7 Best Back Massagers of 2024 for Pain Relief, Experts Claims (2024)

Just the way a back massage at the spa or chiropractor can alleviate back pain and stiffness, electronic at-home back massagers can also manage similar issues effectively.

The devices pinpoint areas with tension, stiffness, or pain and tackle them by controlling pressure or heat levels to help relax the muscles and ease pain.

The best neck massager depends on the type of pressure you want and whether you prefer a device with adjustable intensity or a handheld device that allows you to have full control.

Overview

Back massager devices have been shown to offer plenty of health benefits, making them worth investing in both your money and time.

The devices provide enriching health benefits such as improving blood circulation, relieving pain, easing nerve compression, enhancing muscle relaxation, and range motions.

A San Francisco-based board-certified sport physical therapist Leada Malek, DPT, SCS, says that whenever you want to relieve muscle tension, especially after a workout, you can use back massager devices to ease muscle soreness and enhance your recovery.

Malek further says that there is growing research-based evidence to support the therapeutic benefits of percussion, vibration, and Shiatsu back massagers. They have been found to offer health benefits like easing muscle soreness and enhancing muscle recovery, promoting blood circulation, relieving pain, easing nerve compression, enhancing range motions, and promoting the body’s overall relaxation.

According to Kevin Huffman, D.O., a bariatric surgery specialist and whiplash and various car accident injuries expert says that investing in neck and back massagers for pain relief at home is now becoming the norm because of its flexibility and affordability.

In this review, we will help you explore the best back massagers by looking at their features, how they work, health benefits, selection criteria, cost, and much more so as to improve your purchase decision.

Overview of Best Back Massagers

What is a Back Massager?

Back massagers have tremendous health benefits for the body’s overall well-being. They help improve blood flow, ease pain including back and chronic pain, reduce stress, and decrease muscle tension and soreness. They have also been found to treat muscle weakness and enhance lymphatic system stimulation.

A research publication in the National Center for Complementary and Investigative Health has cited evidence of back massagers helping people manage chronic low back pain.

Karena Wu, MD the owner of ActiveCare Physical Therapy recommends back massagers like Shiatsu cushion stating that it is a versatile product with the ability to soften the tight muscle tissues and offer deep relaxation.

Another study by researcher Leonard H. Joseph, Ph.D. et al published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Body Work investigated the effect of back massagers on low back pain. According to the research results, their application showed potential clinical benefits.

Jessica Crow, a licensed massage therapist and founder of CNTRD Wellness explains that heat from back massagers is crucial as it helps to soften the tight tissues and muscles so that the kneading, percussion, or vibration becomes more effective.

A publication in the International Journal of General Medicine by Saravana Kumar, Kate Beaton, and Tricia Hughes has shown that there is a developing body of evidence that back massagers can help manage non-specific low back pain.

How We Picked

Our Choices for the Best Back Massagers of 2024

User Amazon Customer explains:

This is my third massage pillow, which I enjoy. It heats up well, massage is fine, my only complaint is that it doesn’t last more than two years. I do use it frequently though. I ordered a Homedics pillow but it didn’t heat up. So, I went back to Zyllion.

User April explains:

Love this small portable massager; I use it every night on my neck, back, and legs. So easy and convenient and most importantly, it is powerful enough to release pain and stress!

User Cherall explains:

I think this is a great way to find pain relief with massage if you can’t get to a masseuse. It is strong enough and comfortable. I gave it 4 stars because the heat light worked although I felt it could be a little warmer. Great resource!

User Debbie Brunssen explains:

I love this !! I work at store and sure needed something like this and I finally bought one after searching a lot . Easy to use and really no set up except but on a hard back chair and sit and the remote is very easy to use too

User Will explains:

This massage gun is absolutely perfect! Perfect price point, perfect battery life, perfect amount of attachments, I could go on and on! This was just the thing I needed to relieve soreness after workouts. A+

User Ruf explains:

I bought this massager in 2020 and for the last four years it has worked perfectly every use. You don’t have to keep recharhing. This Renpho keeps its charge for a very long time. It just keeps going. Renpho has passed Quality, Cost, Delivery as well as Form Fit and Function. A well manufactured product.

User JBS explains:

Both my husband and I use this and love it. He uses on his back and legs, I use on neck, shoulders and knees. Has definitely improved our quality of life. Will be ordering another for our son.

Key Features to Consider When Choosing the Best Back Massagers

1. Portability

Back massage devices come in different sizes and shapes, meaning that some are portable while others are not. A portable device that can easily fit in your bag pack is ideal as it ensures that you don’t miss your massage routine while you are on vacation or on a business trip away from home.

2. Ease of Use

Since you are targeting an at-home use device, it is important to ensure that the device you are choosing is easy to operate. Ensure that the product has well elaborated and easy-to-follow usage instructions. This will ensure a hassle-free back massage.

