The Pressure Positive Co. Knobble II Handheld Massage Tool, Emerald Green

I purchased this and another massage tool (the indexknobber) to help me work on my horse. I do some sports massage, acupressure and trigger point with him, but because I have tendinitis and arthritis in my hands and wrists, I'm not able to use my bare hands to work with him very well. As far as massage tools go that are made for horses, it's very slim pickings. There is a "Y" shaped tool made specifically for horses, but I found that it placed my wrist at a bad angle when working on his haunches, shoulders, and neck especially, and I wasn't terribly pleased with using it on his back. I have really enjoyed working with this tool on my horse. It's not exactly as versatile as the Indexknobber, but this has been perfect for working on pressure points and knots. The knob is not too big for hitting small points, and not too short. The handle fits comfortable into the hand and has not yet given my wrists trouble. I also like that it is helpful with skin rolls on my horse. I have a hard time doing those with my fingers alone, and if I use this against the fingers of my other hand, it works wonderfully. I do have to admit that I use the Indexknobber more, but that's mostly because I'm working on a horse and need the Indexknobber's versatility more. That said, I do think this would be excellent for working on your own pressure points and knots, so long as they are where you can reach. I've owned the product for perhaps a month now. I have been using it fairly often sometimes even twice a day--before and after my ride--and it is holding up just fine. It still looks like new, in fact, and I'm keeping it in a tack truck so it's not exactly getting kind treatment all of the time. I especially like that it is easy to clean--a must considering I'm working with my horse, and no matter how much I brush him, there's still enough dirt and dust and loose hair to get on the tool. All in all, I'm very pleased with it. Most importantly, my horse is happy, too!

I bought this tool when I bought the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies and Simons. The money I invested in these two products has saved me a tremendous amount by allowing me to do my trigger point therapy myself. The Knobble II is a very easy tool to use, and saves the hands from fatigue when pressing on trigger points. It's self-explanatory - hold it like a doorknob. I can even see people with severe joint pain using this tool for their trigger point therapy. The trigger point book tells me where the trigger points for pain are (the point where you press to get rid of the pain is not always the same as the location of the pain - it's called "referred pain") and the Knobble II allows me to tend to those points where I can normally reach. A trigger point therapy cane reaches the points around the back. When I was hiring a trigger point therapist, I had to schedule the appointment and pay for it. Now, when I wake up, if I'm feeling achey, I check the biggest trigger point offenders and get the bad ones done in a few minutes, even before I get up that morning. As the day goes along, if a spot is bothering me, I just pick up the knob and work on it for a minute and it's gone. I do a full trigger point therapy set once per week. You get to know your bad spots very quickly when you read the book, and the Knobble is just great - before I had it, just doing the few points I knew at that time was hard on my hands. This removes the need to physically press hard. I can say without reservation that it's easily the best money I've ever spent.

I've been using this tool for about three months at the time of this review, and I am extremely pleased with it. I am a licensed massage therapist and I use this and the Indexknobber II in just about every session I perform. This tool I primarily use over the client's back and shoulders on prone. It's great for penetrating the traps and getting in deep along the spine. Can take a little getting used to using it with the non-dominant hand, but the skill develops in time. One tip I have is to apply pressure with one hand while directing the tool about with the other. The Knobble II also works well on the feet and sometimes over the lateral portion of the hips, but I use the Indexknobber II pretty much everywhere else. I started using these tools because my hands just couldn't take the beatings I was giving them anymore. I thought I was going to have to retire from massage, but after working with these great tools for just a brief period of time, I feel revitalized. I do have a warning and that is that I think this tool would be quite dangerous in the wrong therapist's hands. If you're a hack therapist with a poor sense of touch, this is not the tool for you. Please don't use it on others; you might hurt someone. That being said, anyone can use them on themselves for self care purposes. I massage my hands and traps quite a bit this this tool. I didn't purchase this with the intention of using it for self care, but it has nonetheless become something I use on myself on a more or less daily basis. The reason I'm giving it four stars is because of the rubber grip that runs around it. The rubber on mine is deteriorating already (and has been for a while) which is annoying, but my larger concern is what happens if/when enough of it erodes off to reveal the rough/sharp edge that I'm pretty confident is underneath what the rubber part is covering. This tool works because it is smooth, so if that smoothness is lost, that could become a problem.

This thing is a very effective little tool for releasing pressure points, trigger points, knots, etc. Just don't use too much pressure. It should be a good hurt. Never use on bone (like the spine), just soft tissue. And the most important thing is to breathe deeply. If you hold your breath your pressure points won't release, and you can end up causing more swelling (same as if you use way too much pressure). It can take a little practice but it is life changing for people needing pain relief. I own countless massage tools and this is my new favorite. I'll be ordering another one so I have one at home and one at work. Literally the only thing I dislike about it is the little keyring thing where they attach the little tag/literature. They didn't even use it, just tossed the card in the bag w/ the tool. What you're left with (and this is pretty nit picky) is an annoying little pointless hotspot that's just always in the way and ruins the symmetry of an otherwise perfect product. I'll be cutting mine off, but my OCD wants a cleaner solution. Other than that, this is a fairly perfect device for pain relief. I may just buy a bunch for Christmas presents for the fam. The plastic used (not sure the type) is probably the best material they could have used. It provides just the right amount of grip that you want on the skin. Speaking of grip, I love that they thought to rubberize the grip. It works so well. This was a a very well designed product. I'm usually far too lazy to leave reviews but every now and then there's something I really like so I feel like the product deserves to have its praises sung.

