The “Beastie” massage ball is one of those little gadgets you don’t know how much you need until you try one… and then try living without it! If you find deep pressure massage of very specific points eases your pain or releases stress, this tool might work just as well for you.

Essentially, the Beastie is a hard rubber, star shaped ball with rounded points. It comes on its own little stand so it won’t readily roll out of position if you use it on the floor. It rolls much less than the common lacrosse ball (about $5) often used for self-massage methods. As a mom in a house with boys, I find the “not a ball” feature alone worth the higher price ($25) of a Beastie—no one picks this up and wanders off tossing it from hand to hand, or tries to start a game of catch inside the house.

The stand has four screw holes, so you could attach it to your wall for use massaging the upper back. I’m very satisfied with just placing the Beastie against the wall and holding it up with my weight, so don’t worry that you’ll need to put holes in your walls. I’ve never noticed it marring any wall, painted or wallpapered, as it rolls.

I used to just apply hard pressure with my fingertips when I felt a headache coming on. This only sometimes proved effective. The arthritis in my fingers now means I simply can’t press hard enough, or hold pressure long enough, for relief without a tool. The jaw, the base of the skull where it meets the neck, the fat pad of my palm—all of these spots and more hold tension that benefits from deep, prolonged pressure.

My worst spot, right under what my husband calls the “chicken wing,” the spot on my back where my arm merges with my shoulder—only a willing friend or professional massage therapist could effectively reach before I found the Beastie ball. This area, so often aggravated by long days at the computer (arms forward) and driving a car (arms forward), was also the weak spot where I developed a herniated disc many years ago, interrupting my career and causing me months of excruciating pain. That experience played a large role in encouraging me to learn simple self-care techniques, like self massage, to help avoid developing any more problems related to our modern “sitting disease.”

I’ve used a few other “trigger point” self massage tools, and I’ve gotten useful information about the technique from a few specific sources. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, for example, is really informative and thorough, but I would suggest trying self massage with a Beastie (or a lacrosse ball!) for a while to see if the technique helps you before investing more money or time in this much theory. It also isn’t the first book I’d recommend on the topic.

I can’t say enough about the Trigger Point Performance instructional booklet ($25) that got me started on this journey. My only complaint about their products is price. Their version of the simple lacrosse ball roller is $20, but, unlike the Beastie’s “fingers” that really dig deep, I don’t see any improvement in functionality with the TP Massage Ball.

I don’t regret paying for my “Trigger Point Performance Ultimate 6 Total Body Self Myofascial Release and Deep Tissue Massage Kit” (similar to this current set for $80), but I wouldn’t replace every item if my originals were lost or wore out. I would replace the booklet and do the exercises with a standard foam roller, a yoga block, and my Beastie ball.

I’ve got a RumbleRoller ORIGINAL (blue) in the Compact (13 inch) size. I tend to work on one side of the body at a time, and I’m also just a medium sized woman, so the ease of storing the shorter roller made this the best option for me. I use this on the carpeted floor of the room where I exercise, but it’s too bulky to take out all the time. It’s not attractive enough to leave out in my family room. If I feel a headache coming on in the middle of the day, I’m at my desk or in the car, and the RumbleRoller won’t be where I need it. It also requires a wide open space to roll on it for best effect.

The little Beastie is about the size of a baseball on a display stand. I keep it on a shelf near the TV, one room away from my desk in our workroom. If I’m driving around a lot, I throw the Beastie ball, minus the stand, in my tote bag along with my water and snacks. It’s completely, conveniently portable.

I can use the Beastie with just hand pressure any time, or against the leather upholstery in my car’s seat or the padded surface of the sofa for light pressure. I can usually find an empty stretch of wall in any room if I want to get deeper pressure by leaning against it for my upper body; sometimes I use it on the floor where the full force of gravity makes the pressure even stronger. It’s easy to keep the Beastie handy, so I use it a lot, and that makes my life less painful.

Headaches were a frequent fact of life in my teens and young adulthood. I was a computer geek from way back, and the old CRT monitors were barely tolerable for  constant use. Both reading (head bent over book) and computer usage (CRT flicker, squinting, bad ergonomics)—activities that consumed most of my waking hours—led to poor posture and muscle tension. Fluorescent tube lighting (flicker again!) in classrooms and offices just added to my woes. My headaches are even triggered by the “stripes” of light that come in through Venetian window blinds.

Unfortunately for me, tension headaches often segue into migraines if I don’t immediately stop the trigger—usually manageable these days as a stay-at-home mom, but almost always impossible as a student or office employee.

I wish I’d had a Beastie years ago. It would have saved me from a lot of pain without requiring a total lifestyle revision. Perhaps it could do the same for you?