The Story Behind Back-A-Rest

Hello, my name is Richard Dallaire, inventor of Back-A-Rest™.

Like many people, I spent years living with lower back pain.

After decades working as a Tool & Die Maker, long days of lifting, bending, standing on concrete floors, and physical work eventually caught up with me. Every morning I woke up stiff and sore, and by the end of the day my lower back constantly reminded me it wasn't happy.

I knew there had to be a better way.

One day I instinctively placed my fist and forearm behind my lower back while lying down. Almost immediately I felt a gentle stretch and relief.

The problem?

My arm would quickly fall asleep.

The relief was real, but the position wasn't practical.

That's when the idea hit me.

What if I could create something that produced the same feeling—but comfortably, consistently, and every day?

I didn't have a research lab.

I didn't have a team of engineers.

What I did have was over forty years of machining, building, problem solving, and the determination to figure it out myself.

I started with simple pieces of foam.

I carved.

I tested.

I carved again.

Then tested again.

Over and over.

Using my own back as the test subject, I slowly refined the shape until it felt exactly right.

Years later, that simple homemade prototype evolved into what is now Back-A-Rest™.

I've now been using my own prototype for more than five years.

It hasn't flattened.

It hasn't worn out.

And most importantly—it still works.

Back-A-Rest wasn't created to be another gadget.

It wasn't designed by a marketing company or dreamed up in a boardroom.

It was built to solve a real problem experienced by a real person.

Eventually I realized something important.

If it was helping me this much, there were probably thousands of other people waking up every morning with the same stiff, aching lower back.

That's why I decided to share it.

Today, every Back-A-Rest is proudly designed and manufactured in Canada using the same simple philosophy that started this journey:

Build something that works.

No gimmicks.

No unnecessary complexity.

Just thoughtful design, quality materials, and honest engineering.

Back-A-Rest won't magically cure back pain.

But if it can help make your mornings a little easier, your evenings a little more comfortable, or simply give your back a chance to relax after a long day...

...then every hour spent creating it was worth it.

Thank you for taking the time to learn my story.

I hope Back-A-Rest helps you as much as it has helped me.

— Richard Dallaire
Inventor of Back-A-Rest™