Pressure Positive Co. The Knobble II (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 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!

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'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.

I keep giving these away to friends and family. They help me so much to release tight muscles I can't help but pass on the relief. It is an easy way to apply pressure to places that are hard to get at. Deep pressure. The type that actually releases your muscles.

Massage quality: Thumb and wrist saver. Wife has upper back and shoulder pain every day. Seen this item before at physical therapy. Now I just feel around for knots with my fingers. And gently start working out the knots out with the knob. Works so well I only have to message twice a week instead of every day.

If you have ever tried manual trigger point therapy to help relieve sciatica, you know how hard it is on your wrist and fingers to keep up the pressure. Even then it's hard to exert enough pressure to feel any relief. Professional massage therapists can help hit trigger points, but it's too expensive to go all the time. Here's where the Knobble II comes in. This wonderful, simple tool allows you to save your hands and wrists while allowing you to push as hard as you are able. The point is rounded and the large side is easy to grip with the rubberized area. I use it to reach the piriformis muscle that causes a lot of pain. The sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle causing pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending down the lower thigh and into the leg. Even professional therapists have a hard time reaching this little muscle, often using their elbows or thumbs to try and get it to "release" but can't keep up the effort required for longer periods of time. I'm able to lie down on the Knobble in the perfect spot on my glutes to reach the piriformis and stay that way until I get relief. I'd never get that with manual therapy on my own. I wish I'd known about this wonderful little thing sooner. The relief from muscle spasms, sciatica and pain is worth many times the price.

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.