Millions of people suffer from unwanted muscle stiffness, pain, strains, soreness on a daily basis. The neck and shoulder regions can often get over looked or shrugged off as it’s not as common as back pain. But relief can be reached with minimal effort with massaging devices. So in order to help others relieve this awful pain I have complied a list of what I believe to be the best neck and shoulder massagers in 2016 and 2017.
After suffering from pinched nerves and stiffness for a long time due to long work hours and a job that is not easy on the body, I knew there had to be an easy fix to suit my certain lifestyle. So I went and researched 100’s of products to come down to list of just 5 suitable products.
In my reviews I have detailed specific types of massage devices/machines to assist in relieving neck and shoulder stiffness, soreness etc. I have found the best massager to suit common day to day tasks many people face. Such as massagers targeted to both neck and shoulders, the specific neck problems, the best massager suited to relieving knots in the shoulders and lastly a very cool and relaxing full back and neck massaging chair cushion/seat.
But first you can read a little more about what neck pain is caused by and whether or not it can be a serious condition. For the majority of people, neck pain is a symptom of bad posture or whiplash. So you can skip the ‘informational’ section by clicking the link below to see the best massaging devices for the neck and shoulder regions.
*Skip The Boring Stuff & Get To The Best Neck & Shoulder Massage Devices
Quick Links To Info On This Page
- 1 The Best Massager For The Neck And Shoulders Region
- 2 The Best Handheld Massager For The Neck & Shoulder Trigger Points
Is Neck Pain A Serious Issue?
While neck pain affects most people at some stage during their lives, it’s not as nearly as common as the amount of people who suffer lower back pain. Some even say, that the two pain areas are related. However, the good news for people who suffer from sore necks is that it’s not long term. In the majority of cases neck pain will heal on it’s own in days to weeks. With the addition of a neck massaging device, the pain and duration can ease.
But for the small percentage of people, neck pain can be more serious and require Medical treatment. As a rule of thumb, if your neck pain is causing you to have less feeling in your arms and legs or a sense of weakness. Then a nerve could be damaged and Medical advice is best sort after immediately.
In rare cases a painful neck can also bring on Nausea, Vomiting, fever symptoms and sudden weight loss. If you have recently discovered these symptoms along with a painful neck, it’s recommended you go to Doctor immediately. An infection or a Spinal Tumor may have formed.
What Causes Neck Pain
For the most part, people experience neck pain gradually. But there are times when neck pain is immediate due to a acute incident like a car crash. Either form of the pain is generally easy for Doctors/Physicians to determine the cause of pain.
Some of the more common reasons people experience pain in their necks are:
- Whiplash – Is commonly caused by getting hit from by behind. As your body is unsuspectingly thrust forward, whiplash can occur resulting in a painful sore neck. Whiplash can be more dangerous than just a sore neck however, as the motion may have disrupted the discs between the vertebrae or caused small tears. Joint Dysfunction is also a symptom of Whiplash which can lead to less movement in the limbs.
- Pinched Nerve – I suffer from pinched nerves in my neck and back all the time. This is when a nerve is squashed from excessive pressure form other parts of your body like bones, muscles etc.
- Sleeping Badly & Poor Posture – When you get a bad nights sleep and wake up all twisted. Then roll out of bed and can’t turn your neck. It’s pretty obvious what has happened. Pinched nerves in the neck region also occur from sleeping in a bad position.
- Falling under the category of poor posture are more day to day activities that can lead to temporary sore necks. Such tasks including; looking down at a computer when typing, playing on a mobile phone and driving. These tasks are all strenuous on the neck region.
The Best Massager For The Neck And Shoulders Region
Many massagers can reach and do an ‘OK’ job at massaging the shoulders or neck. But if you need a device that can massage both areas with ease the a wearable massager is the best option. There are a few brands that sell these awesome inventions, but there’s only one that I highly recommend. The Shiatsu Massager with 12 Nodes by SunLit Life.
