The Backpod - Premium Treatment for Neck, Upper Back and Headache Pain from Hunching over Smartphones and Computers. Great for Costochondritis, Thoracic Motion and Perfect Posture.

I bought the Backpod to help with upper back tightness and poor posture from spending long periods sitting at a computer, and it has been a worthwhile addition to my routine. The design is simple but effective, providing a focused stretch across the upper back and chest areas that are often neglected. After regular use, I noticed reduced stiffness and improved mobility, particularly after long periods of sitting. The build quality feels excellent, with a firm but comfortable shape that provides support without feeling unstable or flimsy. It does take some time to get used to, especially if you're particularly tight or inflexible, but following the instructions and using it consistently helps. The compact size makes it easy to store and use at home without taking up much space. A well-made and effective tool for improving thoracic mobility, relieving tension, and supporting better posture as part of a regular stretching routine.

At first sight the Backpod may seem a little expensive for what it is, but after trying out all sorts of cures for Costochondritis I decided that for less than the cost of two physio sessions I would give it a try. I'm extremely glad that I did as it has helped me enormously. A little bit of background ... I'm a 58 year old female. All my life I have kept myself fit and healthy. Before November 2016 I was a regular at the gym, where I did a variety of strength and aerobic based exercises, I was a keen hill walker and led an active lifestyle. In November I went to my GP complaining of pain below the left rib cage. Over the course of several months gastric or heart related sources of the pain were ruled out through various tests (ultrasound, chest X-ray, ECG) and various painkillers were prescribed, which didn't really get rid of the pain and some had unpleasant side effects. Finally in May 2017 I was diagnosed with Costochondritis. I was advised not to lift or stretch and to rest as much as possible. I hadn't heard of Costo before, and neither had family and friends, so I started researching on the internet. I tried various recommended lotions and potions and various things like anti-inflammatory diets, and exercises, which didn't seem to give much relief to my pain. Not wanting to aggrevate my condition, or have any setbacks, the Backpod appealed to me as I could take things at my own pace. I started using it daily in July and it has certainly helped to free-up my ribcage. You simply position it under your back then lie back on it, starting with three pillows under your head, and over the weeks progressing down to zero pillows. It's September now and I have reached zero pillows in nine places on my back for a minute at a time. This means that the maximum time spent is less than ten minutes a day, which anyone could easily fit into their daily routine. Over the weeks I've looked forward to using it for the relief it gives. Don't expect results if you don't persevere every day. After this week I'll be using it for weekly maintenance only. I'm not 100% back to normal but I feel that massive progress has been made and I feel very positive that things will continue to improve. For example, as pathetic as it sounds, a few months ago I couldn't slice bread, chop veg, lie on my side, reach up, carry even the smallest weight, walk with arms swinging or drive without instant pain; now all of these things are possible. I'm extremely grateful to the New Zealand inventor of the Backpod, Steve August, for his helpful advice and encouragement, both before and after I purchased it. He suggested that a combination of Sports Massage treatment with the Backpod would be a good combination. He was right. Steve has made YouTube videos about using the Backpod (it also comes with a useful instruction booklet too) and his explanation of Costo makes sense to me.

OK here is the data. I am a 67 year old man with disc, stenosys and also upper back problems. Probably down to a career of 40 years sitting badly in front of a TV screen. Tried almost everything and found things that do work or at least help significanty to reduce discomfort and pain. The backpod is one of those. It appears to be expensive for what it is but if it reduces my chiro visits in one year by 2, it has paid for itself. While managing long standing lower back issues which I have had for many years, I started to develop upper back issues just a couple of years ago. Probably again down to posture issues. Pain between shoulders and pain in ribs or intercostal muscles. Very stiff around arms and shoulders. If you try the backpod, use it regularly and monitor your pain. Give it a few weeks. Initially it was very painful and I could only anything for short bursts. Now it is much less painful and in fact seems to provide immediate relief if I get the previous aches. It really is just a sophisticated version of the tennis ball fix to apply pressure to muscles in spasm. However it is easier to place, and adjust and covers a greater area. One tip I can provide for a 'mini' version of a backpod session. If you have a high backed chair which reclines, position the backpod on the affected muscle and reach arms up and stretch backwards reclining the chair and increasing pressure of the backpod. My upper back pain has significantly reduced, directly attributable to regular use of the backpod over the last couple of months. If you have experienced relief from chiro putting pressure on muscles in spasm, this will probably work well for you and be solely within your own control and management. Thank you to the designers. It works well for me and is a permanent fixture in my batch against back problems.

I bought this a couple of weeks ago and have used it daily. I have a mild scoliosis and muscle tension along the left side of my back. I have used this every day now a couple of times a day and can lay on it for 10 minutes or so with my head on the floor, - no pillow needed. It seems to have stretched out my back and has relieved quite a lot of the tension that builds up over the day in my back and around the ribs. Sometimes, I use it after I have been sat at my desk for too long hunched over typing and when I lay on it I can feel the vertebrae moving around inside. When I get up I feel like I have had a treatment. It is good, it is a lot of money but it's good, it's the right sized and smooth to lay on.