3. Does It Support Deep Massage?

Back massage devices are designed to offer different types of massages. For deep tissue healing, you will need a device that offers deep massage and vice versa.

Types of Back Massagers

1. Percussion

Percussion is a type of massage that combines rapid and repetitive pressure application and vibration therapy.
The massage is done quickly and with force to put pressure directly on the soft tissue as vibration therapy engages the skin’s outer layer.

The health benefits of percussion massage include reduced muscle tension, decreased muscle soreness, improved circulation, and enhanced lymphatic system stimulation.

2. Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a type of therapeutic bodywork whose origin is in Japan. It works on pressure points to provide the body with balance.

It applies kneading, pressing, stretching, soothing, and tapping techniques which are done without using oils.
It helps to increase good energy, improve blood circulation, ease back and chronic pain, and reduce stress.

3. Vibration

Vibration is a type of massage skill involving the pressing and releasing of tissue in up and down motion to create a shaking and vibrating motion onto the muscles.

Vibration massage helps to normalize venous return rate, thus improving circulation and body relaxation, treating muscle weakness, and easing pain.

How Do Back Massagers Work?

The back massagers are meant to ease tension, relax muscles, reduce pain, ease nerve compression, and ensure full body relaxation. They work by targeting blood flow to the back muscles using different mechanisms like heat, percussion, rotating balls, and vibration.

Shiatsu massager, for instance, works by mimicking deep-tissue massage movements like the manual massage you would get at the spa. Shiatsu adopts varied techniques like pressing, deep kneading, and stretching to help promote blood flow and ease muscle tension. It is a type of massage that uses rotating nodes great for treating knots, post-gym muscle pain, or muscle injury.

A research publication in EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing has shown that massager scopes like deep kneading and vibration can help improve muscle tension.

Another study in Symmetry/assymetry in Musculoskeletal Science Journal looked into the beneficial effects of the vibration massager technique as an alternative to traditional massage. The results of the study indicate that vibration massage can help speed up post-exercise muscle recovery by stimulating blood circulation to the area to help repair and restore tired muscles.

Percussion massager works by applying rapid and repetitive back-and-forth movement pressure on the body muscles and tissues. The rapid pulsations penetrate deep into the targeted muscles to create a percussive sensation.

According to a publication in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, percussive massager therapy has been shown to reduce back stiffness and increase the body’s overall flexibility.
One of the research projects published in SportRvix Reprints has shown that massager percussion therapy can help treat muscle stiffness and improve range of motion and muscle soreness.

Benefits of Back Massagers

1. Ease Muscle Tension:

Back massagers have been found to improve muscle elasticity and ease muscle tension and tightness by helping the muscle tissue to relax.

Percussion, vibration, and Shiatsu, for instance, have been designed to improve a range of motions and joint flexibility through their ability to improve muscle elasticity and reduce muscle tightness.

2. Pain Relief:

Back massager devices have been found to help in disrupting pain signals while offering a numbing effect.
Percussion, Shiatsu, and vibration therapy can help get rid of discomfort associated with sprains, strains, and chronic pain conditions.

3. Ease Nerve Compression:

The rhythmic pulsation from percussion therapy has been found to offer a calming effect on the nervous system, promote relaxation, and reduce anxiety and stress, making it an effective device for stress management and relaxation.

4. Improve Blood Circulation:

Shiatsu, vibration, and percussion back therapies have been found to stimulate blood flow to enhance circulation.
The increased blood flow helps deliver nutrients and oxygen to the muscles while it flashes out metabolic waste products. The improved circulation can also help in muscle recovery and healing.

5. Helps Enhance a Range of Motions:

Percussive therapy applies rapid pressure on various parts of the body to increase the range of motions and increase the body’s overall flexibility.

Conclusion

There are varieties of back massagers in the market today and each one of these devices has been developed to help people meet their specific health needs including comfort preference and budget.

Manipulating the body’s soft tissues using back massage devices can help relieve back and neck pain, reduce stress, ease muscle tension and soreness, enhance muscle recovery, improve blood circulation, and promote the body’s overall health well-being, and quality of life.

Back massagers offer modern massage therapy which is an alternative to the traditional massage method where you have to book, travel, pay, and wait for a specialist for a massage session.
The devices offer a hassle-free massage therapy and treatment session which are within your control and performed from the convenience of your home.

However, it’s essential to consider that neck pain often accompanies back issues. For comprehensive relief and relaxation, exploring options for neck massagers is also highly recommended. To discover top-rated options and detailed reviews, check out our article on the Best Neck Massagers. By addressing both back and neck discomfort, you can achieve a more holistic approach to pain management and relaxation.