OPTP PRO-Roller Soft Density Foam Roller – Low Density Soft Foam Roller for Physical Therapy, Pilates, Yoga Foam Roll Exercises, and Muscle Recovery - Pink 36" x 6"

The media could not be loaded. Great for managing back pain. I mostly have pain in my upper back and behind my left shoulder (thoracic spine and trapezius muscle). I'm usually hunched over a laptop. It makes sense to use something to stretch my back the other way. First, I tried a cheap foam roller from Target. It was hard and painful to use. I saw that this brand, OPTP, had good reviews and was recommended by chiropractors. It is expensive, but my back was bothering me so much that I figured it was worth it for my health. After using it for three months, I'm glad I bought it and do recommend it.How I use it? I place it on the floor perpendicular to my body behind my upper back. My hands are behind my head with my elbows almost touching (This is key. I will get more relief this way than if my elbows were to the side). With my feet flat on the floor, I lift up my butt and start rolling up and down between my neck and lower back. Sometimes, you will hear cracks right away. Other times, you will need to push your back down on it as you roll. If you have long hair,remember to tie it back or it will get rolled under like the first time I used it, lol. Same reason you want to tuck in your shirt too.How often do I use it? I usually like to use it after I've gotten out of bed, after I've been sitting or on the computer for a while, andbefore bed.How soft is it? It's firm enough to provide relief during the roll but not painful to use. I didn't want to get a hard roller from my badexperience with the one from Target. So based on the reviews, I chose the pink one which is supposed to be softer than the blue one. The dimensions are 35.5” long and 5.5” wide.The pain in my back is still there (does back pain ever go away?), but it's better than before I used this foam roller. I also use theAncient Minerals Magnesium Oil Ultra Spray with OptiMSM to help manage the pain. I like it so far and will review it soon.

I have suffered with back pain since an injury, 13 years ago. It has changed my life so much, I can no longer do so many of the things I used to, just because the pain is too much. I had heard of this thing called the M.E.L.T. method. (forgive me, I can't recall what it stands for at the moment) but many back pain specialists say that using a roller like this, can help back pain a lot...to the point many people have been able to live "normal" lives again. At this point, I try almost anything that I think could help me. It looks exactly as pictured here. Aside from having a hard time getting onto the floor to use it, I find it very helpful. According to the MELT method, this type of roller hit certain points in your back allowing for whole-body communication, rebalance the nervous system, rehydrate the connective tissue, and release compression in joints. I enjoy having something that I can do in my own home, to help my back pain. Running to doctors, chiropractors, and so on is not always fun to deal with. I use this for ten minutes, 3-4 times a week, as recommended. Now, if you look up the MELT method, you will see they sell their own, much more expensive version of this. I did not want to spend so much, so I looked for cheaper alternatives. I have not used the other one to compare, but I am happy with the quality of this one. It is firm enough, yet still comfortable to use. I'm happy with my purchase.

I purchased this to use with the Foam Roller Workbook. Foam Roller Workbook: Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide to Stretching, Strengthening and Rehabilitative TechniquesIt has just the right amount of softness and strength.You see, I'm not a small woman (which is a euphemism for being seriously overweight). Anyway, this roller is tuff enough so that it doesn't flatten out like those, soft white rollers do (often referred to as open cell foam rollers). That means it's firm enough to support me while doing the sitting, lying and standing exercises listed in the workbook and just soft enough to make the massage exercises at the end of the book tolerable. If you have really tight muscles, a really hard roller will hurt like hell when you try to do the massage exercises, trust me! I tried a firmer roller but the pain was so unbearable that I just couldn't massage with it which defeated the purpose.Anyway, an extra firm roller works really well for all the other exercises in the book and if your muscles aren't tied in knots or you just think that suffering is good for your soul. But for big wusses like me, I'll stick with the OPTP Soft Pro-Roller. It's not too hard, not too soft, but just right! Now, I just need to find 2 half rollers like this one and I'll be in foam roller heaven.

I saw this specific roller recommended on a fibromyalgia website, and it got good reviews on Amazon even though it's not from a fancy yoga or Pilates brand. Glad I ordered it -- it's exactly the right firmness and diameter and it seems quite sturdy. I have used a ton of different rollers over many years of taking Pilates at different studios, and this is the kind I have always liked best.I have two other rollers: a Melt roller that is quite soft and a little smaller in diameter, and a white dense foam roller that is bigger in diameter. With my musculoskeletal and myofascial issues, I find that each roller has individual benefits for my different needs. This OPTP-PRO roller is exactly the "just-right" middle-ground (in terms of firmness and diameter) -- it will be good for rolling out my IT bands, hamstrings, and shoulders. The Melt roller is too soft to do much good there, and the firmer white foam roller is way too hard, especially for IT bands!