HomedicsBack and Neck Massager, Portable Shiatsu All Body Massage Pillow with Heat, Targets Upper and Lower Back, Neck and Shoulders. Lightweight for Travel

This massage machine works very well. For my lower back, I sit in a recliner, place it up about 2 or 3 inches above the seat, lean back some, and turn it on. It has three settings: massage, vibrate, and both, plus a separate button for heat. I put it on the third setting and add the heat (which is not hard when doing the lower back). I lean back just a little because the muscles want to strain at first. As my muscles relax, I lean the chair back more, and finally after my back is relaxed enough, I am all the way leaning on it. It lasts about 15 minutes, and the directions say to not use it longer than that because it can damage the machine, so I wait at least an hour to do any further massage.The upper back and neck are harder, because it tends to slip down when I recline the chair or lean back. I usually have someone help me put it in place, but I use the same technique to lean back. I find that my back is always at least 50% better, with less pain and more mobility, after the massage is over for either the lower or upper back. This pain relief lasts most of a day, so if I use it two times a day, it is very helpful. My pain is from arthritis, so I don't know how it would help other problems, but I believe it would be useful to anyone with back pain. I bought another one for my daughter, who also has back pain, and she loves it.I think if someone just leans all the way on the machine right away, it would be more painful, so I recommend leaning slowly while you get used to the massage.I also have the foot massage machine from the same company, and it works even better, so I have around 70% less pain after use with it.

I read many reviews and was very hesitant. People saying the motor isn't as strong, saying the vibrating feature quitting and several other weaknesses (compared to the older model) made me hold off buying it. We had the old model and absolutely loved it.Well?Our opinion: this unit works fantastic. Neither my wife nor I care about the vibration feature, so I can't speak to that but - the motor is plenty strong enough to do the job. Thing is, if you press your sore muscles too hard on these, you will bruise the muscle - very counterproductive to helping it to relax. Brusing is inflammation! She has used it on her low back with great results, we've both used it on our necks - again, great results.We've only had it a couple of weeks so can't speak to the durability, but so far, we are both very impressed.

This is definitely a massager designed for pain relief first and foremost. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but you should know because it comes with some caveats:Pros* Lightweight* The fabric is nice and soft* Motor is very strong and takes a lot of pressure to slow down* Heat warms up quickly and is very noticeable* No power brick or adapter, just a plain two-prong plugCons* The motor is loud - it makes a constant electric humming and is not subtle* No settings at all like speed, direction, or timer* The nodes have a fairly small range of motion* The vibration is VERY strong, it makes your whole body rumble and is kind of unpleasantAfter trying it out for a bit, I can say it's best used on your upper or lower back, while it works just okay on your neck, and doesn't really work well for legs or feet unless you use the vibration and heat.Basically, if you want something uncomplicated and mainly to relieve aches or pains, this is a good choice. If you want something that's gentle and relaxing and has different speed, etc. settings, keep looking.

I had an older version of this pillow and it was time to update! This has smooth rounded massager heads and the heat is amazing. It vibrates and vibrates with heat too. I love that I can move this pillow around to any spot that's sore; neck, back, hips, shoulders etc! I also like that it plugs in so you don't have to worry about charging it. I use it daily and love it!

The massager works well enough for light use, but it has some annoying flaws. The power button is overly sensitive and keeps turning off accidentally when I use it for my lower back. Also, it stops working if I apply a little bit more pressure. It’s okay but not great.

I absolutely love this back massager and I would order this item again. I just wish the cord was longer.

Rarely do I write Amazon reviews, but I felt the need to write this one. I purchased this for my chronic pain per a friend’s recommendation and it has helped—when it’s actually worked.Unfortunately, after a few uses of the massager, vibration button stopped working; only the heat and massage/rotation portion would work *sometimes*. I used this while laying on a wedge pillow, laying on my adjustable bed while reclined, and while laying flat on the floor with some pillows for neck support. To get the vibration to work again, I had to jiggle the pillow and push the buttons around to get it to work, as if the wires were disconnected or faulty. I ended up having to unzip the case to adjust the motor of the vibration component and it was VERY hard to zip back up, plus all of the memory foam was flaking apart and getting everywhere. When I got it to actually work again, the vibration was extremely weak compared to when my initial use of the pillow. Overall, I feel very disappointed with this purchase given the price vs lack of durability and functionality. I will look for an alternative.

Works really well! Gives plenty of pressure if you're laying down on it. The heat is just enough heat. Very happy with my purchase!