Finding The Best Leg Massager
Leg massagers are intended as a home use remedy for those who are looking for some needed relief from problems related to the muscles and nerves in the legs.
Especially when it comes to more seriuos injuries, going to a professional massage therapist would likely be the best form of treatment.
However, as an alternative, there are good reasons for using a leg massager for stimulating and loosening tight muscles as well as improving circulation, and reducing the amount of lactic acid build up that often causes you to feel achy.
It is suggested that seeing a doctor to discuss more serious condtions is a wise course of action. This discussion relates to general treatments to common issues.
Whether you are a young athlete who has gone for a personal best and is now realising the consequences, a store assistant who spends all day on their feet or an elderly person with limited mobility, a leg massager will be of use to you.
It will help to stimulate under-used muscles as well as relax overworked muscles. Whatever your age, a leg massager can help alleviate your troubles.
What are Leg Massagers For?
In a general sense, leg massagers are for anyone who may be suffering with issues caused from muscle fatigue, poor circulation, chronic venous insufficiency, and the every day wear and tear of walking, standing, running, or even sitting too long. Leg massagers ar designed to target specific areas of your legs including your quads, hamstrings, thighs, and cavs.
Depending on the type of device you choose there are pros and cons. Some require a wall outlet power source and set up, while others are as simple as a stick that is easy to store and carry with you. The purpose of the leg massager is to manipulate the veins and muscles in your legs to move the blood around and prevent ‘pooling’ as well as to reduce the amount of lactic acid trapped in your muscles.
Leg massagers are particularly useful for older people who struggle to move about so much and may develop leg ulcers as a consequence of sitting still for long periods of time. While leg ulcers will often heal on their own, a leg massager can reduce the time taken to heal quite significantly and will also alleviate some of the ache in your muscles. Continuing to use a leg massager after the ulcers have healed has in some cases helped to prevent further ulcers developing.
Leg massagers are available to buy online and over the counter but there are some much stronger massagers that can only be prescribed by a doctor. The amount of pressure you require will depend on your symptoms, but often a regular leg massager will do just the trick. Of course, it goes without saying that you should always consult your doctor if you sense serious problems with your legs.
How do Leg Massagers Work?
Most leg massagers work to acheive similiar results but each method will vary in its effectiveness. For common injuries like tight muscle strains, you may choose to apply physical force like a rolling and kneading action to help soften knotted areas. For conditions like restless leg syndrome relief, leg edema, swelling on leg and feet, using heat and air compression methods have proven to be an effective treatment.
Manual leg massagers are as basic as a roller stick in which you apply pressure to the affected area by means of a rolling action similiar to the way a baker uses a rolling pin to knead dough. These can work to help relax and soften muscle tissue while helping to encourage circulation. One benefit to this treatment is that you are able to control the level of intensity on your own. A leg roller massager ball can also be a gentle way to relieve trouble areas on the surface by rubbing and rolling its built in sphere to loosen tight & strained areas.
Leg compression machines on the other hand will require you to put your legs and feet into the massager and wrapping the rest of the device with its velcro straps around your leg, similiar to the way a blood pressure cuff is used. When you turn the machine on, the multiple air pockets will build up pressure around the affected areas and subsequently release the pressure in cycles in order to stimulate blood flow and nerve activity. Many of these types of leg massager can also be used on your arms as well.
The most comprehensive of the two desribed above is the air compression leg massager. It's as easy as strapping your legs in, choosing a particular sequence setting, and allowing the massager to do its work. These are extremely effective as the pockets fill with air thus squeezing each part of your leg. It can feel a bit restrictive but the benefits include the releasing of lactic acid and increased blood circulation. These are ideal for the elderly and anyone who might suffer from restless leg syndrome, lymphedema, and other associated leg issues. For full leg and foot coverage, it is recommened to consider using a foot and leg massager which also incorporates foot treatment.
Which Leg Massager is Best for Me?
Choosing the right leg massager will greatly depend on your specific leg issues and the severity of your condition. There are a few different options available on the market and while they all look fairly similar there are some subtle differences to take note of to get the best fit and massage.
