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JoAnne Schatz contends that her Hartsdale store is the most comfortable place on earth. With massaging lounge chairs, body pillows, couch cushions and adjustable beds, she may be right.
JoAnne's Bed & Back Shops have been a staple in the Washington, D.C., area for 20 years. Schatz recently opened four stores in the New York area, including one in Hartsdale on Central Avenue. The others are in Manhattan, Long Island and New Jersey.
The stores, which feature products designed to promote a healthy back, are a result of Schatz's entrepreneurial spirit and determination to help those who suffer from neck and back pain.
According to a Sparrell and McKeon report, "Preventing Low Back Pain in Industry," low-back pain is responsible for as much as 25 percent of all workers' compensation cases, with a cost of more than $5 billion annually.
Schatz developed the concept for her stores while working with an orthopedic surgeon in the mid-1970s. After listening to patients complain about their aching backs, Schatz purchased a case of cushions and began selling them from her garage...