HoMedics MCS-200H Shiatsu Massage Cushion

I bought this massager as a Christmas present so when it was delivered to my front door with the product not even packaged in a shipping box I was a bit perturbed. The recipient of the present was standing right there when the present/massager arrived but thank goodness they didn't know it was for them. I am all for going green and less packaging but in this case I wish it was in a shipping box (I could have paid the extra dough to have Amazon wrap it but I didn't think it was necessary). The lack of a shipping box is why I am only giving this model 3 stars, otherwise I probably would have given it 4.As most of the other reviews I read about this product said, and I read all of them, this product does feel flimsy. But for the price that is to be expected. The person I gave it to as a present said he would marry it. I tried it myself after he broke it in first and it does what it is expected to do. I can feel that if you used this model every day it would wear out quickly, especially if you put your full weight onto the rollers. I did not feel the same "intense" massage action to the point where I would say it was too strong or painful. You simply adjust your body so your back is not jammed into the rollers. It has only been a couple of weeks since the massager arrived so I expect it will last about as long as most other reviewers said theirs lasted, maybe a little longer since it isn't used every day.

I may be the best and the worst person to review a Shiatsu Massage Cushion because I have a bad back and I probably spend at least a couple hours a day on one. I've had at least a half dozen and until now all have been bought from local retailers. The biggest problem I have with them is they are to short. Guess that's because Japanese are shorter, but that doesn't help me. Usually I just cut the bottom seat off so I can slide the unit up or down to work the entire back. Second problem I have is wear. At my size and weight, I wear one out in less then a year. Although these units are not made to be accessed by the customer, shipping them back for repair is almost cost prohibitive. The plastic/nylon worm gears wear out after time and heavy use. There is no way for the average user to lube the gearing. Having said all that, The units are remarkably tough. I put them thru hard use. If the roller motion is to hard for you, use them on a softer chair and or add a heavy towel between it and your back. I get up every morning and use the massage for an hour before I'm able to get around. If it weren't for the Shiatsu, it would be a bad day. As soon as I feel that one is wearing out, I get another. The only real complaint I have with the MCS-200H is that it can't be stopped at a given point. If you have a bad back, GET ONE!

I got it to fight my general anxiety disorder (very frequent headaches were just killing me).It is not the only thing that made a hude change in my life and made me feel like actually I am alive again BUT it is definitely helping a lot. I use it daily and it helps to relax my musles so much that I cant believe this great product comes at a cost of a single massage session.I used it every day for over 3 months now (I waited to write this review to check how durable this thing is) and it works as well as on day 1.People complaining about the pain they sometimes get when using it - I will tell you this - I tried some massage sessions before and found out what pain means ;)If you suffer from anxiety, high stress etc I would highly recommend this product to be used daily to help you relax.Other things I use: "iLiving Brand Advanced Tapping Massager Neck and Shoulder Massager with Heated Therapy - available here for around $65", correct breathing (very important if you suffer from anxiety!!!- get a book on that, Dr.Buteyko is one of the biggest experts), correct posture (you can search for Alexander Technique), yoda/meditation, 3 glasses of chamomile a day :)Those things combined made me a different person!!!If you either want to start your way back to living your life again or just looking for a way to relax a bit - this might be the first step to take...

I lived with chronic back pain for a year when I discovered one of these at my dad's place and gave it a try. It was incredibly painful to work through those knots the first time, and it gave me a new kind of pain to deal with for a couple days, but my back felt so much better overall, and it helped my range of motion. I ordered one as soon as I got home.Those $2,500.00+ chairs that are nothing but glorified vibrators make me laugh. I'd take one of these every time. I've sold two others to people that tried mine, and knew they needed one for themselves.I've used mine pretty regularly for two years, and I make it work really hard when I use it too, the travel motor has some problems now but it still does the job (which is almost a shame since I've had my eye on the 400H for a while).The only complaint I've seen, that I'd agree with, is that the controls are inconveniently placed so it's difficult to change the upper and lower back settings when you're using it, and know what you've set it to.Anyway, for the price this is easily one of the best purchases I've ever made. Highly recommended!

I bought this because I have sharp pains on either side of my upper back/shoulder area. I'm a court reporter and I spend a lot of time sitting at depositions and sitting at my computer. Maybe the pain is from slouching, I don't know. I need to see a chiropractor. Firstly, this thing will *grind* it's massagers into your back. You can feel it in your bones. At first it hurt, but now I've gotten used to it and it feels amazing. The heat gets very warm, and nicely complements the massage action. This massage cushion is worth every penny. Sometimes I position myself at different heights in the seat to get a proper upper back massage. I'm short, so the upper back massage position goes well above my upper back and I can't even feel it. I'm glad I got this model. It fits great into the chair I use and I can velcro the straps around the back of the chair or around a pillow. It's very easy to use and transport. It folds up and it's lightweight. It's just what I wanted. You will probably not be disappointed with this device.