Back pain is very common in adults staring from the age of 40+. But with more sitting jobs where there is minimal physical work, even adults nearing 30 years are prone to lower back pain.
For any type of body pains, it is crucial to identify under what circumstances and where the pain arises in order to find out why it was caused and how it can be cured. By doing so, we can focus on the source of the pain rather than the symptoms. Sometimes, back pain or shoulder pain occurs due to poor sitting posture without adequate back support, muscle imbalances or underlying diseases apart from age related conditions.
Another important reason for the back pain is the trapped nerve in the back called sciatic nerve being stressed or damaged. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body starting from the lower back of the leg to the foot. When this nerve is irritated for some reason or condition, it causes muscle weakness, pain in the lower back that spreads to the leg and this pain is termed as Sciatica.
Apart from medications like drugs, painkillers and Epidural Steroid Injections, there are other various other natural ways to treat back pain or pain in the sciatic nerve that includes Acupressure, Hot or Cold compression packs, Acupuncture, Muscle Balance Therapy and more importantly Exercise. The exercise can start with little as nothing to engaging yourself with products that costs a few hundred pounds. Practising a good posture, proper sleeping posture, type of mattresses used (as some people believe that using a firm mattress for sleeping reduce back pains), safe lifting of objects especially the heavy ones and common exercises like walking, swimming including yoga postures like Butterfly posture (Badhakonasana)and Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Shvanasana) postures helps aid in curing or suppressing lower back pain.
Also specialists are available at a price to treat chronic muscular or skeletal pain even like a Chiropractor who uses their hands for adjusting restricted movements in the joints through specific manipulation techniques and Physiotherapist who treats your condition through massage, electrical therapies and pain relieving machines.
Backlife is one such machine that helps you to do simple stretches for reliving back pain and we had an opportunity to use it in our home.
BackLife Consumer Therapeutic Massager Machine
Concept:
The concept behind this invention is massaging the partially flattened back by elevating the leg by continuous circular motion helps relieve the pressure from the sciatic nerve, thereby loosening the stiffness in the muscles and offering relaxation. It is like doing stretchers laying flat on the floor by lifting the legs from the hip and rolling your knees slowly in a clockwise motion continuously for 10 to 20 minutes. This stretching exercise massages the cramped muscles in the lower back and helps relax them. This exercise is designed for a controlled and progressive treatment which can also be practised at home.
Backlife Continuous Motion Massager Machine |
Package and Design:
The BackLife Consumer Therapeutic Massager Machine came home neatly packed. And assembling the components was very easy with the clear instructions that came in the manual. Each leg is marked with "R" for right and "L" for left for easy fitting. The underside of the leg rest had four pins which fits perfectly with the rear slots with a click sound.
The machine was bulky and the design was quite impressive. The base of the machine was strong enough to support the main body along with the motor as well as our legs when we place them over it.
Backlife Consumer Therapeutic Massager Machine Reviews |
The blue button on the top was the height adjustment button which can be pressed to lower or raise the machine to our desired height. The height adjustment gauge shows the reading accordingly as 160 cm, 165cm,170cm and so on. Do note that the operating button to turn on or off the Backlife is situated a little above the left leg. Finally its time to power the cord from the electrical outlet to the Backlife using the power supply wire.
After the whole machine is set up,it looks something like the below image - slightly slanted towards you.
Backlife Consumer Therapeutic Massager Machine Reviews |
Working of Backlife:
Using the Backlife was very easy. After setting the machine, all we need is to plug the power supply into the electrical outlet and get going. My husband being affected by lower back pain due to his job profile in software industry, he was the first one to try Backlife. My husband and I was waiting for what this bulky machine can offer.
As per the instructions in the manual, he placed his legs on either side of Backlife and pushed his pelvis towards the base of the device. He then leaned back flat on the ground with his legs laid over the Backlife's leg support (blue in colour). By pressing the operating button on the side, he started his therapy session which went on for 10 full minutes continuously after which he laid still for a minute or so and got up. My first question to him was about how he felt and his impression on Backlife. His answer was simple, "It was like rowing a boat".
The below video will show the unpacking, assembling the machine to working of the Backlife in short.
We did not expect immediate results. And it was clearly a therapy session which needs a steady and progressive process for at least needs a month of daily use to come to a conclusion. But having tried for the past three days, the relaxing that was offered by the soothing massage was indeed good. Coupling the Backlife therapy with few other stretches like twisting and turning our leg laying flat on our back aids in reducing the back pain.
Advantages of Backlife Massager:
- Easy installation and very minute motor sound from the Backlife machine
- Automatic and Innovative design for treating lower back pain.
- Only machine that offers CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) on the lower back
- Gentle circular motion offered by the Back-life machine which is relaxing to both mind and body
- Portable and can be used anytime even while watching TV or having a good rest.
- Suitable for hospitals, clinics, gym and in homes that can afford this machine
- No medications and completely natural
Disadvantages:
- High price for that one function it offers.
- Heavy and takes up space in home
- Can be used as a secondary therapy for the back pain for at least a few weeks as it requires continuous use for relieving pain
Overall, we are still using the machine in our home and coming to an exact conclusion on how great it was in reducing our back pain needs some time. Having read positive reviews about Backlife relieving lower back pain including some press coverage about it, I guess we won't be disappointed. I will update my thoughts again in this post after a months use. Till then, we welcome people who have already used this Backlife to tell their honest opinion on their product. Also do share any tips or suggestion on reducing lower back pain or Sciatica.
Disclosure : I received the above product for the purpose of writing a honest review. All opinions are my own.
A good product for stressful times, Uma.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite easy and unique approach to use. Imagine you are rolling your hips and knees automatically without any push from your side.
Deletegood product for all
ReplyDeleteGood product - Yes. It's effectiveness for the cost is still being in test phase at least from my side for the time being. Will update when I am done :)
DeleteThanks
ReplyDeleteCan I use this machine if i had a L4/L5 disectomy about 5 years ago. I am very mobile but do suffer from some sciatic pain after a long day...
ReplyDelete