Our Top Rated Shiatsu Massaging Device
Highly Recommended For Deep Painful Knots
- Extra Long Straps: Fits larger size people
- Resembles The Human Hand: The nodes massage in a similar fashion to the human hand
- Cordless: No mess, no fuss. Just Enjoyment
- Strong Sensation: Works out those stubborn knots
- Limited Settings: Wish it had more settings like variable speed control. But it does have motion control which is nice.
You may have not used or even seen a massage apparatus like this before, but let me tell you why the Sunlit Life massager is so awesome and suitable for many kinds of people. There’s 2 reasons why I love this kind of device.
- Because I can wear the massaging device over my shoulders, it’s a dream to work sitting behind the computer. Hunching over my desk with my arms pressing on the desk, my shoulders become tense and tough. So this device makes it easy to relieve the built up tension cause by working behind the desk because it can massage my neck and shoulders while I’m still working.
- For my day job, I do a lot of driving. So after a 2 hour drive my neck and shoulders become a bit still. What makes the Sunlit Life version of this kind of massager so unique and powerful is that it is cordless. So I can bring my massager with me on the road and relieve built up tension at any given time.
More About The Shiatsu Massager with 12 Nodes by SunLit Life
So thats the 2 reasons and the 2 most used places that I use this kind of massager. But what else is great or not so great about the SunLit Life massage machine. This is what I will now briefly touch on.
First of all, if you suffer regularly from knots in your shoulder and have tried numerous devices in the past, you are probably not expecting too much right now. It wasn’t until my Kids and Wife got sick of having to jam their elbows into my back to loosen up knots that I was forced to find a better solution. But this is not the first Shiatsu, nut hopefully will be the last.
Previous Shiatsu massagers would not get in deep enough to relieve the pain and if they managed too, all too often I found more bigger problems with the device. Some of the other models have smaller nodes which simply wouldn’t do the job and even cause additional pain from pinching due to the nodes being too close together.
That all changed with the SunLit Life. This one device manages to get real deep into the knots and the nodes are spaced perfectly apart. Well for my back back anyways. Previously I would encounter the unfortunate pain of the nodes rubbing into my Spine and shoulder blades. You will know it if it has happened to you. Painful!.
The Negatives:
There’s only two negatives that I could imagine anyone would find about the Sunlit Life Shaitsu Massager is that it may be too rough. This is no soft easy going machine, it will rip apart knots like theirs no tomorrow. So if you don’t like the tough massage, this device is probably not for you. Also the lack of a speed control function may be a deal breaker for some folks. See the next massage device below for a variable speed Shiatsu massager.
Should You Buy One?
There are many things I like about this device as I have already said. A few of the technical aspects I find appealing are: the 12 different sized reversible Shiatsu massage heads kneading function are amazing and can be customized to your limit of intensity, the independent directional heat is an absolute must and how this massager is 100% portable with no wires needed (Besides the initial charging of internal rechargeable batteries).
Note: Corded Version available for those that prefer to be connected to the mains.
Shoulder And Neck Massager With Heat And Vibration Alternative
Napio Massage Review – A Strong 2nd Place
The Napio is another great choice when it comes to massaging your own neck and shoulders. This is of the same high quality as the Sunlit Life model, but has a couple different features.
The Napio is the same as in it can be worn on your shoulders and used while working at the computer etc. So big thumbs up there. However, this model is a corded massager. So it doesn’t 100% suit my lifestyle due to having the cord. But many people prefer a cord over a rechargeable battery. But I do love how the cord is about 8 feet long and has a connection piece. So if you trip over the cord, it won’t yank it out of the wall or rip out the wires from the massager. But the icing on the cake is that it also comes it a 12V car adapter so you can use it in the car. Very nice touch.
Something I really love about the Napio’s functions is the ability to easily adjust the speed of the kneading Shiatsu balls. Unlike the cordless Sunlit Life, the Napio has the advantage here. By having adjustable speeds, this massager can cater to certain situations better. For example if I have a headache the last thing I want is a fast vibrating motion pounding into my neck. So with the Napio I can set the speed to slow and get a gentle slow moving Shiatsu massage.
While I generally do prefer the heat turned on when I give myself a massage, having the option to turn it off is also a great feature. There’s times when ice is the treatment and heat is not required. So having this convenient button is very handy.
