ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set for Back/Neck Pain Relief and Muscle Relaxation, Large - Black/Aqua

I've had this for about a year now and decided to write a review. I bought a used one on Amazon Resale because it was about $10 cheaper than buying a new one. Although it wasn't sent in the original packaging, the item was almost new, had no stains or defects, and was in good condition. I lead an active life, playing sports and exercising every day, but maybe because now that I'm in my 50s, I often have pain and ailments all over my body. I've been trying out various recovery items and I decided to give this item a try after reading positive reviews. At first, it was too painful to use this on my bare skin, so I had to lie down for about a minute with a thin tank top on. All I felt was pain and didn't feel any comfort first, but after using it 2-3 times a week for a few months, I was able to lie on my bare skin without feeling like I am hurting myself. I continued this for a year and now I feel so good that I fall asleep after about 10 minutes of lying on my bare skin. I can sleep on the mat for about 45 minutes. This is a guaranteed way for me to have a power nap after a vigorous exercise and I feel refreshed when I wake up. Also, it seems to help pain in my back or buttocks when I sleep on it. Every time I use this item. I feel a great sense of refreshment and relaxation that nothing else can provide. It also helps regulate my autonomic nervous system. As for the head pillow, I never used it because it was too stimulating for my head, but recently I tried putting my feet on the pillow while sleeping on the mat and it felt really good! Now I use it only for my feet. I like it because I can massage the acupressure points on my feet which are not usually stimulated because we all wear shoes and socks all day. As for the mat, other than sleeping, my favorite way to use it is to sit on the balance ball as soon as I wake up in the morning and do some pelvic stretches while placing the mat under my feet. This stimulates my foot and wakes me up quickly. My husband likes the mat too, but how he uses is a bit different. He is 190 pounds (almost 100 pounds more than me) so it seems to hurt to lie on it (probably because of his weight?) and he says that lying on his stomach on a regular yoga mat with this mat on top of his back is just right. Either way, we both really like it.

I've had this mat for five years, and used it 2-4 times per month. It's still holding up great after all that usage and time. The foam insert is yellowing but is still soft and pliable.I'm 6'2" and find the coverage fine. I'm 340 pounds so my body really presses into the mat. I still find the initial few moments of laying on the mat almost unbearably painful. But push through that and something magical happens - I can feel warmth as blood rushes to the area. I can feel my muscles almost "melt," and eventually a deep "pop" as my spine finally relaxes - better than a chiropractor! I often doze off on the mat.I find the experience intense, but very therapeutic. Knowing how it works on my body makes the initial discomfort easily manageable. If you were to "fight" against the pain by getting MORE tense, it wouldn't work. You have to give yourself over to the process.Anyway - five years in and this thing still works like a charm! Great investment that I'm very happy with.

The plastic bits are sharp and can be painful, no joke!! I immediately noticed the pain when I accidentally touched them just taking the thing out of the package, which was a scary start for sure! But, seeing all the positive reviews, I figured I was just being a bit of a baby, and so I set it up and went shirtless for my very first try... ouch! It was not pleasant the first time, and my initial reaction was, "I gotta return these!" However, my girlfriend decided to also try right after me, but she did so with a shirt on and thought the mat felt kinda nice. So, after giving my back some time to recover from the sharp shock, I decided to give it another go but with a shirt on this time, and let me tell you it was a world of difference and actually pleasurable that second time! I thought maybe this CAN work?! I've since used this mat many times, still wearing a shirt as I haven't dared to try again without yet, but have found it extremely relaxing, so much so that I actually fell asleep on it for about 20 minutes one time! The one thing I would suggest, and which I did, is to order two of the half mats rather than a large if you're considering the large for full body coverage; the reason being that for slightly more in cost, you get a second pillow, and two half mats that you can position however you want. I personally position the two half mats in a T pattern to really get good coverage on the full length of my back but then also across my shoulders; and instead of using either pillow for my head (I use a softer neck pillow for support instead), I position one pillow in the small of my back, which feels amazing, and the other I let my feet/ankles roll around or rest on. In the end, I can say all the positive reviews were right, this does do a good job for relaxation, so long as you can get over the initial shock of awkward pain!