Do you carry tension in your neck and shoulders?

I do. Chronically.

It's a thing. I know about it intellectually, I work on it all the time, and though it hasn't been easy, I'm getting better.

One of the things I've realized? If you've been following the blog, you won't believe this, but...

Start small.

Rub out one knot for a night. After work. While you're watching TV. While you're reading a book. While you're hanging with your bestie. Just work on one for a night.

WARNING: It will probably be extremely painful. (Mine was/is). But it's a good pain. It opens new avenues of blood flow in your body. You will feel the benefits.

My favorite way to do this? Using this guy.

What a lifesaver. I haven't seen anything that works as well when doing it yourself. The way they built it allows you to control the two things that are indispensable for this to work as it needs to:

• It allows you to operate with pinpoint accuracy on yourself. This is crucial when getting out those knots all over your back. Before I tried this device, I thought this was impossible.

• It gives you leverage - enough leverage to actually get in there with some gusto, as if a massage therapist were digging their own elbow into your back with all their might.

They are not paying me. I am just eternally grateful to them for developing this product and for pricing it well enough for me to be able to use it.

If it can help me this much, I think it can probably help you too.