Ow my neck, my back, my foot...

October 24, 2020 3:17 PM

I have ongoing problems with muscle tension in my neck and my shoulders. I have never had any sort of device to help out other than a tennis ball and a foam roller. I'd like to treat myself and get a massager. But...which one? Tell me! Especially if you have first-hand knowledge!

Here's what I'm looking for:

- something that is not shaped to work on a specific body part, like a neck massager that is shaped like a pillow you might find at the airport. My neck and shoulders are the most common pain culprits, but I want to also be able to use it on my hamstrings, my feet, wherever the Pain du Jour might be.

- something that has heat.

- something that has a handle...if I'm in a lot of muscle pain I don't want to have to contort myself with a fits-in-my-palm massager in order to get it to the sore spot.

- I'm not sure what to think of "percussive" massagers. A lot of reviews say "some people love them some people hate them". Do you have first-hand knowledge? What do you think?

- I want it to be well-made and generally sturdy. I can't stand buying flimsy appliances only to have them break and wind up in a landfill. I'm willing to pay for quality.

So, I looked at this list here and this list and some of these look promising. The Theragun Pro looks like the top-of-the-line but I'm not able to shell out $600 right now. I'm a bit suspicious of those that are in the $25-30 dollar range...I was honestly expecting to pay more (like $80-100ish). I am NOT going to get a Black & Decker Orbital Sander, as much as I appreciate people finding an amusing off-label use for it.

Thoughts? Suggestions? My neck, my back, my hamstrings, and my feet thank you.

posted by Gray Duck to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

My parents’ doctor recommends this particular massager to his patients. I got one for my parents and one for me, and we all like it very much. It’s worth it to get the cordless rechargeable one.

Stress, arthritis, and many hours of Zoom teaching are wreaking havoc on my neck and back; this thing really helps me feel less stiff and creaky. Along with my daily physio exercises, this has made the biggest difference to my pain levels.

It has a heat option and different speed settings, and you don’t need to hold it or contort yourself to position it correctly. It’s not percussive, so I can’t speak to that. You can use it in your neck, shoulders, back, legs. I find it works well to sit on the couch and put it between my back/neck/shoulders and the back of the couch., which holds it in the correct place.

You can get it from a few places online and in brick and mortar stores; try googling for an option that works for you. The online reviews are almost uniformly positive, which was a big factor in why I got it for my parents after their doc recommended it. I’m glad I did, and glad I got one for myself, too.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:44 PM on October 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

I know you do not want to spend $600 or even half of that but in the interest of some rich guy who reads this thread/question, I have tried a messager that is either the Theragun Pro or very much like it. Long story for how and why. I would not spend $600 on it either, but if I had $600 to spare, I would get the Theragun. Used it on my calf and thigh. Amazing product. I liken it to expensive liquor. Sure, MacCallen 18 year tastes amazing and is worth it, but drinking Johnny Walker Black will get you just as drunk. I am sure there are other options out there that will relax your muscles.
posted by AugustWest at 4:01 PM on October 24, 2020

I have the Hypervolt Plus. No heat, but it works well for the places I can reach with it. It's very intense, even on the lowest level, and I'm often worried I may do more harm than good. Though, so far (almost a year), the aftereffects have been like after a deep massage, which I suppose is expected...

Other than regular massages, the best for my back/neck/shoulders has been the Theracane combined with some skimmed knowledge from here.

Also, a heated mattress pad has been great. I turn it on and just lay for 20 minutes or so to relax my muscles.
posted by miscbuff at 4:05 PM on October 24, 2020

With the caveats that: a) it does not have heat, and b) this may fall too close to your orbital sander massager - I have the massage bits from Mobility Bit, which I use with a jigsaw that I already had, and I LOVE IT.

(I was looking at Theraguns and Hypervolts, because I love the percussive device that my Chiropractor uses on me, but I didn't want to drop the money until I was sure I'd like it. I got the Mobility Bit set as an interim, figuring if I liked that I'd move on to a purpose-built model, but now I'm not sure why I'd bother spending the extra money.)
posted by okayokayigive at 4:25 PM on October 24, 2020

I actually have the same one hurdy gurdy girl recommends and I love it. It is designed as a neck massager but I also use it on my back and legs.

I got it for under $40 so I think the quality is great for what I paid, but it's not a "buy it for life" item if that's what you're looking for. (I got it at the beginning of 2018 and there's one seam that split a bit; still works fine for me since I use it with a softer cloth to cover the mesh area anyway.)
posted by gennessee at 4:34 PM on October 24, 2020

I have a Lifepro Fusion FX massage gun that has a heated attachment that was closer to the $200 range and I love it! It comes with lots of attachments (only one with heat though, but it works great), and I use it on my shoulders/neck, legs, etc. If I were going to buy it again, I'd probably wait until closer to the holidays to see if it's discounted at all, but I still think it was worth the full price too. The other tool I use for my neck/shoulder soreness is one of those heating pillows stuffed with herbs and buckwheat/rice/whatever that you microwave and rest on your shoulders. I will be watching this thread with interest for more good stuff though!
posted by carlypennylane at 5:07 PM on October 24, 2020

I have this percussive massager. It's very sturdy and I love it. I tried a real Theragun at the home and garden show. I can't tell the difference between mine and the one I tried at the show. It's showing as $89.99 and has a $10 coupon, which is less than I paid back in February. My brother bought one and I tried it. I loved it so much that I bought one. Best $110 I've spent in a long time.
posted by kathrynm at 9:44 AM on October 25, 2020

Oh, I've also seen ads for this weighted heated massage blanket thing. I really want to try it. Has anyone tried it?
posted by kathrynm at 9:45 AM on October 25, 2020