So when I found out about
this acupressure mat, and saw that it promised to address all my woes (and then some!) from the comfort of my home, I knew I had to give it a try.
Lists of the things acupressure mats can do are a lot... Lying on one for 15 minutes a day with bare skin can help fibromyalgia, varicose veins, systemic muscle tension, generalized aches and pains, and stress in general, according to Robert Doane, clinical director of Modern Acupuncture. The mat's needle-like projections gently stimulate the sensory nerves all over your back, legs, and arms to flood your bloodstream and pain receptor sites with endorphins and enkephalins, decreasing pain, increasing blood circulation, and ultimately relaxing you.
Acupressure mats aren't
exactly like doing acupuncture: unlike acupuncture, the mat's needles don't puncture the skin, so the effect is more general than the targeted one that you'd get with acupuncture, but they both
do use point stimulation to help the body heal itself naturally.