Still pt. Inducer, Relieving Headaches, Helping Reduce Stress

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'm an LMT of 7 years and I originally got this for myself but occasionally bring it into my massage studio & will use it as a "neck pillow" during 90 min treatments or shorter 60 min treatments(esp if I've used a hot pack while my client was prone on the table) to "expand" the relaxation of the experience as well as to get a deeper release in the cervical spine, which is a common major "complaint" area for most LMTs' clientsIt may take some folks a little while to get used to the 'positioning' of the still point inducer as some may be experiencing more tension or restricted fascia/tissue in their neck shoulders and head which may make initial use a little uncomfortable at first or just a nagging sensation that the positioning is just "not quite right" though I recommend leaving it alone after a few adjustments and just letting your head + neck gradually ease control and sort of "settle" or rock into position; indeed if you do feel a sensation- even if it feels like you are "making" it happen- of rocking or floating from side to side, GO with it. That is absolutely the effects you're looking for when using this kind of product and it may take a few gradual hit/miss tries before you feel like you're really using the product correctly, as intended.It certainly works for me, many of my clients who have little to no experience with craniosacral massage(which is a "still point inducing" modality) certainly seem to like it. It definitely HELPS loosen stubborn chest/throat congestion(= great for smokers or folks trying to quit, but hacking up lots of mucous upon waking).Now that I'v gotten used to it, I use it to help me transition from thinking to sleeping(I'm a chronic insomniac) and I have enjoyed a lot of help regaining "control" from early AM panic attacks by using this at the initial signs of stress