Best Acupressure Mats
Best Acupressure Mats For those who purchase independently reviewed services or products through a link on our website, WWD may receive an affiliate commission.
At-home wellness devices are gaining traction: Yow will discover the likes of foot massagers, LED masks, and infrared sauna blankets for private use. These tech-forward devices appear to be popping up in every single place, but acupuncture is arguably the original wellness treatment. “
Acupuncture is over 3,000 years old,” explains Dr. Shari Auth, co-founder and chief healing officer of Recent York City acupuncture studio WTHN. “Traditional acupuncture is the insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points on the body,
and it could treat a broad range of health complaints like digestive issues, stress relief, and seasonal ailments,” she adds. With the most effective acupressure mat, you don’t must visit a studio to reap a few of those advantages.
Those that may not have access to a conventional acupuncturist can get a taste of the calming modality at home via acupuncture mats — and these devices are also a superb alternative for individuals who get woozy on the considered needles. “
Acupressure mats have a whole bunch of acupressure points on them, and are designed to stimulate the points in the identical way that receiving acupressure or acupressure massage would. They work on the pressure points to bring concerning the desired health advantages of every of the areas,” explains board-certified family medicine physician Dr. Laura Purdy.
These spiky mats can feel intense while you begin using them, but we’ll outline ways to make the treatment as comfortable as possible and offer options that concentrate on various concerns.
Keeping scrolling to examine out the most effective acupressure mats as an at-home acupuncture treatment, together with expert info on the advantages of using one and what to search for when purchasing the suitable one on your needs.
The Best Acupressure Mats of 2022
Related: The 50 Best Wellness Gifts to Help Anyone Unwind and Get Their Zen On
Unmera Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set
Best Acupressure Mat for Beginners
- Size: About 28 inches long by 18 inches wide
- Advantages: Pillow treats neck tightness and headaches, and the mat aids with tense muscles and chronic pain
- Materials: Linen, coconut fibers, and buckwheat husk filling
- Special features: Different sting rankings can be found to customize the intensity
- Warranty: No
- Pros: Gentler spikes than other options
- Cons: For those who prefer a unique intensity level, you’ll must exchange the mat
Acupressure mat rookies could also be surprised at the extent of intensity you’re feeling while you lay on the prickly points. In case your pain tolerance is on the low-end, this selection is a superb start line — the brand offers three different intensities (the oat-colored mat is the gentlest). The set features a separate acupressure pillow and mat, so you’ll be able to ease yourself in by targeting your head, neck, or back, then work your way as much as a full body session.
What Reviewers Say: “I used to be pleasantly surprised how comfortable I actually felt laying on it. The little pressure ‘nails’ pushed into the areas that I needed, and inside 20 minutes, I began to feel relief. I even have been using this now for nearly a month, almost nightly and I like it! If other pain relievers haven’t tried the trick and also you were hesitant to go for acupuncture, do that first.”
ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set
Best Acupressure Mat for Full Body Relief
- Size: About 25 inches long by 14 inches wide
- Advantages: Helps relieve chronic pain
- Materials: Cotton and foam
- Special features: Packs in nearly 8,000 acupressure points
- Warranty: Yes
- Pros: Included head pillow that may be used to focus on smaller areas of pain
- Cons: Points may feel uncomfortable on bare skin
For those who’re after muscle or pain relief, start here. Over 28,000 shoppers award it five stars, and it’s also doctor-approved. “I like this set since it features a pillow for the neck in addition to the mat for the back,” Purdy explains. “Neck pain and back pain often go hand-in-hand, and so treating each areas concurrently could be more more likely to have a greater response for individuals who experience chronic neck and back pain.” The set is available in a variety of colorways and features a storage tote, too.
What Reviewers Say: “My husband often gets stress induced back pain and random back pain from a automotive accident that happened over 10 years ago. He’s found that using these mats really helps him release the stress and calm down and helps significantly with the pain. He’ll often stand on it while watching television, lay on it on the ground or in bed and he’ll even go to sleep on it. I personally still find them painful to make use of and may’t use it without wearing socks while standing or a shirt while laying down. But my husband has no problem using it without socks or a shirt.”