For casual use and convenience, a manual leg massager will do the trick. Alot of times these are small to use and take with you vitrually anywhere. These do require you to perform the massage yourself unless you can convince someone to help you out in the hard to reach spots. These little devices can surprisingly provide quick relief when you are in a fix.
Assuming you are looking into an air leg massager, most will come with 3 grades of intensity, usually classed as low, medium and high. Thus allowing you to find the appropriate level of pressure according to how you are feeling. For example, on some days, you may be feeling particularly sore and want just a gentle massage, but a few days later, you may be feeling better and want something more substantial to accelerate your healing process. You may also have a threshhold when it comes to the squeeze you can handle from these machines and may choose milder settings.
Amzdeal Leg Massager
This cuff-style leg massager can be used on your calves or arms and emulate the style of a hand massage, using pulses of air pressure. It is fully adjustable so will fit any arms or legs, even if you are particularly swollen. This style is great for users who want to reduce swelling in their legs and improve your circulation.
As this leg massager comes with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, you can take it anywhere and enjoy 2 full hours of leg massage before you need to recharge. This is ideal for people who are working and on their feet all day as it means that you can take your leg massager to work and use it on your breaks to help relieve any built up tension.
The Amzdeal leg massager also comes with 3 different levels of pressure: low, medium and high. It also has 2 modes of operation: you can choose your favourite type or alternate to target specicfic areas of your calf muscles. This machine will run its cycle for approximately 15 minutes before automatically shutting off. Find customer feedback or purchase it now.
Loozys leg air massagers
Specially designed for the lower calf, this leg massager is ideal for people with poor circulation in particular. Poor circulation often results in multiple symptoms presenting themselves, and this leg massager has been designed to help alleviate them all from fatigue to aches and twinges.
This leg massager is also good for people suffering with swelling and has been designed to ensure that you can customize the settings in order to get the most comforting massage. For people with conditions such as lymphoma, leg ulcers and neuropathy, this is a huge advantage because you can choose more gentle settings as you ease your aches and pains. You can also choose which mode you would like, either manual or automatic.
If you are planning to use your leg massager long term, you will definitely like that Loozys leg air massagers are made using basketball grain PU leather, making them incredibly strong and durable while being able to mould to your leg. Plus, the velcro straps are adjustable so you can ensure a perfect fit every time.
Again, this leg massager is run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and can run for 2 full hours between being plugged in. The battery pack also means that you can take your leg massager with you wherever you go. Find it on Amazon now.
Fit King leg massagers
The Fit King leg massager is a boot and leg massager but it is no less adjustable than any other cuff-style, with several points for adjustment. To put it on, you can use the adjustable tabs to fit the massager comfortably over your calf and feet; they are fixed with velcro. Again, there are 3 different intensities and 2 modes to choose from so that you can create the perfect massage for your needs.
Interestingly, it seems that leg massagers are particularly good for people who suffer with both fatigue and insomnia and the Fit King leg massagers are perfect for improving both these symptoms. As the air fills the pockets in the massager, it boosts your circulation up from your feet. And, since the only thing you are using is air, the leg massager is ideal for everyday use. You can set the air pressure to your own liking.
Not only can this leg massager cover your calves and your feet combined, but is very adjustable to fit many shapes and sizes of people. The straps can be set to fit a maximum calf size of up to 26 inches or 66 cm.
The FitKing air compression leg massager is built to last and is backed by a 2 year warranty in which you can ask for after purchase servicing for peace of mind. It is also very easy to set up and get started with attachments to from the remote to the device and a power source.
As they come with a mesh plastic bag, you can take these leg massagers out with you, but you will need to plug them in to use; and is powered by DC12V/1A adaptor that fit standard outlets. Check out customer reviews on the Fit King massager.
NURSAL leg air massagers
If you are looking for multi-use leg massagers then you should definitely consider NURSAL as this massager can be used on your arms, calves and feet - albeit not all at the same time! As you can move the massager around, you can focus your massage time on a particular problem area if you want to, using 1 of 3 air pressures, low, medium or high. The traffic light system of green, amber and red will give you an easy guide to show which pressure you are using at a glance and allow you to increase gradually.
Air massagers like NURSAL are great for treating a variety of muscular aches and pains. It uses a pure copper pump to ensure the best massage experience. This is an important feature as it helps people who are suffering with fatigue and pain as well as help to improve circulation and prevent muscular spasms.
