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.
