Maybe the title doesn’t sounds as enshusiattic as it should, but I’ve been reading reviews on Homedics massage cushions for at least a year, wondering if they’re all that everyone says they’re cracked up to be. I always have back issues, and the first thing I’d do if I won the lottery would be to hire my own live-in masseuse! My husband is usually the back-rubber of note, and he’s got very strong hands. Last year, though, he developed cancer, and between chemo regimens and surgery, he’s not in a position to do much energetic back rubbing. The real thing that pushed me into buying this, though, was that he has begun to have back problems combination of stress, posture, and that he’s lost so much weight. Now before, when I’d rub his back, he still didn’t like as hard a rub down as I like. But now, with the weight loss, he really can’t bear anything too tough. I looked again over the various Homedics massagers and decided to go for the Cadillac because of several features, like being able to stop the massage at one spot. Let me first warn you: this thing is HUGE, or at least the box it comes in is huge! It’s also not too light, so don’t expect something you can easily whip out onto a chair. This is a serious business massager, if heft is any indication. It’s easy to set up (I tried a straight-backed dining room chair for the opening ceremonies.) The top of the massager is molded plastic, the bottom soft material. This is only for back stuff; no thigh massaging (yes, there are massagers that do that.) The back of the massager has clear plastic kneading devices that are lit up when you turn the power on. I’m not sure what the deal is with this, but I guess someone would find it fun to look at. The booklet warns to unplug the massager so you don’t burn out the lights. Of course, you can’t SEE the lights when you’re sitting on the massager, so I can’t imagine who is that bored that they want to watch the cushion lights when they could be sitting ON it and getting a massage instead. It has two main massage modes: shiatsu and rolling. When you’re tired of looking at the lights, it has a padded strip that hooks with velcro onto the back of the massager to cushion it if you think it’s too hard. I put that on, cause I knew my husband would definitely not be able to take this full throttle. I tried it first (the thing works for 15 minutes then shuts off; there is also a demo mode to give you a brief sample of what this massager can do.) Well, it was OKAY. I definitely liked the shiatsu over the rolling massage, but the whole thing wasn’t nearly hard enough for me. I didn’t even stay for the full 15 minutes, so I just shut it off. Later, I went back and flipped up the padded cushion to see what it’d be like without it. Well, THAT was strong enough for the most part. Whoa! That shiatsu thing just pounds the heck out of those muscles. Very nice indeed. My husband went to try it, and like I thought, it was still too rough on him, even with the padded cover. I folded a down throw over the back of the massager, and that provided enough padding even for his bony back. He said, I think I could get to like this! which is high praise indeed. (I should note the directions say NOT to put anything over the massager, as I did with the down throw. Well, it was either that, or he’d put on a few sweaters. I couldn’t see the difference since the massager wasn’t being obstructed, and he didn’t go the full 15 minutes.) It’s been an hour or so since I did the 15 minutes of shiatsu, and I have to say, you really feel it LATER. Maybe I overdid the hard stuff! Or maybe I just need another 15 minutes with some padding! I have never tried one of those cool massaging chairs (damned things are always broken when I think to stop by a store in the mall that sells them), so this massager the high end of the Homedics line is, as those who’ve tried massaging chairs say, very similar. It’s a little pricey right now, but look for that to drop. I saved a few bucks by buying on Target’s website. They had free shipping, and I had a 10 percent off coupon (which is largely negated by the onerous sales tax they charge.) Since I haven’t tried the lower end models, I couldn’t say if this is better for the extra money. I just know the thing is way too heavy to exchange; I’d only drag this back to Target if my husband really didn’t like it at all. My advice is that this isn’t bad if you like a heavy duty back rub like me. Just don’t get too overenthusiastic and ignore the cushion. Believe me, you’ll FEEL it later!

One explanation could be that you irettaird previous knots or trigger points within your muscles. Sometimes your muscles can get so tight and remain that way for so long they actually impinge upon a nerve and cause it to go to sleep. Sometimes a massage can loosen that muscles just enough to wake the nerve back up and cause much more pain then the original pain you were trying to treat. Also, if you have a knot or trigger point and work on it and don’t actually get rid of it, this can cause additional pain because all you did was irritate the spot instead of correct it. Plus those machines don’t work very well for actual therapeutic work IE: relieving pain. They’re just a temporary way to feel good and relax. If you’re really having issues, which it seems you do, you should make an appointment with a licensed professional. Trust me on this one.