Vibrators A professional grade, dual-headed vibrator can change your life. I suggest the Thumper Mini-Pro 2. It's about $175 but well worth every penny. The vibrators you can buy in the drug store are nothing like this one. The Thumper is weighted, so all you need do is place it on a tense muscle and park it there, it weighs enough all by itself to sink in and be effective. The vibration is different, rather than just a sporadic, chaotic vibe, the Thumper offers "direct drive percussion", something they hold the patent on. This pulse is what you want to loosen up tense muscle, break up scar tissue, and flood the area with new blood and oxygen. At the end of a long day giving massages I sit down and use the Thumper on my forearms, it's saved my career and the continued constant use of my arms and hands without injury. It may seem that $175 is a lot of money but these things come with a good warranty and think of the money you could save in massage and chiropractic bills.

Thera Cane A Thera Cane is a funny looking short cane with a hooked end and a straight end. It has several short little knobs and appendages sticking out of it. It's made of a plastic polymer and costs about $30. The design is such that when you hold the hook over the front of your shoulder, the knobs and little appendages can be applied with very good pressure to tense spots on your back. Great for working out chronic trigger points. Imagine having someone standing behind you to press right where it hurts - for those times when you are standing there alone! Highly recommended.

Still Point Inducer If you've ever had a massage therapist hold the base of your skull in their hands at the end of a massage and felt like you were instantly transported into total relaxation, then you know where your still point is. This magic spot, know as the occipital ridge, is where the long muscles of your back attach to your skull, and it's near where the brain and spinal column meet - the one spot where you can tune up your nervous system! Just having this spot touched, or held, often sends people into a deep relaxation. If you don't have anyone there at the end of a long day to hold your head, then a still point inducer can do the trick. It's just a piece of molded plastic with 2 large knobs, you lie down on it with the knobs at the base of your skull. Instant nirvana. So good for you too. They cost under $20.

2007 © Lisa Henderson, NC-LMBT #4665. This article not to be copied for commercial use.