Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

My background: male, 58 years old, 6'1", 300 pounds, C5/C6/C7 fusion, used to be athletic I've owned my True Back for 2 years now, since March '08. I don't use it every day, though I probably should. My posture is much improved since I started using it, my sciatica is under control (without meds), and my mid-back pain is almost totally gone. And, BTW, my neck feels great! I never realized that after years of sitting at a desk, or in a car, or in front of the TV, my back had become pretty much permanently bowed. The 1st time I tried the True Back it was very uncomfortable and I rolled off it groaning after 10 seconds. But that was my back's way of telling me what bad shape it was in. I kept working at it, and by the 2nd week I could stay on the True Back for about 30 seconds in both the lumbar position and the cervical position. After 3 months, I could lie down and take a nap on it! Totally comfortable in both positions! My back had finally stretched itself out and normal flexibility had returned. During the 1st month, I used a pillow to support my head. But after 3 months, I could let my head just hang there and after about a minute my neck stretches out enough and relaxes that my head touches the floor. I also use it to stretch out my chest and shoulders by extending my arms out to the 9 o'clock/3 o'clock position, then 10 and 2, then 11 and 1, and let them just hang there. As the muscles and tendons relax, my hands slowly sink to the floor. AAAAH! Getting to your feet after using the True Back can be difficult if you try to jump up from a totally stretched position. There's a trick to it. First, do a few pelvic thrusts upward (by this I mean use your muscles to lift your hips off the ground a few inches). Then do some crunches. In fact, I like to get a rocking motion going where I crunch, release, thrust, release, etc. After only 3 or 4 reps, my back feels loose in both directions, then it's super easy to just roll off to the side and stand up without any groaning! What about the foam inserts? They're pretty much cosmetic when you weigh 300 pounds and don't really do anything. I don't even use them anymore. I now enjoy my True Back so much that I use it while doing hamstring curls with my exercise ball, I use it for straight crunches and twisting crunches, for pelvic thrusts, for leg raises, and for twisting stretches. Sometimes I'll just lie there and squirm around on it letting the support ridges dig into my back muscles. Boy that feels good! In fact, now that I think about it, I wonder if that's why I don't go to the masseuse anymore? I used to go once a month. Now, I don't go at all (even though my Medical insurance pays for 12 massages per year.) I think the True Back is really a great device. I don't know if it will work for you because everybody's body is different, but for under $100 this thing is a wonderful bargain. BTW, the one I bought was refurbished. But there's nothing you can really do to damage it. It's a big hunk of solid plastic. The only way to damage it would be with a hammer or saw. Or maybe a Rottweiler. Edit March 2014--I'm 62 now and still use my True Back--the same one I bought 6 years ago. My opinion about this clever little device remains unchanged. Cool product. I don't use it religiously (though I probably should) but whenever I feel myself starting to stiffen up, I'll use it for 3 or 4 days in a row to get my flexibility back.