WTHN Acupressure Mat Set
Best Acupressure Mat for Rest
- Size: 16 inches long by 9 inches wide
- Advantages: Softens stiffness and provides headache relief
- Materials: Coconut fiber, cotton, and linen
- Special features: Memory foam pillow and carrying case included
- Warranty: No
- Pros: Sufficiently small for travel
- Cons: Thin mat may feel intense for sensitive users
Recent York City acupuncture studio WTHN is all about making the concept of acupuncture accessible and comprehensible — so it’s no surprise that their acupressure mat knocks it out of the park. The mat’s acupressure points are arranged tightly together across the mat, so that you’ll feel consistent pressure across your body whilst you calm down on it. We also like it for its size: The thinner padding rolls up nicely for travel and storage.
What Reviewers Say: “Lying with my lower neck, shoulders, and upper back on the pillow for five to 10 minutes every morning before getting up relieves me from morning stiffness and back pain from watching a pc screen all day. Overall the mat set helped improve my posture, too.”
Shakti Acupressure Mat Original
Best Acupressure Mat for Anxiety
- Size: About 35 inches long by 24 inches wide
- Advantages: Higher sleep and fewer muscle tension
- Materials: Organic cotton and dyes
- Special features: Handmade in India
- Warranty: Yes
- Pros: Durable spikes that don’t dull with use
- Cons: Carrying bag sold individually
This mat is the priciest option on our list, but the corporate’s devotion to using high-quality materials and its philanthropic arm make it well well worth the few extra dollars. Reviewers tout this mat’s ability to assist you calm down from head to toe, helping you achieve higher quality sleep at night and decreased anxiety throughout the day. The brand donates 10 percent of their profits to charities which were vetted for his or her effectiveness, supporting a variety of efforts to fight malaria, provide access to education in underprivileged communities, support rainforests, and far, far more (the brand discloses more about their donations on their site).
What Reviewers Say: “My Shakti mat has turn out to be a mainstay of my self-care routine. I take advantage of it before bed while I read to wind down. I’m sleeping more soundly and my body feels far less tense. Being more relaxed has positively impacted my mood and overall stress levels. I’m definitely a convert.”
Bed of Nails Acupressure Strap
Best Acupressure Mat for Travel
- Size: 5 inches long by 9 inches wide
- Advantages: Wearable option
- Materials: Organic cotton and recyclable plastic
- Special features: Velcro strap permits you to wear it while multitasking
- Warranty: No
- Pros: Less intense than traditional acupressure mats
- Cons: Smaller treatment area than full mats
Although this selection isn’t a conventional acupressure mat — you wrap it around your required treatment area as a substitute of laying on top of it — you’ll get similar advantages to the complete body options. The spikes will feel gentler, too, since your body weight isn’t pressing onto the points as they do on traditional mats (to extend the feeling, simply lay down on a firm surface while wearing it). It’s great for on-the-go, or for the restless types who wish to cook dinner, make amends for work, or tidy up while having fun with some relief.
What Reviewers Say: “My Bon strap is at all times with me. It’s compact enough to suit neatly in my bag and thin enough that it’s discreet once I wear it on my lower back. Once I feel migraines coming on it’s my go to. I pop it on and let the magic occur.”
Kanjo Acupressure Cervical Traction Wedge Pillow
Best Acupressure Mat for Neck Pain
- Size: 14 inches long by 6 inches wide
- Advantages: Relieves neck pain, tension headaches, and migraines
- Materials: Cotton, linen, and BPA-free plastic
- Special features: Memory foam core
- Warranty: No
- Pros: Special shape that targets the neck and shoulders
- Cons: The pillow’s firmness may be uncomfortable for sensitive necks
Our necks are notorious for pinching pain or dull aching that may crop up from seemingly nothing. For those who’ve been there, you already know those aches may be disruptive (and morph into other plights, like tension headaches). This specially designed neck pillow dissolves tension inside a number of minutes: The sculpted divot targets acupressure points in your neck and extra spikes release tension throughout your shoulders and upper back. Many reviewers note that it helps them manage migraines.
