Still pt. Inducer, Relieving Headaches, Helping Reduce Stress

It is an amazing thing, it deeply releases the tissues and relaxes the body.

I started having constant sinus headaches and neck pain about four months ago. I'm not sure if it's allergies (I'm an avid gardener and this year I had a big crop of pollen-crazy sunflowers) or related to spinal issues (I was born with Spina Bifida) but it started getting so bad that it was constantly distracting me from pretty much everything. One night my husband rubbed the back of my head a tiny bit to see if that would help the pain and I noticed that pressure on the back of my skull totally helped to relieve the "pressure" of the pain. I decided to order the Still Point Inducer and see if using it daily would help.The model I got looks exactly like the product photo, except it's much larger than I expected. It's firm, solid foam and withstands tremendous pressure. From some of the reviews I was scared it would be hollow or flimsy and, therefore, not provide enough pressure. However, unless your head is made out of lead, it's pretty durable and I can't see it buckling at all.It took a few days to get the positioning right and I throw a towel over it so that my head doesn't slide around on it. Eventually I placed a thin, hardback book under it (I use it on the carpeted floor of my bedroom so the book provides not only stability but an extra "boost" in getting the position/pressure right). After finally finding the right spot, I realized the power of this thing- I can really tell that it's making a difference. My headaches have pretty much disappeared. If I have a rough day or am hunched over a lot at my desk, the pain will come bak, but it's nowhere near as intense.I really knew it was working when I went on vacation and stopped using it for the week I was out of town and my headaches came back almost instantly. Now that I'm home and using the Still Point Inducer again, they are gone.I don't think it's some miracle product because the neck pain shows up every so often, but it definitely reduced my headaches. I use it 15 minutes a day, and that seems to do the job. It doesn't do much when I'm lying on it (neither good nor bad- doesn't hurt or feel fabulous, just sort of like a lumpy pillow...), but when I get up I can feel my head tingle and get cool and then warm, and my body relaxes quite a bit. I can't describe it very well, but it's doing *something*.If you are suffering from sinus pressure, headaches, or neck pain, I would really recommend giving this a shot. Like I said, it's not a miracle product in that it's not "INSTANT PAIN RELIEF AND BLISS" or anything, but it does seem to relieve some of the discomfort.

I could have put 5 stars but since I just got it today and tried it right away, I think I should just give it 4 stars for now. I'll update positive or negative in the future as I plan to use it everyday or several times a day.I've had pain in the back of my neck area for 20+ years - some call it a stress headache - but I just considered it pain that never goes away and my Ostepathic Doctor recommended Cranio-Sacral Technique with a Physical Therapyst. Since I couldn't find one that took insurance, I did an internet search for this technique to see what it was.... Also, another reviewer had said he looked at videos on Youtube.com. I found two Youtube videos were on this product: Still Point Inducer... although couldn't really see the placement well..... Then I watched several videos of Physical Therapists doing the technique so I got a fairly good idea. It seems just like light massage under the skull.However, I first read up to page 5 of the reviews to get feedback and tips and plan to read the rest later. I'm glad I did as I will explain one tip that really helped. ... Note: I found the material this is made of just right. It's heavy/sturdy rubber, not slippery or squishy as some said...One helpful reviewer said she found a thin paperback book to place under this and it helped.... I wanted to use it on my bed - rather than floor.... First I tried a thin plastic cutting board, but that didn't work at all as it tipped and slipped right off. ... Then I could feel that, after placing it under the skull as described in the written instructions, that it tipped towards my shoulders - which was not right. ... So I went and got a thin paperback book, as recommended, and covered it with a dishtowel so it wouldn't slip..... I soon realized that I should only place the book under 1/2 of the device (the part closest to my shoulders) so it balanced and didn't tip.... That worked perfectly!It would have been more helpful if there were a diagram as to where to place it, but the written instructions were very detailed.... It took a little experimenting for a few minutes, but I think I got it in the correct place. (Not to put on neck, but to put on the bony part of the scull - which was counterintuitive to my pain area... But I wanted to make sure I didn't do damage to the nerves in my neck.) I noticed that one reviewer said she had optical problems on one eye after use so that made me more careful.There is a relaxation CD that is made up a short introduction cut and 8 short different relaxation sounds - totaling just over 20 minutes. The cuts go from one into the other without a break which was good.Perhaps, because I have fibromyalgia, I felt the device pressing into my skull a little painful... but no pain no gain sometimes. So I relaxed into it for 20 minutes until the CD stopped. (I'd be afraid to fall asleep on this and wouldn't recommend that for anyone in case it slipped down to the neck.).When sitting up, I felt a big rush of circulation going through the area that had been targeted - not really tingling. It was a little scary but I expected it from the reviews. It's been about 15 minutes and I can still feel pressure in the area but I think it is helping. I feel like holding my head up and shoulders back better.... so I have hopes that it will relieve pain. Right now I feel the residual pressure rather than pain.... so that's good.I'll update if I have more info to add later.