These 10 Wellness Items Solve Real Problems And Won Our HuffPicks Award

Earlier this year, one humble little foot care story revealed an undeniable truth: readers care massively about toenail fungus and, it would appear, they also struggle to get rid of it. Based on the rate at which readers (and Amazon customers) snatched this stuff up, we've been led to believe that Foot Cure's nail treatment is the antidote for the most stubborn cases of fungus and is thus undoubtedly worthy of a HuffPicks award.

Promising to address not only fungus, but also nail psoriasis and overall nail damage, Foot Cure is a naturally powered solution that many have found successfully restores thickened, discolored and flaking nail beds and has provided hope when “I didn’t believe there was for decades,” according to one reviewer.

When we asked board-certified dermatologist Dr. Angela Brimhall why the formula could possibly be so effective, she explained that it contains 25% undecylenic acid, “a compound that has antifungal properties that disrupt the cell membranes of fungi, inhibiting their growth and reproduction.”

The treatment is also enhanced with oregano oil and tea tree oil, a combination that Brimhall said creates a synergistic effect that can enhance treatment efficacy, thanks to their antimicrobial, antifungal and antiseptic properties.

Whatever the magic therein, Foot Cure seems to have turned devout skeptics into true believers and given hope that even those with the most tarnished toes can eventually become sandal-worthy, according to reviewers.

In 2022, we asked the question: “What are the items that physical therapists always keep at home?” Resistance bands were one of the suggested items that would later recur in at least four separate stories and become one of the most versatile tools in the HuffPost wellness arsenal. And when we say versatile, we mean everything from reducing pain to improving mobility to even increasing bone density as we age.

Physical therapist Chris DeRosa once told HuffPost that resistance bands are most often used for leg, knee and back injuries, but they can also be used for general exercise, stretching, and strength training. As a recreational ballet dancer, I also use them to help build specific muscles in my feet and ankles and prevent injury.

“[My] number one choice is usually resistance bands with handles,” DeRose explained to HuffPost, and suggested this five-pack of bands specifically. “They are cost-effective and come in varied resistance so people can use lighter or stronger bands if they feel the exercises [are] too easy or too hard."

In addition to these band's durable features, such as double-knit construction, 100% latex hoses and stainless steel connector pieces, the set comes with a detailed training guide that can help you perform every possible exercise and assist anyone new to resistance band training.

When it comes to addressing general pain, whether it be of the arthritic, menstrual, or back variety, a TENS unit is possibly one of the most HuffPost mentioned products from experts like physical therapists. It's a device that's been so widely suggested that you'll find it featured at least five different times across our pain-related and wellness coverage dating back to 2022.

Dr. Nita Landry, board-certified physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, was one of the first experts to describe why and how these non-invasive, drug-free aids work.

“TENS (which stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) involves attaching electrodes to painful areas on your [body]. The electrodes deliver small electrical currents to the body, which you’ll feel as a tingling, vibrating, or muscle-twitching sensation,” Landry said. “We believe that the device works by altering the body’s ability to receive and perceive pain signals.”

This particular unit, which we included in almost all of our relevant reporting, is decorated with over 82,000 5-star reviews on Amazon and an astounding number of lengthy reviews that attest to its ability to "eliminate pain completely," as several Amazon reviewers put it. Another said that after dealing with debilitating lower back pain and spasms for two weeks, using this TENS unit was the first time that the pain had "totally stopped."

It features five therapy modes of custom stimulation and reusable attachments that adhere to just about anywhere, from wrists to aid with carpal tunnel to stiff necks to tennis elbows and more. Plus, at the relatively affordable cost of $40, it's nearly impossible to deny this tool a coveted HuffPick.

You may be thinking: "Did I just read that correctly? A pillow for sex and acid reflux?" Let us explain. A strategically designed wedge pillow called The Liberator has been a regular fixture in the world of sexual aids for its ability to enhance a near-endless array of intimate positions with much more comfort and stability (and presumably for longer periods of time). However, according to gastroenterologist Dr. Kristle Lynch, who previously spoke with HuffPost, these wedge-style pillows can also prevent conditions like acid reflux by “[keeping] the esophagus and stomach at a more upright angle and letting gravity assist with forward movement of stomach contents when one is asleep."

Our HuffPicks award goes to one of the most popular wedge pillows on Amazon (it's got over 16,570 5-star ratings). This elevated sleeping pillow is made from a high-density foam core and a plush memory foam top layer to provide the ideal amount of support. It features a removable jacquard pillow case for easy cleaning and is available in a variety of height and width options, as well as styles like a pregnancy support pillow and a headboard wedge pillow.

"This is a quality-made product," one reviewer on Amazon wrote. "It is just firm enough, while still providing comfort. "The price is reasonable and these are very nice to have on hand for someone who snores, has acid reflux issues and especially when congested during sickness."

Over time, our readers – and their shopping habits – have helped us to understand that foot pain is a major concern for a lot of people, especially when it comes to the common foot condition plantar fasciitis. In an exhaustive effort to find all the possible ways to alleviate this ubiquitous problem and promote foot health, we discovered this podiatrist-endorsed medical tool, deemed capable of recreating many stretching exercises one would possibly find themselves doing in their physical therapist's office.

First introduced to us in 2023 by podiatrist and president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics, Louis J. DeCaro, the Medi-Dyne ProStretch works by helping people to stretch the posterior column which runs from the hamstring down to the calf, to the Achilles and through the bottom of the foot to connect to the plantar fascia. According to DeCaro, this is one of the best things you can do to treat and prevent foot pain, especially when performed prior to most physical activities.

At the beginning of this year, Zovickian brought a practical woe to the forefront: What is the best way to keep, store, and travel with important medication? Her solution came in the form of this 4.4-star rated pocket-friendly pill organizer that HuffPost readers purchased for their own purses and travel bags en masse.