In regards to Cons, I would have to say the fact the Napio only has 8 Shiatsu kneading balls compared to the 12 of the Sunlit Life model. In total there are 2 big and 2 small kneading balls on each side. Having that extra ‘mid’ sized ball does add to the life like massage effect.
Other than this minor con, I can’t complain too much about the Napio shoulder and neck massaging pad.
The Best Handheld Massager For The Neck & Shoulder Trigger Points
The Pure Wave CM7 Body & Facial Massager Review
A handheld massager is my go to option 90% of the time. They are super handy and easy to quickly get out and use. But what makes the Pure Wave CM 7 so appealing is it’s vast array of features. There’s many reasons I think the Pure Wave CM-7 is the best handheld massager for both the neck and shoulder muscles. So lets look a little deeper.
“Our Favorite Handheld Percussion Massager For 2017″
The first thing that drew me to this particular model over any other was it’s convenience of use. This handheld massager is cordless. In the past I have forever battled with the cords getting tangled in near by electrical equipment or knocking over items in my bathroom/desk when reaching over to massage my shoulders. But with the Pure Wave, it’s hassle free which immediately causes less stress on me. I love the fact this massager is cordless and uses the latest ion battery technology. These days, I only buy ion battery gear due to it’s long lasting heavy duty use appeal.
But the REAL benefits of the Pure Wave are in it’s accessories. By this I mean, the attachments that are specifically for the neck and shoulder areas. For general massaging of the shoulders, upper back and neck, the Pure Wave has a large round air cushion attachment. This massage attachment is amazing for softening up tense muscles before digging in deeper to unlock the knots. With the air cushion you start in the neck region and work your way down in a circular motion. The massager work like a Human masseuse would by pressing in and out on the larger muscles and the circular motion acts like the kneading sensation.
How To Get Knots Out Of The Shoulder & Neck Using The Pure Wave CM7
For knots in the neck and shoulder blade, this device has a ‘trigger point’ attachment. This attachment works by penetrating deep into the knot with a thumping vibration. What this does is releases the blood flow in the knot and signals the nerve so that the muscle can relax freeing the knot. To get the knot out of your back, shoulder or neck you keep the massager in the affected areas for 15-30 seconds each.
Trigger points are formed by smaller muscles getting caught up in the bigger muscles. They are commonly found along the top of your shoulder blade and run up the side of the neck. Having this Trigger attachment is simple a game changer for people who frequently suffer from knots in their shoulders.
I for one suffer many pinched nerves and knots due to the awkward positions and stretching I perform as a house painter. Knowing I can have immediate relief makes dealing with it much more easier. For me, having the cordless feature allows me to take my hand held massager with me to work, Football training, or anywhere I want basically.
There is many more features to the Pure Wave CM7 such as Facial and Scalp massage attachments which are better left to my Wife. But for me the variable speeds, air cushion and Trigger point attachments make this the best handheld massaging device for my constantly knotted up shoulders and my forever pinched nerved neck!.
Our Top Rated Neck Massager
The Complete Neck Therapy Massage
I thought I had seen it all, but technology just seems to be getting better and better. Fortunately for people who suffer from sore necks from looking up all day, hunched over the computer at work or suffer stiff necks from unfortunate whiplash/accidents can be thankful the ‘Digital Neck Massager‘ has arrived.
This device is nothing like you have probably experienced before. It’s truly amazing the amount of quality features one product can entail. Made by Massage Therapy Concepts, the Digital Neck Massager offers sessions. Just like when you see a Chiropractic or receive acupuncture, this massager works in sessions as well. The Digital massager has 15 minute intense muscle massaging and theory sessions.
What how does this neck device go about relieving sore, stiff and tired muscles?. There are a selection of different therapies you can choose from including Pulse, Infrared Heat, Vibration and Magnet therapy. All of which server a different purpose. The Pulse neck therapy massage with stimulate and increase circulation in the nerves, spinal cord etc. While also being one great way to reduce swelling and soreness in the neck. Each of these therapies offer different settings. So for example you can adjust the heat intensity or vibration intensity to suit your preferences.
