Nurses Call This Acupressure Mat ‘Magic’ for Easing Back Pain and Improving Sleep

Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

Some say it relieves pain for “close to 24 hours.”

At the end of a long day on my feet, all I ever want to do is kick off my shoes and jump straight into bed. For people whose job involves standing and walking for the majority of the work day, like nurses, I can only imagine that this urge must be a thousand times stronger. After all, the wear and tear these professions inflict on the body can often lead to chronic leg, foot, and back pain. However, instead of getting cozy on their mattress, many healthcare workers have found serious and long-term relief by lying on a…spiky mat (aka, an acupressure mat).

Acupressure, the practice of applying pressure to certain points of the body, has been used for thousands of years to ease physical discomfort. A 2021 review of multiple studies found evidence suggesting  that patients receiving acupressure therapy for back aches experienced greater pain reduction than those receiving physical therapy. One of the major draws of acupressure (unlike acupuncture) is that you can administer it on yourself pretty much anytime.

While manually targeting sore areas works just as well, tools like the ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat, an Amazon bestseller with nearly 30,000 perfect ratings, makes the process so much easier. By laying their back, shoulders, legs, or feet on the mat for ten to fifteen minutes at a time, users can massage sore muscles with the help of almost 9,000 pointed nubs designed to release tension. In addition to addressing physical discomfort, many shoppers note feeling less stress and anxiety, and consequently, the mat has become part of the pre-bedtime routine of hundreds. (BTW: Nurses compare these Hoka shoes to “walking on a cloud,” even after standing all day.)

Buy It: ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat, $26 (was $30), amazon.com

A testament to its efficacy, so many nurses (many of whom stand for eight to 16 hours a day) rely on this piece of gear for comfort. It’s a “magic mat,” wrote one nurse who once had trouble sleeping after returning home from work with tightness in their back. “You melt into it and it really is a huge pain reliever,” they added, advising new users to “just get through the first couple minutes.” Another medical worker raved that it relieves their leg and lower back pain for “close to 24 hours,” and declared it a “lifesaver.” A third agreed that it’s “so relaxing and helps with soreness” after their 12 hour shift. “At first it just feels like poking, but then it becomes a warm, relaxing feeling,” they described, noting that the sensation helps their anxiety too.

Stabilizing shoes and anti-inflammatory creams are well-known relief tools nurses rely on. However, in this ever progressing profession, there are boundless solutions for managing pain from hours of standing, including lesser-known gear like acupuncture mats. To try this fast and easy solution for yourself, you can shop the ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat for $26 on Amazon.

For more Shape news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Shape.