Most of us suffer occasionally from “muscle knots” in the back, strictly “myofascial trigger points”, maybe caused by digging in the garden or lifting something heavy or turning awkwardly etc. In these cases the muscle contracts and doesn’t release. I got one last night after spending a few hours working at a table with an airbrush.

These knots can last a few days. Icing, electrotherapy & massage work to release the stress.But what if you can’t get at them or there is no-one around to help?

A tennis ball suspended in a an old pair of tights or vegetable net and hung over your shoulder and down your back is very useful for accessing these knots. Leaning back against a wall will allow you to position the ball exactly. A tennis ball has just the right circumference and stiffness to allow you work most those knots outs or take the worst out of them until it’s time for your regular massage to address them properly…

(Lying on the tennis ball on the ground will work as well but you won’t be able to complete the same range of movement around the knot.)