Shaped like a rolling pin, the roller massage sticks are getting their dues these days. They have grown in popularity because they simply work. Who would this best fit? Someone that likes to get a deep tissue massage into their lower body. We mostly see runners or weight lifters or anyone that uses their lower bodies a lot. Although it’s not as easy to target specific trigger points or muscle knots, the deep tissue massage effect more than makes up for it.

This consists of a roller that you can hold on each side. Kind of like a hand held foam roller. The premise is that you find tight and painful muscle and roll over it using your hands. You can vary the pressure you apply. At first it doesn’t really feel like it’s doing anything. I originally thought it didn’t work. But do it for a bit and you’ll soon start seeing some benefits, like less muscle pain and more relaxed muscles. I don’t know whether it increases blood flow but I do feel warm and light after using it.

PROS

The stick is really great for the lower body. You can use it on your thighs, calfs, iliotibial band, etc. I find that runners get the most benefit out of this tool. Its not very useful for the arms or shoulders, although I can sometimes do pretty good when I roll it over my neck. Just be careful not to apply too much pressure or else you’re going to get a kink in the neck.

CONS

Its pro is also it’s con. Its hard to hit any other body part well. They do show how you can hit the low back but I just find that its sometimes hard to do, especially if you have limited mobility in your shoulders. Not that easy to reach back and roll down your back, unless you get someone else to do it.

Designed mostly for a deep tissue massage and doesn’t really work well on single trigger points or muscle knots. With a foam roller, you can lie down and hold a trigger point. Not as easy to do with a massage stick like the Tiger Tail.