Unlike other air massagers which often cut off at 15 minutes for safety reasons, the NURSAL will continue to massage for 20 minutes, giving you a little more time to enjoy your massage. The company recommends that you use the NURSAl for between 5 - 20 minutes twice a day for the best results. And as this model plugs in, you won’t need to worry about charging the batteries, just plug in and relax Price check on Amazon.
Naipo Leg massager
This boot and leg massager will cover the entire area from the bottom of your knees to the tips of your toes. A user friendly, simple design with just two adjustable tabs, one that fits over your feet, the other wrapping around your calf. However, the technology at work is not so simple and provides a highly therapeutic and effective massage.
The Naipo Leg compression massager uses cyclical air pressure to gradually and very gently massage your legs, relieving aches and pains while boosting your circulation and removing lactic acid. This is ideal for people who are particularly uncomfortable and would like to try a new type of leg massager.
When choosing this type of leg massager, make sure to it will fit you comfortably. The Naipo compression leg massager is designed to fit a person with a calf circumference from 15 inches to 21inches and a foot size of approximately 11 inches. Set up and use is quick and easy.
The ergonomic design is also a notable feature as the fabric is both durable and dirt-proof making it easier to clean should you need to - just wipe it down. The velcro can be fixed quite easily, giving you plenty of flexibility for the right fitting. There are 3 settings to choose from and 2 modes so that you can find the best massage for you and alter the intensity to suit your needs. The design is corded, so you will need to plug it in.
Physix Gear Sport Muscle Roller Stick
If you are looking for a cheap, effective, and convenient way to work out the kinks in your leg muscles virtually anywhere, this muscle roller stick is the solution. For those who live an active style whether running, cycling, or having to be on your feet all day, lactic acid can build-up and cause spasms and cramps. Using this effective massage stick can help release tension from those trouble spots while encouraging good circulation and possibly offering you better night's sleep.
Break up muscular adhesions, myofascial stiffness, knots, tight muscles, shin splints and even plantar fasciitis by applying the 7 individual thermoplastic spindles which roll independently, hugging and relaxing your leg muscles and feet. There are 5 different colors to select from.
Solidly built with a nearly unbreakable stainless steel core, moulded snub handles giving you a firm grip while you grind away. Unlike some the cheaper plastic versions of this massage stick, this one will not drive you crazy making a squeakng sound. Read Physix Gear reviews.
MOR2U Muscle Roller Stick
Probably one of the greatest advantages of using the MOR2U massage stick is that it can effectively reach and stimulate deeper tissue due to its 78 spiked foam roller that helps relieve tension at the trigger point, compared to flatter muscle roller sticks. It's design is based on an actual user experience feedback survey as the product was being developed and improved.
This is a premium massage roller due to many of its well thought out features such as its one-piece molding which means there are no seams that will pull or clip your hair. It is extremely strong but also flexible because it is made of high-density EVA materials. This also makes it easy to clean with water. According to studies it is also non toxic to your skin.
Weighing a mere 1 pound and 21 inches long makes it extremely portable and still a little longer than some of its competitors. The extra length gives you the advantage of reaching not only your legs but also giving you access to the neck, shoulders, arms, glutes, and thighs. Not to mention its handle also acts as knot remover in hard to reach places like your back. Click here for more details on the MOR2U.
Some Concluding Thoughts to Consider
Now that you have seen 5 of the best rated leg massagers, you will hopefully have a much better idea of what you can get, how your symptoms can be relieved and what sort of leg massager might be more appealing for you. However, you should also consider how much you are willing to spend and how you will benefit. There isn’t actually a great deal of difference between the best models, but it is worth checking if you had a price in mind.
Finally, while leg massagers are completely safe to use and they are only using air compression to treat your symptoms, you should always follow the instructions included in the manual and consult with your doctor about treating your symptoms and preventing them reoccurring. A leg massager is predominantly a way to relieve symptoms and should be used as a complementary method where necessary.
A leg massager is an ideal way to help reduce symptoms such as swelling, leg ulcers, fatigue and circulation, and the right one could make a huge difference to your life and recovery.