What Reviewers Say: “My neck extension feels so a lot better with this wedge pillow. The acupuncture takes some getting used to but I could lay on this all day. Very relaxing.”
Byriver Acupressure Foot Mat
Best Acupressure Tool for Foot Pain
- Size: Various options available
- Advantages: Helps with plantar fasciitis
- Materials: Jade and foam
- Special features: Removable knobs and adjustable strap
- Warranty: Yes
- Pros: Sandal-style design permits you to walk around while wearing them
- Cons: May not accommodate particularly small foot sizes
Acupressure mats are for greater than sore backs and achy necks: The soles of our feet are home to multiple acupressure points which are presupposed to help reduce stress, improve digestion, and enhance your sleep quality. Beyond those advantages, these knobbed slides also alleviate the pesky heel pain that comes with plantar fasciitis, or tension from plenty of walking or standing. For less pressure, slip right into a pair of socks before wearing them.
What Reviewers Say: “I even have had ongoing issues with my left foot for over 2 years which led to ankle and knee problems as well. Plantar fasciitis would pop up about yearly and take months to resolve. I even have had these sandals for 3 days and have worn them for quarter-hour per day as really helpful and my plantar fasciitis pain is 90% higher. I like to recommend these to anyone. Even when you don’t have direct foot pain, by correcting the feet, it’s going to translate up the body.”
CXCTCT Extra Long Yoga Acupressure Mat Set
Best Acupressure Mat for Tall Shoppers
- Size: About 48 inches long
- Advantages: Treats whole back and neck
- Materials: Cotton
- Special features: Includes acupressure pillow and two roller balls for feet
- Warranty: No
- Pros: Efficient for treating multiple areas directly
- Cons: The increased length will not be matched with increased width
For those who’re over six foot, you already know that finding wellness accessories that suit your construct can often fall short. Smaller mats require you to segment out your upper and lower back to completely treat each area, but this one earns high marks since it’s lengthy enough to focus on the whole thing of your back in a single fell sweep. The pillow is an additional advantage; you’ll be able to step on it to release tension in your feet or follow its traditional use: softening a tense neck.
What Reviewers Say: “This can be a wonder employee! It loosens you up, warms you up, calms you down, and almost at all times puts you to sleep. We stay on the mattress for five to 45 minutes depending on what we’re needing.”
The Advantages of Acupressure Mats
- Soothing tight muscles: Acupressure can assist manage acute pain, like a tweak in your neck or a knot in your shoulder, by increasing circulation to cut back stiffness. Even only one session can deliver relief. But what’s much more promising is acupressure’s ability to assist relieve chronic pain. When paired with other physical therapy techniques, acupressure has been shown to assist with improvements in lower back pain.
- Higher sleep: We all know that quality sleep has far-reaching advantages for our bodies (there’s a strong correlation between poor sleep and health concerns like depression and coronary heart disease). Burgeoning research shows promise for acupressure’s ability to facilitate higher sleep in older populations. Try laying in your mat for five to 10 minutes before bed, working your way as much as longer sessions to reap the acupressure mat advantages.
- Migraine management: Migraines are a debilitating health concern — when you struggle with them, you’re probably open to absolutely anything to assist manage symptoms. Acupressure is one avenue to try for relief — the modality can assist manage migraine-related nausea. A 2017 study also showed that one month of acupressure treatment is simpler in reducing chronic headaches than one month of muscle relaxant treatment.
- Improved mental health: Each Auth and Purdy agree that acupressure can assist you manage stress, depression, and anxiety with regular use. A 2022 review supports their thoughts, finding strong evidence that acupressure is effective in reducing depression and anxiety in patients with depressive symptoms.
- Potential advantages: Purdy notes that acupressure may help with lymphatic drainage, stress management, arthritis, and fatigue. Auth also notes that regular use can bring about increased energy — she recommends using a mat weekly or every day for 10 to half-hour per session.