“These convenient, nondescript Meacolia portable pill organizers have absolved me of [the] worry and panic [of forgetting medication], and frankly, I don’t go anywhere without them anymore,” she said, describing the containers as sturdy, lightweight, and secure.

Each of the three pill holders in this set sports eight roomy compartments for you to sort and store your meds to take them on the road with you, freeing you from having to choose between packing bulky pill bottles or, worse, opting to leave them at home. Made from a food-grade BPA-free plastic, they're lined with silicone on the inside to prevent dust and moisture from reaching their compartments, which reviewers also love for packing hair ties, earbuds, jewelry, bandages and more.

The under-desk walking pad first came on the HuffPost scene when deputy Life director and resident wellness expert Lindsay Holmes wrote about how this clever and compact fitness appliance changed her sedentary work style — especially when combined with a FlexiSpot standing desk. Since then, the Walking Pad has been immortalized as a reader-favorite item and now the recipient of a HuffPicks award.

“The slim Walking Pad folds in half and comes with wheels, making storage a breeze. (I keep it under my desk when I’m not using it.) It comes with a remote control, and you can also connect it to via app,” Holmes previously said. “It goes up to about 3.7 miles per hour and has two modes: automatic, which allows you to control how fast the belt goes using your feet and your own walking speed, or manual, through which you can set your walking speed using the remote.”

Holmes attributed improved physical and mental health to the Walking Pad, and tons of readers have followed in her footsteps (literally) by also investing in this home office upgrade. (If the device’s $350 price tag is beyond your budget, we’d suggest the more affordable Yagud walking pad that’s also popular with HuffPost readers. The main feature difference is that it doesn’t fold like the Walking Pad.)

Recently, HuffPost reported on a pretty mind-blowing study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology that suggested improved cardiac function in participants who committed to Nordic walking, which involves walking sticks or trekking poles. Compared to normal walking, the addition of poles or sticks forces the walker to engage the upper body muscles, as well as the lower body, for more well-rounded movement.

Our research, however, wouldn't have been complete without finding the best trekking poles available — and our efforts led us to the TrailBuddy hiking sticks, which are the highest-rated pair of trekking poles on Amazon. According to an overwhelming majority, these collapsible and well-constructed accessories can make walking easier and safer. (Some reviewers even reported improved posture.)

Made from aircraft-grade aluminum and weighing less than 10 ounces each, the TrailBuddy poles are height-adjustable up to 54 inches to accommodate most statures and disassemble compactly. The set comes with three sets of different tip attachments, so no matter if you’re using these poles to walk on rocky terrain, muddy trails, or just your neighborhood sidewalk, these walking sticks have got you covered. “Best purchase of the year” and “much better than a cane” are just some of the words of endorsement that we pulled from over 62,000 Amazon reviews.

While modern innovation can produce some seriously impressive technical products like the previously mentioned TENS unit, it sometimes takes a low-fi product like the Thera Cane to remind us that simpler is sometimes better.

Board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, Ai Mukai first turned us on to this uniquely shaped manual tool in 2021 when she called it her “go-to” recommendation for “trigger point and muscle-based pain.” It was then suggested again in 2023 by Monica Frydach, a Wisconsin-based physical therapist, who described it as a “convenient tool for working out tension and muscle knots that sit in hard-to-reach places of the shoulders and upper back.”

Then, finally, earlier this year, a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Theresa Marko, referred to herself as “a big proponent” of the Thera Cane, with its ergonomic design dating back to 1988 and durable fiberglass construction. We love it because it was made with chronic pain sufferers in mind to provide a near-endless array of massages that you can perform on yourself. Boasting a 4.7-star overall rating on Amazon, it has six strategically placed treatment nodules to help target various pressure points on the body, like along the back, base of the neck and anywhere else that you may have knots and muscle soreness. And if you don't know where to begin, the Thera Cane comes with a 12-page instruction manual that's almost like having your very own physical therapist at home.

With each passing allergy season, major wildfire, and the latest EPA report on pollution, concern for air quality has and will continue to be a major factor in our health and wellness reporting. Based on former in-depth conversations with associate professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University Zara M. Patel and a respiratory therapist and member of the American Association for Respiratory Care Joyce Baker, air purifiers (and most importantly, the right air purifier) are one of the greatest defenses we have against poor indoor air quality, which “can be two to five times more polluted than outdoors because of the lack of fresh air, circulation and ventilation,” according to Baker (who cited an assessment from the Environmental Protection Agency).

The decision to award BlueAir's blissfully quiet and top-performing 411i Max air purifier a HuffPick was the result of combined guidance from Baker and Patel and our very own personal experience.

“[The] BlueAir 411 is remarkable because it just works — as soon as it’s on, you can feel the difference in the air, leaving air crisper and fresher," former HuffPost shopping writer Haley Zovickian previously said. It should be worth mentioning that, like myself, Zovickian lives in smog-filled Los Angeles, a city that was recently ravaged by one of the worst wildfires in recent history.

“I no longer sneeze and itch from dust, pollen and who knows what, and my close friends with cat allergies are able to comfortably relax in my cat hair-filled room as long as the air purifier is on,” Zovickian said.

Aside from its sleek Scandinavian-inspired design, Zovickian points to BlueAir's excellent filtration system that uses a dual HEPA filter, a washable fabric pre-filter and an active carbon filter to trap both large and tiny airborne particles like bacteria, viruses, dust, potentially harmful chemicals, and those responsible for odor.

The purifier featured here is offers a slight upgrade from Zovickian's preferred model with its Wifi capability, which makes it easier to keep track of air quality and trends over time using the accompanying app, plus do things like schedule run times remotely and use voice commands. It also comes in three sizes, depending on the square footage of the space.