FAQs

1. What is the acuBall used for?
   Relieving muscle and joint pain, improving flexibility, aiding athletic performance and enhancing tissue healing and vitality.
2. How does the acuBall work?
   Simply lie or lean into your acuBall. The acuBall’s unique design features safely apply acupressure and heat to painful, congested areas of the body. This increases nutrient and blood flow, flushing out built up muscle wastes. It also enhances joint motion, releases natural painkillers and sedatives, and stimulates nervous system relaxation responses.
3. Who can use the acuBall?
   Almost anyone. People with muscle and joint contractions from the age of 8-80 have benefitted from acuBalling.
4. Are there any reasons not to acuBall?
   Yes. Bruises, fractures, cuts, infections, discolourations, advanced osteoporosis and brittle bones should never be acuBalled. Individuals who bruise easily as a result of medication should not acuBall. If you have pain, get professional health care advice to fully understand why you feel the way you do before acuBalling.
5. Is the acuBall itself safe?
   Completely. The acuBall is hypoallergenic and non-toxic.
6. How do you know you’re acuBalling the right spot?
   Your body will definitely tell you. It may take you a minute or so of moving yourself, or your acuBall, up and down or side-to-side to ‘zero in’ on the right spot. Once you’ve found it you’ll know because it will be tender. This tenderness is the result of tightness in the muscle stopping proper nutrient flow which causes waste products to accumulate. These built up wastes cause nerves in the area to become irritated and sensitive to pressure.
7. Is it important to deep breathe while I acuBall?
   Absolutely. Deep breathing releases you from the inside out, allowing your muscles and organs to ‘let go’ of their stress and tension. acuBalling works you from the outside in, releasing tight muscles and joints. The combination of the two together is vastly superior to either one alone.
8. How long should you spend on any one spot?
   Generally 3 mins on each spot. Your body will tell you. When most of the tenderness is gone, it’s time to move on to the next spot. This may take you one minute or you may still be tight twenty minutes later if it’s an area that’s been contracted for years. Once you feel that the spot you’re working on has dissipated sufficiently, simply move around to the next one you find.
9. Can I use the acuBall on my spine?
   Absolutely. Use the acuBall’s patented Spine Align Belt to loosen tight areas in your spine. Using both hands, place the acuBall so that the Spine Align Belt allows your vertebrae to fit in, then move the acuBall up or down your spine to wherever you feel discomfort and blockages. Once you’ve found an area, let yourself completely relax onto the acuBall, breathing deeply, allowing your vertebrae to open and release. When you feel like the area has reached maximum ‘opening,’ move up or down your spine to the next blockage.
10. How long should I spend acuBalling?
    Most people like 15-20 minute sessions but many will spend an hour or more really working their body’s most needed areas. A patient once told me his idea of a great evening was a bottle of wine and an acuBall!
11. How do I heat my acuBall? Two ways:
    1. Microwave.
       Elevate acuBall off of glass microwave plate by placing it on enclosed HEAT RING OR Place acuBall on dinner plate on top of glass microwave plate.Do NOT heat acuBall directly on glass microwave plate.Microwave for 50-60 seconds (recommended heating times vary depending on microwave wattage. Follow instructions on heat tag attached to acuBall).acuBall WILL NOT feel hot when first taken out of microwave – allow a minute or so for the heat to reach the surface. Heat will last for 1 hour. Cool to room temperature before reheating. NEVER exceed 60 seconds in microwave as your acuBall may melt, becoming flat and useless!
    2. Boiling
       Immerse in boiling water for 12 minutes. Towel dry.
12. How long does the heat last?
    50-60 seconds in the microwave or 12 minutes boiling, generates over 1 hour of heat.
13. How is the acuBall-mini different from the larger acuBall?
    The mini’s smaller size and harder consistency make is perfect for working the smaller muscles of the body like the feet, shoulders, arms, forearms and hands. It’s also an excellent massage tool – try massaging your friend’s shoulders and neck with it!
14. Can you heat the acuBall-mini?
    Only by boiling for 12 minutes. NEVER microwave the mini – it will melt and become useless! Most people use the mini at room temperature and microwave heat the larger acuBall.
15. What would I use the acuBack for?
    For proper sitting posture + muscle and joint release – it’s incredibly versatile. Place it behind your back on a chair or while driving to improve posture. If you use a foam roller the Acuback outperforms it in every way and is far easier to use. Instead of rolling – find the area in need of work and let your body melt over the tight spot for a full 3 minutes. No movement is needed.
16. Can I use the acuBack to loosen shins?
    Absolutely – while kneeling place your shin in the groove running around the acuBack. Find the tight spots and let your body weight do the work for a full 3 minutes.
17. Can I use the acuBack to loosen tight calves?
    Yes – it’s fantastic. While kneeling place the acuBack on the top of your calf and kneel down on it again for a full 3 minutes.
18. Can I use the acuBack behind my shoulder blade to loosen it?
    Yes it works extremely well. Place it behind your shoulder while lying down and let the weight of your body do the work.
19. What are the little nibs on the top of the acuBack for?
    These smaller nibs are for loosening forehead muscles. Place them on your forehead with your hand over the opposite label side of the Acuback letting the weight of your hand contribute to the downward pressure of the nibs. Close your eyes and breathe enjoying the feeling of your forehead muscles releasing.
20. What are the acuPads for?
    Relaxation, proper seating posture, sleep enhancement and lighter muscle and joint release work. They are also great for standing on to improve balance and posture and build core strength.
21. Why are there 2 acuPads?
    Our research showed that if one acuPad was placed under the neck and another under the low back the entire spine would loosen and relax far more effectively than if only one was used.
22. I’ve used a hot water bottle for years and have to fill and empty it. Do I have to fill and empty the water inside the acuPad in the same way?
    Absolutely not. The acuPads are filled to last the lifetime of the product and NEVER need to be filled or emptied. Just enjoyed!
23. I use a heating pad now. Why would I switch to an acuPad?
    Two reasons – first – the acuPads’ patented pressure point design penetrates and separates tight muscles far more effectively than a heating pad which doesn’t have any penetration capability whatsoever. Secondly any electrical force field kept near the body – such as a heating pad – has the ability to negatively alter finely tuned cellular electro-magnetic processes. This is not recommended for optimum health and many health care professionals now discourage keeping any electrical apparatus near the body for prolonged periods because of this.
24. What are our products made of?
    Surgical grade phthalate free PVC. acuBall, acuBack and acuPads are filled with distilled water.They are hypoallergenic and non toxic. The Acuball Mini has solid core phthalate free surgical grade PVC. It can be boiled only and NEVER MICROWAVED as it will melt.