I used to suffer from a lower back problem that was worrisome. The doctors told me that the cartilage in my lower back was almost worn out. When the bones of my spine rubbed together, I felt a terrible pain in my lower back. I was in my mid-30s when this happened to me.

  For two years, the condition came on and off. When there was no discomfort, I could move about freely, but I was careful not to injure my back. I had to take extra care about the way I walked, the way I sat, even the way I slept. On bad days, I could barely move about. I had to ask a friend to drive for me whenever I had to go out.

  I didn’t want to be immobilized but I faced the possibility that my movements would be severely restricted later on in life. You can imagine how that terrified me, especially since I’m a very active and very independent person.

  The doctors recommended an operation, but I didn’t want that. It was frightening and, I believed, too drastic. So I looked for alternatives. Whenever my back troubled me, I would visit the

chiropractor who would realign my bones. Each time I went, I spent P1,000, and I had to go two times a week. When the pain subsided, I would stop going because it was expensive.

  One time, I was in the US when the trouble struck again. I was in the grocery store, picking up softdrinks when the sharpness of the pain made me drop the six pack. That frightened me. If I could not lift a six pack, how could I even carry my handbag? You know how women are — we like to carry all the things we need in our handbag! More than that, I worried how I would be able to move around, especially since I was traveling. I was very careful for the rest of my trip.

  When I returned to the Philippines, I went back to my chiropractor and found temporary relief. But I was no longer satisfied with living with the pain that could strike anywhere, anytime and make me feel crippled.

  It was then that I decided to take up a friend’s offer to try the Nikken Sleep System. My friend

had been offering it for a while, but I was a skeptic and didn’t really consider it. I did not see how a magnetic bed could help a spinal problem. Finally, I was ready for Nikken and tried the Sleep System. To my amazement, after a few weeks, the pain disappeared. My lower back didn’t trouble me anymore and I could even carry my Mag Demo Pack!

  Even though I was already experiencing beneficial effects from Nikken products, I did not take up the Nikken business right away. When I joined Nikken, I was still doing my candle-making and gift-items business. But orders of candles tended to seasonal and the popularity of gift items were sometimes fads that quickly disappeared. During peak times, my income was good. But during the slow season, it was not that good.

  At first, Nikken was just an additional source of income for me. Soon I realized that Nikken is not seasonal and that health concerns will always be fashionable. As I shared my Nikken story, people began to sign up, too, and together we grew our business.

  My name is Ting Santiago and I'm here to share my Nikken life which started in 1997 when my father fell ill and was in ICU for more than a month.

  When he came out of the hospital, my good friend, Marissa Romero, called me and asked me how my father was sleeping. I said not too well. He'd sleep for about two hours and then wake up. His sleep was always interrupted.

  She said, "If he doesn't have a pacemaker, you'd better come here because we discovered wonderful sleep technology which I want to share with you."

  So I picked up the Nikken Sleep System right away and we put it on my dad's bed. That night, he slept like a baby. Three nights of this wonderful sleep for my dad convinced my mom to buy all the Nikken products that we could get for my dad. We put him on the complete Sleep System, we made him use Magsteps when he went for rehab, and we got him the Kenko Seat because he sat a lot at home. In his third week on the Nikken products, he had made what the doctors called "a remarkable recovery" and he was allowed to continue his exercises at home.

  Prior to his ICU experience, my father had severe discomfort in his knees due to his age. He was already 82. But from the day we put him on the Sleep System, he did not suffer from that discomfort anymore. So, altogether, my father's quality of life was better. He was able to exercise, eat well, sleep well.

  About that time, my friend Marissa also told me, "If you love yourself, you're going to get yourself the Sleep System and your children, too."

  I was in my midlife and was dreading having to undergo the changes women go through. I had heard stories about the awful things that accompanied it - the headaches, sleepless nights, hot flashes, grouchiness. In fact, I had already been taking medication for headaches three times a week at least.

  I was so thankful Marissa convinced me to get the Sleep System for myself. The headaches went away completely. And I was able to go through that phase women go through without having to suffer those horrible things. Quality life was another of Nikken's gifts to me.

  By buying Nikken Sleep Systems, I also bought the gift of sleep for my children, especially my youngest. Since he was six years old, he had to wake up at 4 a.m. to be ready for the school bus that picked him up between 5 and 5:15. It was no wonder that he'd have bout with the flu, the cough or colds six time a year. After being on the Nikken Sleep System for a while, he told me, "Mom, thank you for this beautiful gift. You never knew I had a hard time waking up. Now I feel so good waking up because of this thing you gave us."

  When I put all of that together, I knew I had really stumbled on an incredible, an incredible company that really is for all families. And I haven't stopped sharing Nikken since 1997.

  I used to be a corporate giveaway specialist but slowly I shifted to sharing Nikken with so many people. That was one of the gifts of Nikken to me - a freedom life that allows me to share these things with families. Today, I'm a platinum Wellness Consultant and that means I've talked to a lot of people. What a wonderful life it has been since 1997.