What I Love About This Digital Neck Massager
As for my favorite feature, it’s a toss up between being wireless and rechargeable or the amazing vibration massaging feature. I’ll go with the amazing vibration feature as wonderful on the neck. There are 6 different vibration speed settings which are set to different Pulses, which is nice. This neck massager also acts as a Tens Machine, which for many will be a strong reason to buy. But when first using this device, I recommend starting out low and working your way up the scale.
Again there are plenty more features about the Digital Neck Massager that’s not mentioned here like the LCD remote control, voice controls etc. But they can be read on the ‘Specs’ page. Are there any negatives? Well, I would imagine folks with larger than large heads may find the device a little tight on the neck. This is hard to gauge without actually measuring someone with a thick neck. But for the most, it’s a nice fit. The price may be a bit of a negative as I always try to keep things to a minimum. But in saying this, if a neck massager costs you more than you imaged, but brings more relief than ever dreamed. I think it’s worth it.
The Best Neck & Back Massager For The Chair Suitable For Car, Office Chair, Sofa & More!
Gideon 6 Program Heated Massage Cushion Review
Who ever invented these portable chair massagers needs a gold medal. These things are a great way to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a expensive massage chair. Plus they are portable, meaning you can take it in the car on the way to work, use it in the office or after a hard days work chilling out on the sofa.
This particular model is by Gideon which is the best Shiatsu massage pad for chairs we could find. It’s incredible at relieving stress and increasing the blood flow for a healthier life. The Gideon chair massager works like this: On the back of the seat is a strap, you place this strap over your car seat, kitchen chair, office chair etc. Alternatively lay it flat on the bed/floor or on the sofa for a complete portable massage. Then presto, you now have one very cool and relaxing massage chair at a fraction of the cost.
Inside the back rest of the Gideon are 4 what they call 3D Shiatsu Nodes. Basically rotating balls that produce a human like Shiatsu massage (No human needed). These Nodes rotate in a circular motion while rotating to create this amazing Shiatsu massage.
But what is especially awesome with this massaging pad is that it can be set to pin point a particular sore part of your back, neck, shoulders etc. So if you suffer a sore lower back or tense neck muscles during work, you can set the location of the kneading massagers to your sore points. Eliminating the pain and relaxing the muscles quicker.
Alternatively you can set the massage to treat the whole back and neck. The balls will move up and down the back to give a complete back massage while watching TV, working or driving.
Is The Gideon Only A Shiatsu Massage Chair?
What Else Can It Do?
While I love the Shiatsu settings I’m well aware that not every body prefers the deep penetrating massage. Which is why we highly recommend getting yourself one of these devices. There are additional massage therapies you can choose from such as Heat, rolling and Vibration. These can be worked alone, or you can have the Shiatsu and Vibration massage going at the same time for example.
The pad/chair comes with a handy and easy to operate control. From the control you can access all the settings you need to create a custom massage. Now this is complete relaxation in the palm of your hand!. This Gideon is just one of our top rated car seat massagers for the neck, shoulders and back region.
How To Self Massage The Neck & Shoulders Device Free!
How To Massage Sore Shoulders
The Shoulder is one of the most vulnerable joints in the body and when they are sore, it can be hard to manually massage them. Along with our recommended neck and shoulder massage devices suitable for the shoulder region, here are a few tips to help you massage your sore shoulders.
- Stretch your shoulder muscles yourself. This requires no devices or tools and can help ease the pain. Either standing up or laying down works fine. To do this simply roll your shoulder blades in a circular motion, then swing your arms in a loop 360 degrees. This will help loosen, then attempt stretching the muscle in various directions.
- Use a tennis ball or a foam roller shaped like a cylinder. Lay on your back with either objects in the painful shoulder area. Roll your body back and forwards and sideways to give yourself a free shoulder massage. Doing this allows you to reach those hard to reach spots much easier.
- Focus on your Shoulders Triangular Interval. Using a handheld massager to locate the small area (Can be hard to find) between the top and lower shoulder blade. When you massage into this area of your shoulder you should feel instant pain relief. Using Trigger Point massage tools are a great way to pin point these hard to reach spots. They are built just for this purpose and can work amazingly well when used correctly.