pain. The Polar Ice® Back Wrap provides the benefits of cryotherapy with compression to reduce pain and control swelling from soft tissue trauma. Use it following physical activity, during rehabilitation or even after surgery to provide relief.  

If you have back pain that persists beyond a few weeks, you should consult with a medical professional. While these strategies are helpful for temporary relief, they cannot take the place of health care advice from a trusted doctor.    

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You've probably seen one of those little round stress balls. You might have received it for free with a company's brand splashed on the side or picked one up during a rough week at work. Stress balls are popular, but do they actually help reduce tension? 

The general consensus is that these toys actually do help in stressful moments. In fact, there are numerous reasons that one of these little balls should be a necessary accessory on your desk. 

Stress and the body
As a human being, you've likely experienced stress at one point or another. From work to school to relationships, there's no shortage of challenges that can cause conflict in daily life. But just because it's normal doesn't mean that this anxiety is harmless. Stress takes a toll not only on your emotional and mental health, but also on your physical well-being. 

According to Mayo Clinic, stress can physically cause problems such as headaches, an upset stomach, muscle tension, sleep problems and fatigue. If left unchecked, it can also contribute to more serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. 

So how can you avoid these negative health complications that come from periods of high anxiety? Turns out, a stress ball can help, according to Dr. David Posen, a stress expert and the author of "Is Work Killing You?: A Doctor's Prescription for Treating Workplace Stress." 

"You've got all this stress energy – your body is in a state of high alert, but there's nowhere for it to go," Posen told The Huffington Post. "When you're stressed, your body tightens up – so a physical release helps to let go of some of that energy… The benefit of squeezing is that it releases some kind of energy – it also induces you to relax."  

Though squeezing a stress ball is not a long term solution for stress, it can help your body to release tension in the moment. The motion acts as a reminder to relax the muscles that are clenched when you're anxious, which can help avoid complications like headaches or pain that accompany long periods of tensing. 

Stress from a variety of sources can take a toll on your mental, physical and emotional well-being.

The other benefits of stress balls
While the aptly-named stress ball can help release anxiety, that's not the only benefit offered by these simple toys.  For example, playing with a stress ball can help to manage and heal scar tissue in your hands. It can also strengthen your hands if you're rehabilitating from a recent surgery.  

Stress balls additionally offer the potential to increase concentration. According to a study of a group of sixth-graders by published in the Journal of At-Risk Issues, the students who used a stress ball in class were less distracted.  

While you can find stress balls in most any size, shape or color, why settle for any less than a product that's specifically designed with your comfort in mind?The IMAK® ERGO Stress Ball's ergoBeads provide a gentle massage while your fingers are strengthened and stretched, providing stress relief and other benefits in the process. 

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Getting a cranky infant to sleep is one of those parenting skills that is part luck and part strategy. While a favorite lullaby and a comfy rocking chair can do a lot, many parents find that swaddling their infant at nap time increases not only the speed with which the little one falls asleep, but the length of the time spent sleeping as well. 

What is swaddling?
Swaddling is a technique of wrapping a baby in a blanket, usually before putting the infant down to sleep. The tight folds mimic the security and comfort of being in the womb, which your child will likely find soothing. When done correctly, it can be a useful tool in your parenting arsenal.  

Whether you're just learning how to swaddle or need a refresher, the process is much simpler than it may appear. According to the Mayo Clinic, the basic steps for safely swaddling a baby are to put the child face-up on top of the blanket with the head at the folded corner's edge. Hold the baby in place and take the far right corner and fold the blanket across the body and tuck it underneath. Then take the bottom corner of the blanket and fold it up, leaving enough space for the baby's feet to move around. Finally, fold the left side corner of the blanket and wrap it over the child, tucking it underneath, leaving the neck and head exposed above the blanket.   

To make sure the swaddle isn't too tight, test the space between the infant's chest and the blanket. You should be able to fit two to three fingers, according to Dr. Rachel Moon, FAAP, the chair of the group that wrote the American Academy of Pediatrics's safe sleep recomm​endations. 

Always talk to your physician before swaddling your child for the first time to ensure that it's the right strategy for your child and make sure you're doing it correctly. 

Swaddling may help your infant feel comforted when it's time for bed.

When swaddled, babies should always be placed on their backs to sleep. The AAP reported that research suggests side or tummy sleeping while swaddled can increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Consequently, the general recommendation is that parents should stop swaddling once there is risk that the infant may flip over while sleeping.  

"I would stop swaddling by age 2 months, before the baby intentionally starts to try to roll," Moon said. "If babies are swaddled, they should be placed only on their back and monitored so they don't accidentally roll over." 

The benefits of swaddling
Swaddling is largely attractive to new parents as a way to help a baby – and, by extension, mom and dad – get some extra ZZZ's. The AAP reported that, when done correctly, swaddling can both calm your child and promote sleep, valuable results during the first couple of months when settling into a nap routine may prove difficult.  

However, the key is that swaddling needs to be done correctly to be beneficial. Swaddling too tightly around the bottom half of the infant, for example, can lead to a condition called hip dislocation or hip dysplasia. The latter is a condition in which the hip joint forms abnormally and consequently does not hold the thigh bone firmly in place, leading to a heightened risk of dislocation. Hip dysplasia can be avoided by leaving enough space in the swaddle for your baby's feet and legs to move around. 

But what if there was an easier way to make sure that your baby is swaddled correctly every time? Thankfully, there's Brownmed's NuRoo Swaddler. With a pocket for your child and velcro wings that easily fold into place, it takes the guesswork out of swaddling.   

As an added perk, the NuRoo Swaddler os the only swaddle your child will need as he or she grows. The 3-in-1 design lets you extend its length as needed, so you have the perfect fit at every stage. The swaddle is made from super soft, moisture-wicking material that will keep your baby comfy, cool and dry.

In addition to the standard model, you can check out a variety of sweet new patterns in our limited edition collaborative Lucy Darling Collection.    

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