Every store nowadays is full of massage gadgets that are most likely a little more than novelty items or toys. They may give a little help or pleasure at first, but in all reality, they don’t help when it comes to deep muscle spasms and pain. It’s important to find out what the “serious” massage tools are and what areas they are useful for. Although no single one is perfect for all conditions, it’s important to realize that each is good with its own realm. The following is a listing of massage tools from Richard Hoff, a Reichian practitioner, inventor, and inveterate self-massager. His patented inventions include the Knobble® and two later massage tools--the Diskin® and the Batando®--which form the basis of his company, Knobble Associates, co-founded with his partner Margaret Gerner in 1981.

1. The Knobble:

• Looks like a wooden doorknob and has a rounded wooden shaft.
• Dual use/all purpose massage tool that is comfortable in your hand and can be used with a variety of grips.
• Lie on it or place it behind you in a chair to do massage on your back, buttocks, hamstrings and other hard-to-reach areas.

2. The Jacknobber:

• Looks like a large jack (as in the game of "jacks") with four knobby ends of two different sizes.
• Use on shoulder blades and back to relieve stress and tension as a trigger point therapy tool.
• Can be used hand-held or as a lie-down massage tool.
• Plastic version is smoothly curved and comfortable to hold.

3. Hand-L:

• Looks  like a wavy stick, with a comfortable hand-grip in the middle and two slightly different rounded massage tips projecting out from your hand at either end.
• Can be used with a variety of grips that use your hand and wrist muscles in different ways.
• Massage tips hook around at an angle, which can give you a good "angle of attack" for certain applications.
• Made of stoneware clay, and is strictly for manual use.

4. Ma-Roller:

• Lie-down massage tool.
• Two versions: the Mini-Ma, which looks  like a wooden dumbell, and the regular Ma, which has large extensions off the sides.
• Main use is for the back, but may be used  for the thighs, calves, and feet.
• Roll from spot to spot, rather than having to release the pressure.
• "Roll" toward the head or the foot of the bed to shift spots, while in a chair you cannot roll at all.
• Sinks down into the mattress or upholstery, which is okay if you want less pressure but frustrating if you want more.

5. The Diskin:

• Wooden tool that has a 7- inch circular platform with two large circle shaped massage knobs, similar to the Knobble.
• The platform provides stability even on a soft (and comfortable) surface such as a bed, armchair, or car seat, while being gentle on your upholstery.
• Grab it with one hand and place it wherever you want, so it is easy to use at times like the middle of the night when you can’t sleep or on long car trips when your back, buttocks, or hamstrings are bothering you.

6. The Backnobber and The Theracane, and the Body Back Buddy:

• These are like large, curved walking canes you can hook over your shoulder or around under your armpit to work on your trapezius, rhomboids, and other hard-to-reach trouble spots.
• The Backnobber is S-shaped and detachable into two sections for traveling or storage.
• Theracane is cane-shaped with a couple of projecting handles and two extra massage "nubs" for extra grip.
• The Body Back Buddy is sort of a hybrid, S-shaped like a huge Backknobber but with two projecting handles and seven extra massage knobs and nubs.
• They are convenient to use and have a wide reach.
• Require arm exertion, and if your shoulders demand a lot of pressure this can be strenuous and not so relaxing.
• To make the tool less demanding, pass a loop of rope or webbing, or a large belt around your thighs as you sit in a chair, and hook it on to the bottom end of the cane massager, thus in effect securing the tool to your thighs.
  

7. Acumasseur:

• Plastic "nutcracker-action" massage tool consisting of two long handles connected at one end by a short plastic strap serving as the pivot.
• Particularly useful for working out knots in the neck and hard-to-reach shoulder or trapezius muscles.
• Each handle has a single golf ball-like massage knob, and the knobs are set facing each other a short distance up from the pivot.
• Knobs are screwed into either of two threaded holes.
• Not easily adjustable.

8. The Batando:

• Fully adjustable combination nutcracker-action and lie-down massage tool.
• Consists of two cylindrical wooden handles with a hole bored through the axis with a rope passing through the holes, connecting two handles that act as the pivot.
•  Does deep work on your neck, scalenes, trapezius,  rib area, arms, and legs.
• A pull on the rope lock adjusts the length of the pivot: short for the neck and long for the trapezius and waist.
• Lie on the Batando or placing it behind you in a chair you’ve got two massage knobs on each side of your back or one knob if you rotate the handle.

9. Rubber Balls:

• Come in a variety of consistencies, from softer ones like squash, handball, tennis, and various toy balls, to harder ones like lacrosse balls.
• Lie on them and roll around use tennis balls in a sock.

10. Utemoto Massager:

• A single rubber ball encased in a 3-foot-long tube of stretchy fabric.
• The ends of the tube are looped so that you can insert your hands or forearms and pull the ball against various parts of your body or hold it in place as you press against the wall or lie on the floor.
• Relieves headaches, sinus pain, and muscle aches from neck-to-foot.
• Ball is a bit soft for deep tissue work.
• Designed for use by people with injuries who cannot stand too much pressure.

11. Bonger:

• Rubber ball attached to a metal tongue depressor set into a jump-rope handle.
• Use as if you were playing the xylophone on a person’s body.
• Use on the back, on the neck to relieve headaches, and on the legs to increase circulation, making cellulite disappear.
   

Massage tools made of hard material can be softened by padding them with a folded towel or other material. You can also use them on a soft surface where they will sink down, or you can place a cushion under your body to raise it up a bit in relation to the massage tool. There’s always a way to set things up to suit your needs.

Source: The Healing Power of Deep Self-Massage, Massage Magazine