Homedics Back and Neck Massager, Portable Shiatsu All Body Massage Pillow with Heat, Targets Upper and Lower Back, Neck and Shoulders. Lightweight for Travel

This massage machine works very well. For my lower back, I sit in a recliner, place it up about 2 or 3 inches above the seat, lean back some, and turn it on. It has three settings: massage, vibrate, and both, plus a separate button for heat. I put it on the third setting and add the heat (which is not hard when doing the lower back). I lean back just a little because the muscles want to strain at first. As my muscles relax, I lean the chair back more, and finally after my back is relaxed enough, I am all the way leaning on it. It lasts about 15 minutes, and the directions say to not use it longer than that because it can damage the machine, so I wait at least an hour to do any further massage.The upper back and neck are harder, because it tends to slip down when I recline the chair or lean back. I usually have someone help me put it in place, but I use the same technique to lean back. I find that my back is always at least 50% better, with less pain and more mobility, after the massage is over for either the lower or upper back. This pain relief lasts most of a day, so if I use it two times a day, it is very helpful. My pain is from arthritis, so I don't know how it would help other problems, but I believe it would be useful to anyone with back pain. I bought another one for my daughter, who also has back pain, and she loves it.I think if someone just leans all the way on the machine right away, it would be more painful, so I recommend leaning slowly while you get used to the massage.I also have the foot massage machine from the same company, and it works even better, so I have around 70% less pain after use with it.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT!! I bought this one and the full length one that goes onto a chair and rolls up and down the spine, and I have to say... I prefer this one more. Why? Because it can go ANYWHERE! I'm reading people complaining that this isn't wide enough to hit this muscle or that... hello!... just move it! Of course, you need to avoid direct pressure on your vertebrae, and as long as you do that... the possibilities are endless! I have side-lied on this and dug out the connections in the underarm. I have sat on it and gotten the glute and hamstring attachments. You can do calves, feet, even the groin. Maneuvering to find just the right position and pressure can be a bit daunting at times... however, it is well worth the effort when you hit THE SPOT. I am a bit spoiled because I have a bed where I can adjust the incline and so a bit easier to find just the right position and pressure without so much work "holding" it. But I really can't rave enough about this product. I have a lot of deep adhesions that require A LOT of pressure and time to dig out. When I first got this, I thought for sure I would break it within a week since I found I needed to apply all my body weight on it, and needed to use it for well longer than the 15 minute time limit. I could tell I was taxing the device as I bore all of my 180 pounds onto it. But to my surprise, it has withstood this type of repeated abuse for a year now. It is just getting to the point of break down as I can feel/hear something is loose inside and moving around when it shouldn't be. And I will MOST DEFINITELY be buying a new one. Because even if I have to pay for one new one per year... the cost for one is cheaper than ONE, one-hour massage. And seriously, I have paid for massages that produced less results than this product. I like deep pressure and this product delivers.... better than some trained professionals. If you do not like deep pressure or are sensitive to it, than this may not be the product for you. If you have deep adhesions that have sat for a long time, it could be very painful initially. Do it as deeply and as long as you can tolerate, (make sure you can breathe throughout), and then take a break. Stay regular with it, and eventually you will find the freedom you have been longing for. Don't use on bare skin, especially with the heat feature, as you can cause a skin-burn (like a rug burn), from rubbing the same area too long. (This may still happen even with a clothing barrier). But also don't use your favorite shirt as it can stretch it all out in the spots where the balls are.If I could make any suggestions to the makers on how to improve this product it would be:1) Change the on/off button to a switch on the cord. It is very frustrating to be on a spot and then wiggle a bit and accidentally press the on/off button.2) Make the cord a wee bit longer.3). Make a car adapter for it, with a chair strap to hold it in place. :)Any shortcomings of this product, however, are outweighed by the immense healing ability it provides. I truly love it and again... highly recommend it!

This is definitely a massager designed for pain relief first and foremost. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but you should know because it comes with some caveats:Pros* Lightweight* The fabric is nice and soft* Motor is very strong and takes a lot of pressure to slow down* Heat warms up quickly and is very noticeable* No power brick or adapter, just a plain two-prong plugCons* The motor is loud - it makes a constant electric humming and is not subtle* No settings at all like speed, direction, or timer* The nodes have a fairly small range of motion* The vibration is VERY strong, it makes your whole body rumble and is kind of unpleasantAfter trying it out for a bit, I can say it's best used on your upper or lower back, while it works just okay on your neck, and doesn't really work well for legs or feet unless you use the vibration and heat.Basically, if you want something uncomplicated and mainly to relieve aches or pains, this is a good choice. If you want something that's gentle and relaxing and has different speed, etc. settings, keep looking.

I had an older version of this pillow and it was time to update! This has smooth rounded massager heads and the heat is amazing. It vibrates and vibrates with heat too. I love that I can move this pillow around to any spot that's sore; neck, back, hips, shoulders etc! I also like that it plugs in so you don't have to worry about charging it. I use it daily and love it!

The massager works well enough for light use, but it has some annoying flaws. The power button is overly sensitive and keeps turning off accidentally when I use it for my lower back. Also, it stops working if I apply a little bit more pressure. It’s okay but not great.