Review: TheraCane

TheraCane

One Liner: Persistent sore muscles/trigger points and no one at home to work with them? Get a TheraCane.

Overview:

The TheraCane is one of the best pieces of gear that I own. Not so much for training purposes but rather for helping out with recovery.

This oddly shaped device effectively allows you to reach and work out trigger points and sore muscles all over your body, in effect letting you be your own massage therapist. It's a relatively simple matter to get home from class and spend 5-10 minutes going over any sore spots with this thing while you're waiting for dinner to cook.

The design of the TheraCane is such that you can choose from a couple different methods of working on a given spot each with different pressures and degree of control. The nubs in the center, for example, can be used to put a lot more pressure on your lower back than the ball at the end of the curve, which is easier to change angles of pressure with.

There is a bit of a learning curve to this thing, though. I've met some people who only use the one point at the curve, which is helpful, but missing out on some of the more useful parts of the product. If you do pick one up, spend some time with the manual to figure it out properly.

As cool as the TheraCane is, I do have to say that I've found the good ol' tennis ball and foam roller combination much more effective for working my feet and legs. However, nothing beats the TheraCane for the upper body. I even prefer it to most of the massage therapists I've been to.

The Good:

• More convenient and the hell of a lot cheaper than a trip to the massage therapist*
  
  
• Hits just about any upper-body spot that I've had trouble with.

• Quite a conversation starter.

The Bad:

• Ideal for upper body, not so great for lower body. Despite the manual saying that it can work on my feet, calves and thighs, I've gotten better results using either a foam roller or tennis ball on those bits.

Recommendation: I've saved myself a lot of hassle and pain by using the TheraCane on my back and neck. Despite the learning curve, it's been well worth the money, especially if you've been throwing money at a chiropractor.*




* This is not to say that the TheraCane can replace competent/trained help in all situations. But once you learn the difference between what requires a trip to the massage therapist and what the TheraCane can handle, a little diligence and less than the cost of a typical half-hour massage session will save you many half-hour sessions' worth of $$$.