Ive suffered from costocondritis for 10+ years, and a real tenderness pain in my rib area,and area which i couldnt never bear to touch due to the feeling of uncomfort it caused. It wasn's a strong pain, but I would find it very uncomfortable to lie on my front on surfaces which werent especially soft. The doctor told me to take ibuprofen for a month, but the costocondritis never disappeared, and it was only more recently when I woke with a real pain on both sides (my costocondirits has only affected one side) -I thought I need to research what I can do. I found a video on Youtube suggesting this, and when I looked I was slightly taken a back by the price of what looked like a rubber egg, but I took the plunge anyway as I really wanted to get rid of this problem. I used the backpod as soon as it arrived, for 1 minute each time in about 5 different positions on my upper back,and after a few days felt there was a difference. I have used it on and off for about three weeks now, and have to say that I can't feel the costocondritis at all -its almost like its totally disappeared. Its strange for something that has been with me daily for over ten years to be completely gone, and I have only been using it for three weeks so am interested if it will return at all, but so far so good! It not the most comfortable thing to use,but you do get used to it, and only use it for 5 minutes in different positions each day so its worth it. Have also noticed it helping with my bad posture after each use. I highly recommend this, even if you are put off by the price - I was sceptical but I am so happy I gave it try!

Don't bother for the price. Used once and it is so uncomfortable and difficult to use. Thrown into the back of the cupboard.

I purchased this out of desperation. I was diagnosed with costocondritis in May of this year after about two weeks of feeling pain in the middle of my chest. I heard about this on YouTube and purchased immediately despite the price. It is amazing. It worked just as promised and it’s very simple to just use during the day. My costo cleared up within a couple of weeks after daily use of approx 10-20mins sometimes spread between two or three sessions a day. I’m still using the pod even now just not on a regular basis. It’s a great product to use to open up your chest area if you’re feeling any pain or restriction here. I’ve heard that you could also use a couple of socks rolled into a ball or even a tennis ball and get the same results. I doubt this because with the pods shape it easily aligns with your back bone and the shape allows you to stretch your back allowing your chest to open up.

The Backpod has worked quickly for my costochondritis pain, and I can highly recommend it for that. Even though It is very well made and has obviously been well thought out, I think it's about twenty pounds over priced. The seller sent the manual/instructions all in German, so a fail there for sure, and I thought the packing wasn't much good. So one star for the seller. Fortunately there is a video on Youtube showing how to use the Backpod, which is most helpful.

So, the BackPod is basically a piece of hard plastic covered with a piece of softer silicone. On the surface, it is extremely expensive for 2 pieces of plastic. Due to an old but serious injury, I have a lot of tension in the middle of my back between my shoulder blades. My chiropractor can never adjust this part of my back given the tension that's built up over the years. I hesitated to buy the BackPod but decided it would be worth the price if it provided even a little bit of relief. And, wow, does it ever feel awesome. It is like receiving an acupressure treatment. My body relaxes and opens up. I get a zen-like feeling. It is extremely relaxing and pain relieving. After several weeks of use, I have been able even to adjust my own back, and when I go to the chiropractor, he's been able to get a lot more motion in that part of the spine. I use the BackPod whenever I start to feel the tension start to build. It provides an refreshing relief after prolonged computer use, so I reward myself for working hard by taking 15 minute breaks on the BackPod. It also really opens up the chest and has improved my posture. Combined with sessions on a Concept2 rowing machine at the gym, my posture is overall quite a bit better and I feel generally much better. So the price is quite expensive but the therapeutic benefits definitely make it worthwhile for me. The only negative I can say is that my wife, who has a problem around her scapula and shoulder, tried it several times, which resulted in dislocated some back ribs and causing quite a bit of pain. She had to go to the chiropractor to have those ribs set back in place. So my experience has been extremely positive but my wife won't go near it again. I really do think it comes down to the individual and their underlying condition. That said, I do recommend everyone with back pain to give it a try at the very least.

I've been suffering from extreme thoracic and cervical pain for 5 years. I got this 5 days ago and my pain is significantly decreased. Turns out my incredibly tight and stiff thoracic was the main cause of my neck pain (despite many bulges in my neck). Also the numbness in my hands that I wake to every morning has noticeably decreased too. It remains to be seen if the changes will continue, but it is certainly positive so far. I highly highly recommend this this if you're suffering from pain in the cervical and thoracic spinal areas

I’m really enjoying this. I have mild scoliosis and bulging discs in my neck and lower back. Sometimes my back just feels like someone needs to step on it to crack it or get rid of the pain. This product takes away that feeling. All I do is place it on the floor or a yoga mat and lie back on it. It’s so easy to use and has a comfortable shape to lie on. It’s small enough to pack with you on a trip. It can be used for different parts of your back as well.

I used this to solve chronic shoulder blade pain / costochondritis, after numerous manipulation adjustments by chiropractors and manual therapists failed to resolve my rib cage restrictions. (which by the way have cost me a lot of money.) I have used tennis balls, foam rollers and other tools prior to the Backpod but for me the tissue around the joints on my back really only started to loosen up once I started using this tool, although it took a while. This also meant that this tool was quite uniquely capable of heavily reducing accumulated kyphosis (rounded back) for my posture in general because of the effect it has on the tissue (which I think is fascia? I am not sure.) After lying on the backpod for extended periods I noticed a severely stretched mid-back which made me temporarily feel like a plank when I stood up, revealing a tightness I didn't even know was there. It feels like that stretch you do right after you wake up but then way more intense. I also feel like sharing after years of suffering from back pain that joint manipulation by practitioners is especially valuable when the injury is fresh, however, for a chronic issue manipulation alone is rarely enough. Nobody told me this until I dived a lot deeper trying to solve my thoracic problems mostly by myself, which unfortunately was necessary as the healthcare system (at least in Europe but I think everywhere) is far from perfect. Be wary of chronic manipulation plans. The Backpod is a valuable, unique tool and I am a big fan! Communication with Steve August (the creator of the Backpod) also did help me with some great advice and I thank him for his help. Thanks, Steve! Bless you

I'm truly disappointed that I didn't discover this incredible product sooner. For six long years, I struggled with costochondritis, attempting every medication available without any success. However, after just one day of using the backpod, all my pain vanished!. Highly recommend it to anyone battling with similar issues.