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Almost everyone has one spot. Usually it sits just inside the shoulder blade, sometimes deep in the hip, and it is exactly where your own hands cannot reach with any strength. A ball against a wall, or a hooked cane, gets you there. These are some of the least expensive and most useful tools in my own cupboard, and they are easy to use badly, so this guide is about technique as much as about buying.
What a ball is actually doing
A trigger point, in plain terms, is a small, tight, tender spot in a muscle that often refers ache somewhere else. The classic example is a knot in the upper back that you feel as a headache or a stiff neck. In the clinic we would call many of these ashi points, which just means “that’s the spot”: the place that is tender when pressed.
Steady pressure on a spot like that, for thirty to ninety seconds, tends to make it soften. The muscle gets a clear signal to let go, blood flow improves locally, and the referred ache often eases with it. What a ball does not do is break up anything, realign anything, or fix a posture you go back to for eight hours a day. It is maintenance, and very good maintenance.
What to look for
- Firmness. A lacrosse-type ball is firm and does not squash, which is what you want against a wall. If you are small-framed, bruise easily, or are new to this, start with a softer rubber ball and move up.
- Size. A ball about the size of a tennis ball suits the back, hips and shoulder blades. Smaller spiky balls are better for the feet and forearms (see the sore feet guide).
- A peanut shape for the back. Two balls joined in the middle let your spine sit in the groove while the muscles on either side get the pressure. You never want a ball directly on the bones of the spine.
- Reach, if you live alone. A hooked cane lets you apply pressure to your own upper back with leverage, sitting in a chair. It is the most useful tool for people who cannot get down to the floor comfortably.
My picks
Firm massage ball setStart here
A pair of firm, grippy rubber balls, one for the wall at home and one for the desk drawer. This is the tool I would hand anyone with a knot inside the shoulder blade.
- Firm enough to reach deep spots against a wall
- Small enough to carry anywhere
- Works on shoulders, hips, glutes and calves
Peanut massage ballFor the back
The double shape cradles the spine in its groove and presses the long muscles on either side. Lie on it on the floor and let it sit under one level of the back at a time.
- Keeps pressure off the spine itself
- Treats both sides at once
- Good for the stiff mid-back of desk work
Hooked back self-massage caneIf the floor is hard for you
A shaped cane with knobs that you hook over your shoulder and pull. You get firm, controlled pressure into the upper back while sitting in a chair, with no lying down.
- Reaches between the shoulder blades from a chair
- You control the pressure with your hands
- Good for people with sore knees or hips
Soft textured massage ballGentler option
If the firm balls are too much, a softer, slightly spiky ball spreads the pressure out. Good for beginners and for sensitive areas like the front of the shoulder.
- Less intense for a first try
- Textured surface wakes up the skin
- Also handy for the soles of the feet
How to use them
Between the shoulder blades, against a wall. Stand with your back to a wall, the ball between the wall and the muscle just inside your shoulder blade. Bend your knees a little to move the ball up and down until you find the tender spot. Lean in, hold, and breathe slowly for thirty to ninety seconds. Cross your arm across your chest to move the shoulder blade out of the way and open up the spot underneath it.
The mid-back, on the floor. Lie on your back with knees bent and the peanut ball across your back, spine in the groove. Rest there for a few breaths, then lift your hips slightly and shift the ball one hand-width up. Work from the bottom of the ribs to the base of the neck. Do not use it on the low back; the lower spine does not have the ribs to protect it, and people tend to arch and strain.
The hip and glute, against a wall or on the floor. Sit or lean onto the ball on the fleshy part of the buttock, off the bone. Hold on the tender spots. If you feel tingling, electric pain or numbness down the leg, you are on a nerve; move off it straight away.
With the cane. Hook the knob over your shoulder onto the tender spot and pull gently down on the long end with the opposite hand. The pressure is easy to adjust, and you can work both sides of the upper back sitting down.
Once a day is plenty for any one area, a few minutes at a time. Pair it with heat beforehand if the spot is stubborn; the heat therapy guide has the options.
The honest summary
Buy a firm ball and a peanut ball, keep one at the wall and one at your desk, and learn to find a spot, lean in and hold still while you breathe. Ninety seconds on the right spot does more than ten minutes of rolling. If a knot keeps coming back in the same place, it is usually telling you something about how you sit or work; the desk worker kit covers that side of it.
Content on this site is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk with your own healthcare provider before starting any new therapy, especially if you are pregnant, have a medical condition or take medication.