Using Hot-Cold Massager Technology for Pain

Do you ever have a pain in the neck or sore muscles from being too ambitious with your new workout regimen?  How about a pulled nerve or tired feet?  My lower back is sore every once in a while and usually I just deal with it or take some motrin.  I recently was sent the Wahl Hot-Cold Massager and I couldn’t wait to try it on my back.  I read about it on the Internet first and thought, OK, that sounds cool.  The picture of the Wahl Hot-Cold Massager looked relatively small online.  I thought it would be a fun gadget to have around if anyone in the family had sore muscles, but I really didn’t have high expectations.

Let me tell you, I was so surprised when the Wahl Hot-Cold Massager arrived.  First of all, the box was 2-3 times larger than I thought it would be.  The massager itself is about 15 inches long, with the head  being about 6 inches wide, but it has a tapered handle that is very easy to hold in your hand.  The picture above gives you a good idea of the size compared to my phone.  The massager was designed to be longer, to help with those harder places, like your mid-back.   But all of this was nothing compared to the amount of power that it has in its massaging capabilities.  This Wahl Hot-Cold Massager packs a lot of intensity into its massaging, I was very surprised.  And I love the fact that it incorporates both hot and cold in the massage.

I remember when I got into a car accident several years ago.  A car hit my car hard from behind.  I went to a chiropractor for months afterwards.  My chiropractor had all sorts of gadgets and machines to help my neck, shoulder, and back pain.  But my favorite technique was the hot massager device he used.  It felt so warm and really penetrated my skin down to my muscles.  Now I have one of my own.

The Wahl Hot-Cold Massager comes with 2 intensity settings:

1. Gentle for a soothing massage
2. High speed for deeper muscle penetration

And three temperature settings:

1. Hot – to help increase circulation for muscle recovery
2. Cold – to reduce muscle swelling and inflammation
3. Neutral – no temperature adjustment for simple massage

I just got back from a trip to New York City.  It was a long flight, over 5 hours, and we landed at 1 am in the morning.  My back was sore from sitting the whole time.  I used the deeper penetration setting with the hot temperature (which goes up to 130 degrees).  It felt great, it really did, and I loved the warmth of it, especially with as cold as it’s been lately.  The cold temperature setting gets down to 48 degrees.  I tried it, it really cools down your skin.  I can see using it more right after an injury for reducing muscle swelling and inflammation, when one of my children have a fever, or to cool down in the Summer!

To further adjust the Hot-Cold Massager, you can add any one of four attachable heads:

1. Smooth – great for using the hot/cold functionality for  massage
2. Kneading – has large raised bumps to help with deep massage
3. Raised bump – a bunch of rigid small and large bumps, designed to simulate a kneading, rolling massage
4. Ripple wave – includes circular rings to create a wave-like massage for large surface areas

My favorite is the Ripple wave massage head.  It rotates smoothly on my skin and helps to relax my muscles.  I read too that temperature massage can help people with blood pressure, reducing anxieties, and helping with relaxation.  And it’s a lot cheaper to use this massager than go see my chiropractor again!!!

Pros:

•  The electrical cord is 9 feet long, which is nice to reach the plug…from your sofa!
• The hot/cold feature is the only way to go with a hand-held massager, they add an extra element of healing
• It comes with a number of different heads, to assist you with whatever is aching you – sometimes you need a light treatment, sometimes a more thorough one
• The price is reasonable
• Wahl  has been around for nearly 100 years, pain management and massage is something they have a lot of expertise on

Cons:

• it’s a little noisy, but I can hear the TV just fine

The Wahl Hot-Cold Massager can be purchased from Amazon  for $52.96.

A Mom’s Perspective

My kids everyone once in a while tell me that their thighs are killing them.  I find out that it’s usually because of a game they played in or PE they did at school and they overstretched their muscles.  I can’t really offer them much except to tell them the pain will last for a few days.  As Dr. Mom, I always like to have some sort of solution, even if it’s a placebo, to make them feel it will get better.  Now with the Wahl Hot-Cold Massager, I can effectively begin treating their muscle soreness.

I grew up using heating pads when things hurt.  And heating pads still have their place.  But with having the ability to heat an affected area with a penetrating massage helps deliver relief faster.  According to research conducted by Harris in 2013, 85% of Americans experience muscle or joint pain, most often in their back, shoulders or neck, and joints.  In fact 75% of people reported experiencing pain in three or more places.  Not surprisingly, the leading contributor of neck pain is…technology related…texting.  I know what that feels like!

If you’re looking for a present that’s a little different this year for someone else…or even yourself that is also very practical, the Wahl Hot-Cold Massager would definitely be appreciated.  The Wahl Hot-Cold Massager isn’t something you’ll use everyday, but believe me, when you need it, you’re really be glad you have one.

What affected area would you use the Wahl Hot-Cold Massager on this gives you the most trouble?

*  I received a Wahl Massager product for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media.  All opinions are my own.