Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Lacrosse players: move on, this review is not for you. :) If you have trigger points in your back (those taut bands of muscles that hurt like the dickens), then you're always looking for a way to work them out or ease their pain without running to a massage therapist or begging your spouse to wear out his/her fingers. This ball does the trick nicely. In books on trigger points/myofascial pain, you'll often see tennis balls mentioned, but they're not nearly firm enough. I'd switched to a Kong ball (yes, the dog toy) on recommendation from an online myofascia book, but it has holes on either side which, when you're trying to move the ball around against a wall, cause problems. This is the same density/firmness and works better. If you haven't tried it, here's what you do: find a nice blank wall in your home. Stand with your back to it, a few inches away, and try to place the ball in the tender area. You may need to sort of roll it around to get it to the right spot. When you find the right spot/trigger point, lean hard into it, and move it back and forth over the spot for AT LEAST A MINUTE! Yes, it might hurt like crazy but doing it for just a few seconds will aggravate rather than relieve the problem. If too painful, ease up on the pressure. (If you have trouble keeping the ball in place or it falling to the floor, it is recommended you put it inside sock or nylon stocking and then you can hold it in place over your shoulder - but I find I can just hold it in place with my body then catch the ball as I move away from the wall.) This technique is good for triggers in the upper and lower back and buttocks. I don't find it useful for shoulders or neck - the angle is all wrong. You may need to move your arms to different angles/positions to get the muscles positioned optimal for this kind of work.