I must admit, I have been going through kind of a transition lately. I need to start experiencing new ways to deal with old issues, as I hesitate to deem them issues of becoming old. What I mean to say is that the tried and true remedies for that which ails me are no longer as effective as they used to be and have become rather medically prohibitive from a cost standpoint. Keep in mind this is just in regard to relatively normal wear and tear on the body over time. Nowadays most of us try to stay healthy in our own ways. I myself try to eat better than worse, exercise semi-frequently (as my busy schedule permits), but it’s not like I can just throw in a massage, chiropractic or acupuncture therapy session for everyday aches and pains. And, yes, they are getting kind of everyday these days.
Enter the Spoonk.
So when a friend of mine told me about her Spoonk mat and how much she loves it, I figured “sounds a bit trendy to me, but what the heck- why not try it!” She seemed rather eager to bring it over for me to experience the next time we met up. When that time arrived we went about our usual business for short a while. However, it wasn’t long before she was all ready to pull this thing out for me to assess. And I do mean thing. She apparently enjoyed my reaction which was an obvious mixture of surprise, dismay and fascination. She explained how it was formidable looking but actually didn’t hurt once you got used to it. Such warnings don’t generally fill me with too much confidence. The mat was a little over two feet long and about a foot and a half wide with a red canvas material, studded with white plastic disks that were uniformly distributed each covered with small spikes that protruded concentrically around the center. She moved her hand across the surface as if it were soft, only betrayed by a slightly mischievous smile aimed at the expression which I likely had on my face. Somewhat mercifully she advised me to be careful and not to make any sudden movements so I would not be injured. In turn she assured me it was quite capable of breaking skin in the case of carelessness. Considering myself forewarned, I proceeded with a heightened sense of caution and awareness.
Well, being the adventurous soul that I am I was willing to attempt to lay on the Spoonk mat, not forgoing a considerable amount of mental and intestinal fortitude, coupled with some initial figuring, countered by appropriate circumspection. It was all a bit unsettling, prickling up my back as I laid myself down on the mat. But once flat on my back it really wasn’t bad. It did not feel very sharp at all. Surprisingly my weight was well distributed across the virtual surface. To my chagrin I actually started to get comfortable and began enjoying it…
It was then when my friend informed me it worked best on bare skin. I considered the implications, alternatives, and potential outcomes, leaving me to ask, “okay… so what, I should take my top off?” She confirmed my unlikely conclusion emphatically. I don’t think I was as comforted by her assurance as she intended, given what I was preparing to do. In the moment I was just a little bewildered by how willing I was to throw caution to the wind, disrobe from the waist up and lay on a veritable bed of nails. “All in the name of research,” I rationalized with myself.
So there I found myself bare backed and laying on this thing, somewhat pensively, but then relaxing bit by bit. Well isn’t this something! Not bad, feels almost good, starting to feel really good. Yeah, this is… nice? Well how about that! It’s actually pretty nice. Not exactly cuddly nice, but it was kind of invigorating. A spread of warmth passed through me, and like I sometimes feel when mediating the throb of my pulse in various places in my torso became rather pronounced to my senses. I started to feel like dormant channels in me were open, joining and realigning themselves throughout my whole body.
I probably could have stayed there a while, but figured that wouldn’t be too much fun for my friend, watching me zone out. So before drifting off, I cautiously sat up with surprising ease, and detached myself sort of like the velvet half of Velcro leaving the hooked side, (thankfully without the ripping sound). So for a first run we will call this a success.
Satisfied with her results she left her spoonk to me so that I might try it out some more, telling me that she was going to get another for herself. In all kindness I cannot thank her enough, even though I have not used it regularly yet, I have had it out quite a few times, and am just getting familiar with the different ways it can be used. I felt near immediate relief on my feet, and lower back just from standing on it for only a few minutes. And although it is sort of counter-intuitive the spikes while not exactly comfortably pressing on the less muscled parts of my back seemed to do the most good for me overall there. Of course, your results and preference may vary.
My friend has since tried to convince me that sleeping on the Spoonk is the best. Although I have not had that pleasure myself, the transcendental euphoria and relief it provides is quite enjoyable, I simply have not been able to let myself go to that extent. It seems to get me too energized in an almost state of ecstatic stasis, sleep is not a likely result for me. However, I can use the Spoonk to relax myself, and then go to bed without it resulting in better sleep than I can ever recall, and waking much more energized.
Regularly using an acupressure mat is reported to have a wide range of health benefits:
- Improved sleep
- Improved quality of relaxation
- Improved energy levels
- Increased circulation
- Relief of digestive discomfort
- Relief of back and neck pain, muscular tension, general aches and pains
- Reduced stress
- Reduced fatigue
Spoonk also seems to be an effective aid for Fybromyalgia
Some of these effects apparently arise because the body responds to the acupressure by releasing endorphins and oxytocin (pain relieving) hormones in the body. The other thing it appears to do is to prevents the skin from being compressed and suffocated by distributing pressure between the numerous points thereby vastly improving circulation to the surface.
The Down Side
I hesitate to criticize this device in consideration of its innovative approach. So were I to indicate anything that would detract from it’s apparent benefits i would have to offer the following. Personally, I would have liked it to be a bit longer, and for the record I am not very tall. Maybe it would be nice to have it working more on the glutes along with everything else, or even just the upper portions or sacroiliac a bit. In my experience this far, that would probably be a serious upgrade since I like how it works on the main ganglia nodes just off of the spine.
Conclusion
Otherwise, this review is pretty simple: if you have minor aches and pains or are in late recovery from something more severe, and you cannot keep up with regular acupuncture, chiropractor, or massage appointments as much as your general condition requires, as a matter of cost in time or money, the Spoonk is not just a stop gap, it will lower the necessity and frequency of those visits and you’ll feel much better in the meanwhile.
Avoid, or be careful, when using the Spoonk mat if you:
- Have a known heart condition
- Suffer from epilepsy or similar condition
- Have open wounds, sores, or skin condition
- Are a child under 7 (unless supervised by a responsible adult)
- Are pregnant
- Have high or low blood pressure
Details:
- The Spoonk mat is 27.5″ x 1″ x 16.5″ and weighs just 2 lbs.
- It’s made in the United States, from 100% cotton and CertiPur-US ECO-foam.
- The plastic nodes are made from recyclable, non-toxic ABS plastic.
Spoonk also:
- Has a 30 day money back guarantee.
- Wraps up nicely and compactly and hardly weighs a thing.
- Comes in a more Eco version, made from a blend of organic hemp and cotton.
- Comes in a variety of colors and sizes.
The construction is unique, a strange fusion of industrial plastics and otherwise creature comfort coziness, but sturdy and obviously resilient overall.