Tense in the neck or back? A needle mat can help and quickly relieve your symptoms. I have tested it - this is my acupressure mat experience!
At the latest since more and more people work in a home office, tension in the neck and back often occurs. Often the workplace is not ergonomic or it is not even possible to set up a back-friendly workspace because there is simply not enough space.
Whatever the reason, now is the time to solve the problem. Recurring tension in the back and neck should vanish into thin air with Yantra mats. Does it really help?
This is my acupressure mat experience and a test of the Yantra mat from my point of view.
I'll tell you if the mat helps against neck pain, what you need to know about it and what to look for when buying it.
Table of contents
What is an acupressure mat at all
Tension is not only physically painful. They depress mood, productivity and can make us despair. Whatever you do, it only seems to get worse.
Tried self-massage, physiotherapy, pain pills, heat patches, creams and much more. But the problem is still there. It returns at the latest when the units for the masseur or physiotherapist are used up. A vicious circle begins.
Then, when I talked to my masseuse, she recommended that I buy an acupressure mat in addition to the massages. No sooner said than done. Since the mats are very cheap compared to other gadgets, I did not think long about it and grabbed one.
But what is a Yantramatte anyway?
The soft mat with many small pointed plastic needles comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine. By the way, it is also called nail mat, which sounds really scary.
So the mat itself is about 3 cm high and filled with absorbent cotton. On the mat are sewn small plastic circles. Each of these circles is equipped with 25 tips. Circle for circle lines up on the soft mat - in total there are 230 pieces. A set always consists of a mat and a headpiece for the neck.
I have this mat in use. It has particularly good reviews on Amazon.
Do you already know these effective neck pain exercises?
What sounds and looks very painful is exactly the same :). But to lie down on these sharp points still pays off. Or maybe just because of it.
The mat ensures that tensions are released. This works very well because the affected areas are better supplied with blood and the body can thus activate its self-healing powers.
Sticky fascia and trigger points can be worked on well with the pointed points. By applying pressure and shifting the weight to exactly these points, you can get rid of your pain.
The small spikes stimulate the skin and are even said to help reduce stress.
So much for the theory.
Try these fascia yoga exercises!
Why I want to have my own acupressure mat experience
Because theory always promises a lot, but can rarely keep everything, I would like to make my own acupressure mat experience. Optimistic as I am, I think to myself: It can not get any worse anyway. :)
With massages, stretching exercises and the like I did not reach my goal. I have already tried a lot. So, will this acupressure mat test finally bring the desired result? I am curious.
I look around on some of the manufacturers websites and find that the needle mats are used for tension, tension headaches, sleep disorders, back and neck tension.
However, you can also use them when you have no complaints and thus prevent possible complaints in the future.
This is how you mix an ointment against muscle tension!
What speaks for the acupressure mats test
You're probably wondering what the pros and cons of such an anti-back pain helper are. Before I buy something new, I tend to make a list of pros and cons. That way, I can make a better decision and see at a glance whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and whether I can live with them.
For my accupressure mat experience, I made this list:
Advantages of the Yantra mat
- It is cheap. Mine costs just under 30 euros.
- The mat consumes little space because you can roll it up.
- It helps against neck and back pain.
- Bought once, it has a long life. If I handle it carefully, it is virtually indestructible.
- It was recommended to me by the masseuse.
- Many others have already reported positive acupressure mat experiences.
- If it doesn't help at all, I can always send it back or resell it if necessary.
Disadvantages of the yantramat
- It does not work completely without additional stretching exercises.
- It's going to take a little practice for me to get the hang of it.
- I need to motivate myself to use the mat regularly.
As you can see, there is a lot to be said for doing your own acupressure mat test. What is important, however, is that you yourself bring a portion of motivation. Because with 1x on the mat is of course not done. You will benefit the most if you use the acupressure mat to prevent tension.
You can do these 17 exercises right at your desk!
If you don't have one yet, I can give you the Fitness acupressure set to the heart. You can buy it in seven different colors. In the set you will find the mat, a pillow and a bag for storage.
