Doing workouts are not always enough if you lead a passive lifestyle, have some muscle injuries, diseases of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, osteochondrosis).
Home fitness equipment such as ProForm Power 995i treadmill is a great helper. But if your body needs something special, try massage stick – customized to treat discomfort, increase circulation, and promote flexibility.
With Thera Cane and Body Back Buddy massagers, you get an amazing back massage in the comfort of your own home. In this review, we’ll figure out which one is better and more suitable for you.
Before making your choice, use the comparison chart to compare the massager brands. The measurements, composition, number of therapy points can vary. Choose the fitness tool according to your own preferences.
Thera Cane massager
The massager is primarily intended for the prevention and treatment of muscle diseases. It helps to relieve pain in the back, neck, headaches, muscle cramps.
The positive effect of direct pressure on muscle tissue has long been proved. Deep pressure helps to “break up” adhesions, remove clamps, improve blood circulation. All of this, finally, leads to pain relief and muscle recovery to normal movement.
Features
- Measurements: 24 x 15 x 1 inches
- 6 therapy balls for whole body massage
- Massage stick for relieving pains and injuries
- The possibility of reducing unpleasant knots in your muscles
- Perfect after long working days or exhausting activities
The massage stick is a fitness device for deep point self-massage. The design of the massager is created in such a way that allows you to cover all muscle groups: back, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, buttocks, thighs, legs and feet. You can independently control the force and angle of pressure, determine the exact place of the therapeutic effect. Even with a little effort, you can effectively work out all the muscle groups that are almost impossible to reach without using this massager.
How to use a massager
Hold the massager with the handles and frame so that the curved elements touch the chosen muscle. Try not to use much physical effort, but use the lever effect to create the necessary pressure. The versatility of the massager allows you to process each muscle from different angles in standing positions, sitting, lying down or with a partner.
Experiment to find out which way to use the massager from hundreds of different ones best suits you. The illustrations in users manual will give you ideas on how to process different parts of your body, but the list of options is not limited to them.
Intensity and duration
The force of pressing a muscle is individual, it can be both intense and relaxing. Place the massager on the selected muscle and press down with such force that you will feel comfortable: strong pressure does not necessarily mean greater efficiency.
To provide a therapeutic effect on the muscles, it is enough to press and hold in one position for 10-30 seconds. Too long exposure can be negatively perceived by the body. To obtain the most effective result, repeat the actions on the selected area 3-4 times per workout.
Muscle repair is a gradual process. The first stage involves removing stress and clamps. This is the main goal of the massager. After you release the muscles, you need to perform stretching exercises that will help the muscles regain their natural strength and elasticity. For healthy muscles, exercise and stretching exercises are crucial for years to come. Finally, it is important to identify the causes that led to muscle problems and try to eliminate them, for example, poor posture or excessive exercise.
Trigger point massage
Trigger points are muscle changes associated with overstressing individual muscle groups.
At this point, the muscle is contracted and non-functional. It is useless to act on a muscle that has a trigger point with a tensile force. Because when a tensile force is applied, it will only reach where it is not injured – in those areas that have not been spasmed. In order to return the functionality to the muscle damaged areas, it is necessary to apply a directional mechanical effect, such as deep acupressure.
Reflex massage
Reflex (reflex-segmental) massage is based on the physiological effect of skin irritation and deeper-lying tissues. All human organs and systems are deeply interconnected. Any deviation in the functioning this or that organ is immediately reflected on a certain area of human skin. Thus, by acting on this area, you can restore the function of the affected organ.
The human body is a single complex. Interconnections between systems are performed by nerve fibers. Innervation is segmental. Each large nerve trunk, departing from the spinal cord, branching, carries its branches to the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, muscles, bones, internal organs. Thus, each organ has its own nerve root – a “representative” on the surface of human skin. This is usually not only the active point but also the whole area.
The slightest initial deviations in the functioning of an organ are immediately reflected on the skin and underlying structures. Impact on the skin zone of innervation can change the function of this organ and the whole organism. Especially a lot of active points in the feet, hands, lumbosacral, cervical spine and collar area.
