Alleviate back pain with the Osteomat acupressure mat

how to use the Osteomat acupressure matWe’re great fans of alternative and natural remedies for treating minor ailments, here at Chez Green.

We use herbs from the garden for their medicinal value – thyme to boost the immune system, lemon balm to help us sleep, mint for digestive upsets…

I have regular reflexology treatments to help me unwind and visit an osteopath every few weeks because I’ve had a couple of car accidents in the past.

Each car accident has resulted in whiplash, and it was having that first accident that set me along the path to a more natural lifestyle.

I found reflexology and cranial osteopathy to be really helpful in alleviating every day aches and pains as a result of the accident.

Then I discovered chiropractic (ouch but good!) and now use a regular osteopath as I have the hazard of working at a computer all day to contend with too!

Sadly, Mr Green and I are united in our back pain stories.

He damaged his back some thirty years ago and, if he moves awkwardly, can put himself in considerable discomfort.

Then there’s Little Miss Green who has pronounced curvature of her lower spine due to one leg being shorter than the other…

So I was intrigued when Osteomat contacted me to tell me about their product – the Osteomat acupressure mat!

The Osteomat is an alternative health product designed to reduce or eliminate back pain and muscle spasm. It is an acupressure mat which works much like acupuncture, but without penetrating the skin.

using the Osteomat acupressure mat after a workout

Now I’m a HUGE fan of acupressure. I’ve used it successfully for hay fever, nausea and headaches, so this really piqued my curiosity. I’m not so much a fan of acupuncture because I’m scared of needles!

Both the NHS and WHO recommend acupuncture for chronic back pain. So, the idea is that without having to leave your home and have a load of needles jabbed in you, you can get similar benefits from the Osteomat from the comfort of home at a fraction of the cost.

relaxing on an Osteomat acupressure mat

I was curious as to whether the mat uses magnets, but it doesn’t. They use spikes to stimulate the nerves near the skin. Now skin stimulation is used in a number of applications; the most pleasurable being massage; which I can take any amount of, and the most unpleasurable, well, possibly a bed of nails long favoured by certain Hindu mystics!

The mats are lightweight, completely portable and available in two models; The Classic model has handles, so you can carry it like a briefcase and Sport has a shoulder strap.

Osteomat acupressure mat in sports and classic

But the benefits aren’t limited to back pain. They are surprisingly diverse. And some reports list the following impressive claims from using a product like the Osteomat acupressure mat:

  • Increased relaxation
  • Decrease of Pain
  • Less muscle spasm
  • More balanced mood
  • Better sleep
  • Increase in energy levels
  • Alleviating headaches and migraine
  • Activating the immune system
  • Relief of colds, flu and asthma
  • Regulation of digestion
  • Improvements in cystitis, hemorrhoids and PMS

Their website contains all the information you need about how long to use the Osteomat, depending on the condition you are treating.

So what’s it like? Well it IS a bit like a bed of nails initially! I’ll not lie to you; I had to really psyche myself up to get on the thing and then I had to lower myself onto it bit by bit. I was surprised by how sharp and spiky the mat was. But I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to things like that and I’m skinny, so perhaps I’m more sensitive.

However, once you’re in place and you’re lying still the discomfort soon passes,then your skin feels warm and you start to relax. By the time you finish, you’ve definitely got that ‘warm glow’ feeling!

You can lie on the mat, use it in a chair or put your feet on it.

sit lie or put your feet on an Osteomat acupressure mat

What fascinates me is that I thought acupuncture was a therapy that needed precision. So then I figured, how could this osteomat deliver the same benefits, because it will be a bit hit and miss? But this study done by German Acupuncture Trials (Gerac) For Chronic Low Back Pain shows that both real acupuncture and acupuncture that stimulates wrong points are both almost twice as effective as conventional therapy.

What about you – have you ever user acupressure, acupuncture or a product like the Osteomat?

1 Comment

  1. Osteomat on April 22, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    Thank you for the review Mrs. Green!

    Here is a special offer to all Green readers. Try the Osteomat acupressure mat with a 30 day money back guarantee, and a 10% discount! Just enter this voucher code to get a discount during the checkout: MrsGreen at http://www.osteomat.co.uk

    Best wishes to all!