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Lynx Portable Back Stretcher
$129.95
Here's my two cents worth. I've had back problems and had worked with chiropractors for 5-6 years (50-75 visits, have 2 as friends). One vertebra in the center of my back is out of line and may never be right again. L4&5 are a mess too. Was told my bike riding and kayaking days were over. Tried looking at inversion machines, etc. but this stretcher was light, easy to store and portable. With it I was able to manually stretch out my spine gently easing the compression that caused most of my problems. It took about a week before I made any progress, but gradually my back started to loosen up and I could feel movement as I used the stretcher. Now I also rock it back and forth pushing down with one hand and then the other to free up my hips and a pinched nerve there. I use it about one a month now just to keep from getting a stiff back. There are no back problems any more and all for the price of a couple of chiropractor visits. I now can take long walks, ride my bike for miles with the wife and get out kayaking anytime I feel like it. If I notice any discomfort, I stretch out when I'm done and every thing is fine.

I've had friends try out the machine and two have purchased their own. One is a medical doctor who works as a physical therapist. She felt the traction effect the first time she tried it and said it made her back feel good. Go ahead and buy one. Go easy at first, apply gentle pressure, and don't be surprised if you don't feel anything at first. I gained all kinds of flexibility and lost my aches and pains. For $99 I got a large portion of my life back again.

Arched Back Lumbar Stretcher Extender, Model# 83-4866V
$40.00
I've always been very flexible, but since entering my 40's (and getting lost) I've experienced several back episodes. Chiropractic services have helped (mildly and for a short while) so I got this in-house rememdy based on reviews. Pro's: It's a quality product, robust, and appears that it will last with repeated use. Con's; So would a nice firm pillow. Don't get me wrong, I use it, especially after long days in the office. But all it does is apply a hyper-arch through the lumbar curve into the thoracic curve. It doesn't perform any magic function such as "stretch" the spine; indeed it causes posterior compression of lumbar disks when used as instructed. What it does do is serve as a firm base to relax the erector spinea (back muscles), whereupon an individual can exercise some limited hip and upper back manipulations familiar to anyone who's been to a chiropratic office. So go ahead and buy the product; I'm not mad that I did.

Body Back Buddy: The Sport Pain Reliever Self Massage Tool
$39.95
I recomend this self massger over some of the others available because of the extra knobs on the unit. I am a former massage therapist and know the proper way and place to put pressure. This does not come with any directions on how to use it, you just have to experiment with it and figure out what feels good. It does get to spots you can't get to on your own normaly if you don't have some one to massage your back for you. It also feels really good on the feet. There are two kind of knobs on this one is round and one has a sharper point to get more intense pressure. I gave it a 4 and not a 5 stars because it doesn't come with any directions. A video would be even better.

DaVinci Tool Soft
$24.95
I don't usually post reviews but I just had to sing the praises of this massage tool. I have the theracane, which is also a wonderful invention, but I have a hard time getting the proper angle and leverage for two of my worst trouble spots - the base of my skull and right behind my shoulder blade. It took a little experimenting, but I'm able to reach everywhere with this, including some knots in my face that I didn't even know about. To answer some reviewers' complaints about the lack of a manual, I agree with the makers that this tool's effectiveness is really all about you learning how to use it for your particular needs. For instance, I tried to replicate the picture of the woman using it behind her shoulder blade and it didn't do anything for me... but I changed the angle and positioning and got it to go exactly where I needed it. Even better is the fact that my hands/arms don't get tired like with the theracane, since I'm using my body weight to apply pressure to my trouble spots.

I bought the hard version of the DaVinci tool (the blue one), and I'm glad I did. I've had moderate/severe bruxism for years (nighttime teeth grinding/jaw clenching), and that makes for some tough, persistent muscle knots. I think the red version would have been too soft for me.

This is a great little tool. My only regret is not buying two of them - I keep "losing" it... mysteriously I keep finding it sitting on my husband's desk. Hooray for tools that work!