Stimulation of reflex zones on the feet and palms eliminates muscle tension. In such a way, allows the cells of the body to receive nourishment and promptly remove metabolic products. When there is no tension in the body, the processes of self-healing proceed unhindered, because blood circulation improves. Blood supplies cells with nutrients and removes metabolic products from tissues. Due to this, the functions of the internal organs are gradually restored.
Massaging certain areas of the feet and palms, called reflex zones, causes a reaction in the organs and systems associated with them. This leads to the identification of the disease, full recovery and pain relief.
Body Back Buddy massager
Every person knows the feeling when muscular stiffness, spasm, and pain arise in a certain area of the body. Painful induration – trigger point. Classical massage will not bring relief, but it is likely to increase the discomfort.
A special trigger point massager allows a person to relieve muscle tension as soon as possible without special efforts and assistance. We will tell you more about the principle of the fitness tool.
Features
- The possibility of using at home
- Can be used for back, neck, and shoulder massage
- Lots of customers’ and professional positive reviews
- Intended to reduce pain, improve circulation, and increase flexibility
How does trigger point massager work?
A certain muscle is responsible for every movement of a person. An inconvenient position, a sharp jerk, a fall can lead to involuntary tissue contraction, spasm, and the formation of a painful lump. The trigger point is a local seal that causes systematic pain when pressed, moving.
This syndrome causes discomfort, prevents a person from living normally, working, moving. Particularly unpleasant is that the pain can occur even not at the place of the injury. Often, pain impulses give even to internal organs.
The patient can detect small muscle nodules independently by examining the area accessible to the hands. For example, the area of the thigh, neck, hands. In difficult situations, only a doctor can identify the point and correctly diagnose. According to statistics, the disease affects the neck, shoulder area, pelvis, hips, back, muscles of the limbs.
The spasm disrupts the functioning of the muscle tissue, interferes with the normal blood circulation, the work of the nervous system. The patient is experiencing malaise, weakness, irritability, dizziness. Numbness, stupor, coordination is disturbed in the injured extremities.
Factors of diseases
Every second person is at risk of being affected by illness. So it is important to exclude the main causes of its manifestation. Here are a few of the underlying factors for trigger pain:
- prolonged physical activity in the restrained position with limited movement (seated work, weight lifting, driving vehicles);
- monotone gestures, manipulations (hairdresser, cosmetologist, seamstress, programmer);
- abnormal spinal position (posture distortion);
- muscle injuries (falls, fractures, dislocations, surgery);
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, sciatica, osteochondrosis);
- increased body weight;
- long stay in the cold;
- uncomfortable position, inappropriate clothing, accessories, etc.
Massager effectiveness
In the past century, American doctors Travel and Simons studied trigger points. Doctors managed to study in detail the nature of the occurrence of characteristic pain and determine methods for its elimination. Today, medicine offers several ways to relieve pain: analgesics, blockade, massage and exercise therapy.
Let’s talk more about the mechanical effect on the painful area through massaging. The specialist conducts systematic pressure on the point before the disappearance of pain. Next is the passive stretching of the muscle, superimposed warm compress.
Alternative treatment
The workload and distance of medical institutions do not allow people to get qualified help in time and complicate the situation. Years of research have helped doctors draw up a schematic map of the occurrence and manifestation of the trigger. The use of a special device allows the patient to eliminate pain syndrome at home.
The principle of the massager is based on systematic pressure on the spasm area. According to localization, by means of palpation, the patient determines the location of the node. By applying a massage roller and a strong pressure, the muscle tone is raised. Use the manual of the machine for maximum effect.
Press on the point with a medium effort, without fanaticism and zeal. Hold each press for 10-30 seconds. Repeat the action up to five times, until you feel a decrease in pain and light heat over the area being massaged. The first actions bring significant discomfort, but forward movements for several minutes relieve tension and allow to reduce pain, relax the affected area.
Attracted blood flow restores muscle mobility, has a stimulating effect on the affected area and surrounding areas. After the massage, perform simple stretching exercises. It is important to eliminate the causes of stiffness and muscle spasm, exercise, exercise.