As promised, below is a personal critique of a Pressure Point Massager  I recently bought from the Self Care Catalog.  I am very pleased with  the results.  The catalog description is as follows:  	The Pressure Point Massager is an aggressive physical massager  	that actually kneads the tension out of muscles ... much like a 	professional shiatsu masseur.  The powerful motor drives two 	counter-rotating "thumbs" that move in one-inch orbits -- 	releasing tension in the neck, back, legs and arms.  	Pressure Point Massager    A2623   $109  To order or receive a catalog, call (24 hours, 7 days) 1-800-345-3371 or fax at 1-800-345-4021.  ******** NOTE: When I ordered the massager, the item number was different, and the price was $179, not $109.  When I received it, I glanced thru the newer catalog enclosed with it to see anything was different from the first one.  I was   QUITE annoyed to see a $70 difference in price.  I called them about it, and the cust rep said that they had switched manufacturers, although it looks and works exactly the same.  He told me to go ahead and return the first one and order the cheaper one, using the price difference as a reason for return.  In fact, since the newer ones might take a while to ship from the factory (I received this one in 3 days), he told me I could  use the one I already have until the new one arrives, then return the old  one.  VERY reasonable people. ********  I have long-term neck, shoulder and back pain (if I were a building, I  would be described as "structurally unsound :-) ).  I have stretches  and exercises to do that help, but the problem never really goes away.   If, for whatever reason, I do not exercise for a while (illness, not enough time, lazy, etc.), the muscles become quite stiff and painful and, thus,  more prone to further strain.  Even with exercise, I sometimes require  physical therapy to get back on track, which 1st requires a doctor visit  to get the prescription for p.t.    The tension in my neck, if not released, eventually causes a headache (sometimes confused with a sinus headache) over my left eye.  When my  physical therapist has massaged my neck, and the sub-occipital muscles  in particular (the 2 knobby areas near the base of the skull), the  headache usually eased within a day, although it hurts like hell to  while it is being massaged.  I ordered this device because it seemed to be exactly what I was wishing someone would invent --a machine that would massage, NOT VIBRATE, my  neck and sub-occipital muscles like my physical therapist has done in  the past, that I could use by myself.  No doctor visit or inconvenient  p.t. appts for a week later would be needed to use it.  I could get up  in the middle of the night and use it, if necessary.  I have been using it for about a week or so now, and LOVE it.  The base unit is about a 14" x 9" rectangle, about 3-3/4" high, with handles on each side, and it plugs into an average outlet.  The two metal "thumbs" are about  1-1/2" in diameter and protrude about 2-1/2" above the base.  The thumbs  are covered with a gray cloth that is non-removable.  They are located more  toward one end, rather than centered (see figure below).  They move in  either clockwise or counter-clockwise directions, depending on which side  of the switch is pushed, and are very quiet.  It can be used from either side.  For instance, the thumbs can be positioned at the base of the neck or the top of the neck, depending on which direction you approach it.                    _______________________________                 |  __    _______________    __  |                 | |  |  |		|  |  | |                 | |  |  |  \^^/   \^^/  |  |  | |                 | |  |  |   ||     ||   |  |  | |                 | |  |  |		|  |  | |                 | |  |  |_______________|  |  | |                 | |__|			   |__| |                 |_______________________________|   For the neck/head, the user varies the amount of pressure used by (if  laying down) allowing all or part of the full weight of the head and/or  neck to rest on the thumbs.  The handles can also be used if sitting or standing, applying pressure with the arms/wrists.  Since my wrists are also impaired (I'm typing this over an extended period of time), and I  don't have someone living with me who can apply it, laying down works  well for me.  For my back, I sit in a high-backed kitchen chair, position the massager behind me at whatever point I want massaged, and lean back lightly (or not so lightly) against it.  The pressure of leaning back holds it in place.   If I want to massage the entire spine, I simply move it down a few inches  whenever I feel like it.  For my back, this machine is far superior to use  than the commonly used "home-made" massager of 2 tennis balls taped together  (with the balls, position (against a wall or door) them over the spine and  move the body up and down against them).  The tennis balls are better than  nothing, but difficult to use for very long, especially if your quads are  not in good shape, and my long hair gets (painfully) in the way if I don't  pin it up first.  As far as I'm concerned, the easier something like this  is to use, the more likely I'll use/do it.  If there are multiple  considerations/hassles, I'm more likely to not bother with it.  Not only has this machine helped with my headaches, but my range of motion  for my neck and back are greatly increased.  The first time I used it on my neck/sub-occipital muscles, however, I overdid it and pressed too hard against it, which resulted in a very tender, almost bruised area for a few days.  I laid off it for about 3 days and applied ice, which helped.   After that, I was more gradual about applying pressure.  At this point,  the pain in the sub-occipital area is now minimal while being massaged.   I also learned to use VERY LIGHT pressure on my lower back, which is the  most vulnerable point for me.  It also eased some painful knots of tension between my shoulder blades, although, again, it took a few days of massaging (just a few minutes at a time) to really work it out.  I highly recommend this product if you have similar problems, although I cannot vouch for its durability (it seems pretty sturdy), since I've had it such a short time.  I plan to use it not only to ease tension, but also  to loosen the muscls BEFORE exercising (and maybe after, too).  I have been ill recently and not able to exercise much for a few weeks, so this  was very timely  for me.  This is the 1st product I've ordered from this company and only recently became aware of it thru a co-worker.  The catalog states they have been in business since 1976.  It contains quite a few health care products and, while they appear to be more expensive than the average health care catalog products, they also appear to be of much higher quality with more thought put into what they actually do.  Definitely a step above some other ones I've seen such as "Dr. Leonards Health Care Catalog" or "Mature Wisdom". I'm only 37, but have ended up on some geriatric-type mailing lists (no big surprise here :-) ).  I consider many of those products to be rip-offs,  particularly targeted toward the elderly, with dubious health benefits.  I apologize for the length of this, but it's the kind of info _I_ would  like to know before ordering something thru the mail.