The Acupressure Mat (Love It!)

A few weeks ago I bought an acupressure mat and, despite my family’s doubts, I LOVE IT!

The mat, (according to the company’s website), has “…6210 acupressure stimulation points that, once pressed against troubled areas of the body, will increase circulation and relax stiff muscles and decrease pain…”, and in this, I have not been disappointed.

I was driven to the purchase of this mat (a seemingly extreme option for pain relief) by the never-ending discomfort of a sore, stiff neck that may or may not have been leading to bouts of migraine.

The ‘stimulation points’ are harder and sharper than I imagined and I wondered if the promise of relief could be possible, especially after reading the instructions which suggest lying on the mat with bare skin (!).

The first time I used the mat, I spent 15 minutes on it; it poked (oh yes) until, after a few minutes, my back and neck began to feel warm and relaxed. Now that I’ve been using the mat for a few weeks, I know better how to get to a comfortable position and I hardly feel the points after two or three minutes.

The real feeling of relief though, comes once I’m off the mat, when the warm feeling softens and grows. My shoulders and back are noticeably less tense and I can move my neck without crackling at each turn.

I now use my acupressure mat as part of an everyday exercise and stretching routine and, whether it’s the mat or some kind of psychological placebo, there’s not a lot that could get it away from me.