My acupressure mat experience
Each yantra mat set consists of a headboard and the mat. Normally, each set comes with a cloth bag in which you can store the mat after use.
I take the mat out of the bag. It immediately pops open and now the poison-green mat is spread out in front of me.
I run my hands over the plastic tips and place the headboard at the end of the mat.
You don't have to undress for this, the plastic nails also penetrate through clothing. However, you should not wear your favorite thick sweater and certainly not anything made of wool. A thin shirt is optimal for the first acupressure mat test.
To familiarize myself with it a little, I first try to step onto the mat with my feet. I want to get a feel for the pain ahead. And indeed, I can't stand it for long. Ouch, pretty painful.
Here you can find everything about the effect of the acupressure mat!
But fortunately, when you lie with your back on the Yantramat, the weight is distributed a little better - at least that's what I'm trying to tell myself before my back has its first acupressure mat experience.
The mats are made so that the needles reach from the tailbone to the shoulders.
So I sit down at the end of the mat, support my arms to the right and left of the mat and slowly roll my back backwards. The head lands exactly on the support.
And look: It feels unfamiliar and pokes, but I wouldn't call it painful. The tingling sensation is neither pleasant nor really unpleasant.
I breathe in and out deeply and try to relax. I still have to practice that with the relaxing. :)
I bend my legs so that my entire back is on the mat. Depending on where you have pain, you can now start to put more weight on one side.
Roll and stretch the back alternately so that the needles can really reach every spot.
After the first few minutes, I notice that the tingling sensation feels different now. It is no longer as intense, but I have the feeling that my neck and lower back are getting warm.
So I stay lying for about ten minutes before I finish the acupressure mat test for now. I roll up with and have to laugh when I look at my back in the seal. The entire skin is riddled with little stitches and reddened. It feels a little strange overall. The warm feeling lingers for about ten minutes before slowly dissipating.
This is how you get rid of stuck fascia!
What I can say after prolonged use
Because little can be said after a single acupressure mat experience, I naturally do the test a few more times. Every other day I lie down on the mat for ten minutes and try to relax.
Somehow, after the first few treatments, it becomes routine. Always in the evening, right after work, I lie down on the needle mat. Before that, I do a few light stretching exercises for the neck.
And indeed, I feel that the pain is getting much better. The pinching and stabbing pain in the neck, gives way to a pulling. And a pulling is a thousand times more pleasant than the stabbing pain I had before.
Because the feeling of the first five acupressure mat treatments were so pleasant and helped me to forget the tension, I will definitely do it more often.
Of course, the mat is not a magic bullet. You have to ensure sufficient movement, stretching exercises and a healthy sitting position to prevent back and neck pain.
What you should consider when buying
That sounds exciting to you and you also want to get a model? Which mat is the right one depends on a few points. Basically, however, the models hardly differ from each other.
The material and cleaning
The mat and the plastic spikes lie directly on your skin. Therefore, you should pay attention to pollutant-free and skin-friendly material.
For cleaning, you wash the mat rolled up in a laundry bag. There are covers with Velcro or zipper that can be removed.
Make sure you get a cloth bag to go with the mat, you can store it in there and keep the acupressure mat in a space-saving way.
The number of peaks
The more evenly distributed the spikes are, the more comfortable it feels. And of course, the more spikes, the more comfortable it is to lie on the mat. If you are sensitive to pain or a beginner, choose a model with extra spikes.
Advanced users can notice an even more intense effect with fewer needles.
Size and type of mat
Most mats are available in one size. Mine is 66 cm long and 40 cm wide. In addition to the mat is also a pillow in the set. The pillow can also be used separately if you suffer from tension headaches.
If you only want to get rid of headaches, you can buy the pillow separately from some manufacturers. However, it is cheaper if you buy all of them at once.
Our conclusion
My acupressure mat experience is surprisingly positive. I did not think that such small pointed plastic needles are a boon for the back. However, relying exclusively on it now will probably not get you there. Overall, you should try to move regularly, do lots of stretching exercises and control your sitting position. This will prevent pain from occurring in the first place.
If they are there, then the needle mat can help really well. Try it! :)
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