Friend of mine had one and swore by it for relieving back pain from strain. I had never heard of such a thing. Evidently you lie supine and place your ankles onto the device and it provides a constant oscillating movement to shift your legs back and forth.
When I worked in a pt clinic in my younger days I learned to do this manually as a diagnostic for pelvic/low back tightness (when the heels don't line up you know what to look for). Spending some time with this kind of movement might stimulate the cs "pump," blood circulation, and encourage the supporting musculature to reset.
We must also allow for the placebo effect, of course. After all, it's a "chi" machine. That must be way cooler than exercise.
A Bak Hok teacher showed me an exercise that had similar effect for relieving morning stiffness and back pain: sit on the edge of a bed or armless chair (or in a horse stance) to isolate the pelvis. Place your arms akimbo with the tiger's mouths of your hands against the lower ribs and gently swing your trunk left and right while keeping the head stationary. The arms act as a flywheel to provide inertia during the swings. When your waist is ready to go to the right your arms are still moving to the left. Provides a gentle stretch. Increase the waist turns by small increments until the elbows pass the center line. You can feel the paraspinals warm up.
The above isn't a recommendation for anyone with back pain. See a professional for that. I just thought it might explain how this chi gizmo is supposed to work.
aussie1981, is this the kind of device you had in mind?
Last edited by jdhowland; 07-24-2011 at 08:48 AM.
"Look, I'm only doing me job. I have to show you how to defend yourself against fresh fruit."
For it breeds great perfection, if the practise be harder then the use. Sir Francis Bacon
the world has a surplus of self centered sh1twh0res, so anyone who extends compassion to a stranger with sincerity is alright in my book. also people who fondle road kill. those guys is ok too. GunnedDownAtrocity