I decided a long time ago that a regular massage is the best thing I can do for myself. It’s especially true when you find someone that is very good. Most of the time when I walk in, my therapist can determine exactly what type of massage that I need. Sometimes it’s deep tissue and trigger points or it’s a “fluff and buff” as my therapist calls it.
But in between massages or when your massage therapist takes a vacation, what do you do? I found a little tool that can help during those times.
ChiroDoc Trigger Point Massager – Self Massage Tool for Pain Relief – Accupressure for Deep Muscle, Myofascial Release and Back Pain –
It looks a bit strange, but works well for most people. Here’s my Amazon review.
“This is not a flimsy piece of plastic. There are multiple knob projections in various sizes and shapes to dig into all of those tight muscles and trigger points. You can put as much pressure as you need without it breaking. I really liked it on the shoulder muscles. Just small movements and a little pressure loosens those muscles right up. I tried it on my calf muscles and although it was a little awkward, it worked well there too.
I found the 2 knobs for working the muscles along the spine were just a little too far apart for me – especially at the neck. The same with the knobs for the feet.
I asked a friend (a big guy) to try using it on his back. He had difficulty trying to get the knobs positioned right for his spine or for his shoulder. (because his belly got in the way) He quickly gave up and said it wouldn’t work for him. I showed it to my massage therapist and he liked it. He also thought the knobs at the spine were too far apart but he suggested just using the single knob on the other side and running up one side at a time. So the verdict is that this is a good tool, well made – just not made for every body type. It will never replace getting a massage, but great for in between massages or times when you have a muscle that need a little bit of attention.
When I received the massage tool, it was just in a plastic bag in the shipping box. There was no instructions or even a company name on it. I ended up going on line to find some You Tube videos about it so I could learn to use it. (BTW it’s called Body Back Buddy on the You tube videos)