Does anyone have any good self-massage methods?

There is always the long-handled vibrator with exchangeable heads and choice of speed.

I lay back down on a tennis ball. I roll around with full weight on the ball.

Yea wish I could offer more since I too suffer from constant back pain. The best ive found has also been the tennis ball method.

I never heard of the tennis ball remedy. What is the benefit of putting it in a sock?

You can control the area and motion by tugging on both ends of the sock.

I dont do the sock thing, I just lay on the ground and roll back and forth on the tennis balls

You might want to try one of these:

The Backnobber

That’s the link to their website and this is the Backnobber on amazon in case you want to read the reviews there.

There’s also the

Thera Cane Massager

I have them both and they’re great for knots and pressure points. I like the Thera Cane better and it’s easier to use and easier to get leverage on but the nabber’s good too. The nice thing about that one is that it comes apart and it’s easier to throw in your suit case if you want to take it traveling.

And sometimes if I’ve got a really bad knot I try to work it out using a door knob, while it’s still attached to the door that is, it’s a little more brutal than the tennis ball method and I sometimes end up with a bruise but some of my knots are really, really tough.

The tennis ball’s an interesting idea; I’ll have to try it sometime.

I generally address back aches by finding a corner or similar protrusion and applying the troubled area to it.

@Nullo, have you tried door knobs? They are a handy protrusion and are usually at about the height where at least my problems are, my lower back. A corner, like the corner of my dresser would work great but it’s not at the right height and the thought of getting on a step stool in order to jam the corner of my dresser into the small of my back seems both slightly dangerous and a tad insane.

I use several back stretches, too.

@lillycoyote Sadly, my troubles settle on what I believe to be the trapezia and supraspinatus muscles, out of reach of all of the doorknobs. I’ve developed a bit of a slouch, you see, and it stresses the upper back a bit.

@Nullo Well, just because midway between the top and bottom of a door, on the right hand side, is a sensible place to put a doorknob in order to meet the needs and expectations of the average right handed person, doesn’t mean that you have to put the doorknob there. Anyway, just something to consider when or if you are contemplating any future remodeling projects that might involve replacing a door somewhere in your house.

I went to a chiropractor after an accident and he tought me about how to deal with soft tissue injuries. When the muscles get knotted up, soft strong continuous pressure if applied correctly with make the muscle release. Besides lots of stretching which also helps muscle release knots, the pressure helps. So when my muscles knot up in the middle of my back which they often do, I put a tennis ball on the floor and lay on top of it so the sore point makes contact with the ball. I than drop my weight or go up on my feet to drive my weight into the ball, if that much pressure is needed. For me it will take 30 seconds of this type of pressure and I feel the muscles release. The muscles are still sore but the majority of the tention is gone. My wife does the same thing with a large styrofoam cylinder. Its about 4 feet tall and 8 inches in diameter. She puts it on the floor, lays on top of it (back down) and rolls her back over it. Does that give you a good discription of the method. It’s difficult to explain in narrative.

Fantastic, everyone! I used to use my husband’s basketball before I had more serious problems. I would place it on the floor and roll up and down the length of my spine upon it. The tennis ball is the best thing I have found thus far, with the sometimes problem of the muscles getting MORE tense because it is occasionally painful! Putting it in the sock is fantastic because you can pull the sock up or down and direct the ball exactly where you want it to go. I have read a book about trigger point therapy, which makes a lot of sense to me, and have considered buying the Theracane or making a DIY version of it. I may have to break down and buy it.

@Nullo: My trapezius is as hard as a rock, and I have never found anyone or anything that could soften it. i am hoping calcification has not occurred in those muscles! It’s where I carry all my tension – there and the neck. The REAL rub is finding some way to successfully massage the neck.

… and you can try massaging muscles on the opposite side of your body – really, it works for me.

I do have a suggestion for neck massager. I have one similar to this: http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/15692/homedics_shiats/
I used to get a lot of neck and upper back tension from working on my feet all day bending over a table. (I was an assistant designer making patterns for clothes) The tension would lead to headaches and I was single with no one to give me a massage. My Mom bought me one of these shiatsu massagers and it really worked. It’s not as good as human fingers but it does help.