I do a considerable amount of self massage, especially at neck, shoulders and those little muscles in the scalp that get tight easily. The knobble is perfect for finding your trigger points and saving your hands! Just get it ... and if you don't already have a Theracane in your repertoire, order one ... and while I'm on a roll, there's a book you can get on Amazon ... The Triggerpoint Work Book. I cannot tell you enough on how it has helped me to keep my muscles from tightening to the point of pulling my spinal column out of alignment. It is a goldmine of easy to understand information. It will amaze you to learn how much you can do for yourself to make a tremendous difference in your health. These resources along with my own muscular system chart (for a woman) also on Amazon, is my arsenal. My monthly massage therapy now is merely preventive, and my MT is always praising my own efforts ... it shows!

I have a little collection of massage implements (no, not THOSE kind of massage implements), because if you have a persistent problem spot, you're always looking for The One. Mine is the top of my shoulders. When they really get going, they're so tight that someone putting their hands on my shoulders makes me queasy. I pinch them and stab at them (my shoulders, that is) and it goes away for a week or so, but it's always back. I've bought massage rocks, lame HomeMedics vibrating massagers and more expensive Thumper versions...several incarnations of those four-legged ball-ended massagers...and now this. Honestly, my problem's not gone, but this is a VERY effective tool and can be used several ways (pointy end applies great pressure, flat side is good for smooth motions, and the 'band' around the side is slightly texturized for more resistance than the flat end. Lots of possibility. My fiance has always had calves which are prone to spasming and are always tight, and reports that he was able to find a particular pressure point with this tool that he was not aware of before, has not had a cramp since, and that the tightness has decreased dramatically. It's very inexpensive here, so you really can hardly go wrong trying one!

I have a lot of tension in my upper back, neck, and shoulders, most likely due to having a job which involves sitting all day as well as a long daily commute to and from work. I have found acupressure to be helpful, mostly in the form of working with yoga instructor Jill Miller's Yoga Tune Up therapy balls (available on her Yoga Tune Up web site). Although I find the balls to be highly effective, they require me to be lying on the floor to best target my tight areas. So, I purchased the Knobble as a more portable alternative, something that I could hopefully use to work out kinks during times when I am sitting in front of the computer. The Knobble is made of plastic, and it fits well in the palm of the hand. The area that is designed to be held is covered with a rubber-like material to prevent slippage. This is a nice feature, although I would have preferred to have the ENTIRE Knobble covered by this non-slip rubber. A major problem I've found when using the Knobble is that the plastic is so smooth that it slides easily, making it very difficult to position in one place in order to target particular trigger points (which is the goal of acupressure treatment). In this sense, I'm not sure that the Knobble has any advantage over a simple tennis ball, which provides some grip due to friction. Furthermore, the shape of the Knobble, while unique, does not seem as useful in practice as a round ball--again, I've had much better success with my Yoga Tune Up therapy balls or even just a tennis ball. In the end, I will keep using the Knobble, as I do find that it provides me with some relief. However, I also admit to being disappointed with this product, which I think could have been designed much better.

This is a great device to use if massage therapy is unavailable. I suffer from stress-related neck and back tension. In the past, I resorted to laying on a tennis ball or yoga massage therapy balls to work out the kinks. What I find very helpful in this tool is that it has a 'knuckle' as well as a flat surface. The knuckle is helpful in finding and working out those painful trigger points. If you hold the Knobble at an angle with the rubber friction band toward you, it can be useful in working the fascia of muscle. I've used this on my trapezius and posterior neck muscles which affect the neck and shoulders, as well as the jaw. I used the flatter dome side on my face, along my forehead which has been very effective in easing tension and sinus pressure. The Knobble is small enough to reach into the fascial layers which, if not attended to, will "enlist" other muscles to compensate, snowballing into worsening symptoms. I've experienced relief in even hard to reach muscles, such as the piri-formis (from the back of the femur into the buttocks) as well as the ilia-psoas (from the uppermost part of the thigh toward the spine). As this fits neatly into the palm of the hand, with rotating motion, have experienced no fatigue. It doesn't cost a fortune, it's easily transportable and washable. Tennis balls still work, but for delicate muscles in the face or the hands, say, this device works wonders!

Hilft

Gute Qualität, muss noch etwas üben. Nur die Farbe wurde falsch geliefert, was ich schade fand, habe es trotzdem behalten

This really saves my fingers when massaging knots in my neck or shoulders. I’ve also used it on other trigger point across my body, including my jaw. It’s very useful.

Wider base means you can actually use it on yourself without it slipping. Don't waste your money on the other one

Great product, ideal to take when travelling and keep in bag in case of needing relief from injury.