What to Search for within the Best Acupressure Mats
- Size: Most mats are about two to a few feet long. They’re smaller than a conventional yoga mat, but this permits you to zero in on treatment areas by lying in your back or your sides or standing on the mat for foot-related relief. For those who’re on the taller end, you’ll desire a longer mat so that you don’t must segment out your treatment to cover one area.
- Materials: The softer the filling, the less intense the acupressure will feel. Most are about one to 2 inches thick. This permits you to lay the mat on a soft surface, like a mattress or a couch, to reduce the intensity or apply it to a firm surface to extend the pressure.
- Variety of points: Generally, the more dense the points are, the less pressure you’ll feel. For those who’re a beginner, search for options with tightly packed points. For those who’re after firm pressure, go together with one with fewer points, spaced further apart.
- Added attachments: To make your acupuncture mat a one-stop shop for pain management, search for mats that include add-ons like acupressure pillows. These pillows can assist with neck pain but in addition double as lumbar pillows for a mild pressure in your low back.
Use an Acupressure Mat
- Select your surface: That is arguably a very powerful step beyond selecting your mat. What you place your mat on will significantly change the intensity level. For more pressure, place the mat on a hardwood or tile floor or a skinny rug. For less pressure, lay it in your couch or in your mattress.
- Adjust yourself: You’ll intend to make yourself as comfortable as possible — start by wearing a cotton T-shirt or thin sweatpants when you’re treating your back or legs, working your way as much as treating bare skin. Grab other props like yoga blocks or pillows to support yourself as you get into your required position.
- Breathe deeply: When you’re in place, do your best to concentrate on respiration — the primary couple of minutes will feel intense, however the relief will come. Pop in a pair of headphones and switch in your favorite podcast (or higher yet, cue up a meditation app to advertise more rest). Try to remain still for five minutes, then assess when you can hold it out for longer. Work yourself as much as a ten to 30-minute session.
Do Acupressure Mats Really Work?
Each of our experts agree that yes, acupressure mats do work! More research is vital to back up a number of the claims you could see from different brands, but there’s promising research for his or her ability to assist in stress management, higher sleep, and improvement with mood disorders like depression and anxiety. You’ll likely notice muscle rest first, with other advantages trickling in as you utilize the mat frequently.
Are Acupressure Mats Protected to Use?
Most persons are good candidates for acupressure mats: The most important acupressure mat side effect you could experience is redness within the treatment area. “Acupressure could be very low risk,” says Purdy. “That being said, those with certain chronic diseases equivalent to cancer or heart disease should check with their specialist before doing acupressure.” Auth adds that acupressure mats shouldn’t be used on open wounds. For those who’re expecting, you’ll also want to examine together with your doctor before use.
Meet the Creator
Claire Sullivan is a contract beauty author based in Recent York City. She spent six years writing and editing on staff for Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings, most recently covering the beauty beat for each brands. Her background in food writing translates to a no-nonsense approach to wellness, skincare, hair care, and makeup: In her eyes, it’s all about technique and ingredients. Claire likes to turn expert advice into easy steps that encourage you to present your beauty routine a makeover.
Meet the Experts
Dr. Shari Auth DACM, LAC, LMT is the co-founder and Chief Healing Officer of WTHN. As a licensed Acupuncturist, Board-Certified Herbalist, and a number one holistic health practitioner in NYC for over twenty years. She has developed offerings tailored to the masses alongside Michelle Larivee. Together they’ve created WTHN, the inclusive NY-based wellness studio making traditional Chinese medicine more accessible for all.
Dr. Laura Purdy is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician who has been featured in Vogue, on Fox News, ABC, NBC, and NPR (amongst others) because the nation’s leading authority and thought leader on the longer term of digital healthcare. Dr. Purdy’s in-depth digital health expertise comes from greater than a decade spent providing and directing primary look after a whole bunch of 1000’s of patients of all ages, from all walks of life.
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