IMPRESABack Pod Upper Back Stretcher 2-Pack for Spine Decompression - One Size - Thoracic Pillow & Posture Corrector - Thoracic Arch Support & Pain Relief

This set of two is less than one backpod. I see a DO for manipulation on my neck and mid-back. He recommended daily use of a foam roller to loosen and work out the kinks. The foam roller certainly takes up more space, I keep one in my family room and one in my office. When I saw this available, I figured I would give it a try. The instructions on the back of the box missed one important step - it talks about removing pillows, but not about first placing the pillows. So I did watch a how-to-use video on the backpod… the pillows you stack under your head and remove one as you build a tolerance to the stretch.After one use, my back felt the same release it feels with the foam roller. There is discomfort and I heard some cracking in my back - same as the foam roller. Different from the roller, it is slightly harder to move up and down placement along your spin. It has a tendency to get stuck on my shirt fabric and wants to cling, so I have to much more deliberately sit up a bit and shift on the floor. What I appreciate is the better stretch in my chest, as I can open up more, than on the foam roller. I also appreciate this compact size. While this won’t replace the foam roller, for other stretches, I think it has the potential to be my main mid-back/upper-back stretching tool.

Stretched but too painful using device.

These are so hard, they hurt my back instead of help to stretch it!!

I ordered this item because I have had back issues for a very long time now, so I am always curious to try out options to get help. However, the instructions (printed on the bottom side of the box) were rather minimal for me, especially for a product that is meant for body manipulation.That's what I figured out after some search, and I hope it might be helpful to people considering it. This item seems to be a knock-off of a product called Backpod, which is also sold on Amazon (for a bit over double the price, taking into account that the package of the Impressa product contains two items, not just one). The Backpod seems to have a pretty big following and is being recommended for a condition called costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage holding the ribs to the sternum) and something that the inventor of the Backpod calls iHunch - in a nutshell posture issues in the upper spine because of looking at that cellphone, or laptop, too much. Now, if you just do a search on Google, and more importantly, YouTube (maybe start there, there are a couple of podcasts that talk about Backpod that are worth listening to) with these keywords, you will find enough information not only on how how to use this thing, but also how to integrate its use in a more comprehensive exercise / stretching program to help your upper back. There is a surprising wealth of information online.Now, I don't own the original, so I cannot say how the Impressa version compares to it. All I can say is that the Impressa version is pretty hard, and it can get you sore. It is important to follow the recommendations, at least in the beginning. The way I use it: I first place it between my shoulder blades, and lay on it, using a pillow (instructions will encourage you to use two in the beginning) to support my head, and I lay on it for 30 seconds, before moving it up and down to catch different parts of my upper spine. I bend my knees so that it takes the pressure off my lower back. Then I will move it to the right, roughly 2" from the spine, to stretch the ribs - again, up and down to catch different areas. Repeat on the left side. It adds up to around 10 minutes with some breaks (and because my counting is hugely imperfect). Don't take my word for it though - search YouTube for the videos I copied this routine from. For comfort, it is recommended to start with two pillows and maybe a towel on top of the egg-shaped thing to make it a bit less hard, but I didn't feel like I needed the towel (except maybe the morning after the first day I used it). I usually do this routine at the end of my workout, so my muscles are warmed up at that point.Does it work? I certainly hope so, but if your shoulders happen to be stiff (hint: they probably are) it takes time for them to relax - an estimated 3 weeks of daily use based on what I learned while researching this product.So far, I am pretty happy with this product, even though, well, only time will tell if it's really working. From the perspective of someone prone to "iHunch" it's worth a try. The four stars are reflective of both my hope that it will work and my disappointment with the minimal instructions provided - and having to rely on the (graciously plentiful) information on a competitor's product to figure out what to do with it.

My chiropractor told me to put a pillow under my upper back to stretch it, this works better. Really gives a good stretch and helps ease my sore muscles.

I used this daily for 2 weeks and noticed not difference in my posture or the curvature of my upper back. I didn't notice it hurting OR feeling good when I used it. I'm just not impressed.

I have been battling costochondritis flare-ups for the last several months. Many people have recommended that I try the Backpod. However, I simply could never justify spending so much money on a little mound of plastic. Having said that, when I came across this pair of similar devices, I decided that I would give them a try.Unfortunately, I have had no success using this device. I have followed the usage instructions to a tee, and have even watched many videos pertaining to proper usage of the backpod. No matter what I do, this device only seems to exasperate my chest pain. I have tried using additional pillows as suggested, but this too has proven ineffective. I just don’t think that this device is an effective solution to costochondritis. Based on my experience with this product, I cannot recommend it to you.