Guides and tools: everything we publish about love life healing
Short answer
This page is the index for everything we publish on Massage and self-care tools: what they do, what the evidence supports, and where not to use them. It lists every guide, tool and reference table in the order we would use them, and each one is written to answer a question rather than to fill a page.
New here? Start with the guides, then use the tools to check your own numbers before you buy anything.
Start here
| Step | What to do first | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the guide that matches your situation | /blogs/news/do-foot-massagers-actually-work |
| 2 | Run your numbers through the tool before you choose a size or a setting | /pages/which-one-to-buy |
| 3 | Check the comparison page for the exact item | /pages/which-one-to-buy |
Start with the guides
- Do foot massagers actually work? An honest guide — A session feels good, and short-term soreness in the feet and calves often settles. No foot massager treats plantar fasciitis, neuropathy or circulation, and this page says which is which
- Massage gun vs foam roller vs gua sha: which one actually does something — Three tools sold as rivals, doing three different jobs. Foam rolling has the best published evidence for flexibility and soreness, massage guns have reasonable short-term evidence, and gua sha has very little
- Where not to massage: the areas to skip and the conditions to check — Front of the neck, armpit, groin crease, inner upper arm and the back of the knee are the spots to leave alone. Then the conditions that rule out massage entirely
Compare what we stock
- Which one to buy: every option we stock, compared — every option we stock, with price, type and who it suits
Run your own numbers
- Which one to buy: every option we stock, compared — enter your own numbers and get an answer, with the method shown
- Massage tool matcher: which device fits the way you carry tension — enter your own numbers and get an answer, with the method shown
- Massage session planner: minutes, passes and a weekly plan — enter your own numbers and get an answer, with the method shown
- How we research, test and correct these guides — enter your own numbers and get an answer, with the method shown
How we research and test
- How we research, test and correct these guides — our sourcing rules, what we refuse to do, and how to report an error
How this index is orderedGuides first, because they explain the trade-off. Tools second, because a number that applies to you beats a general recommendation. Reference tables last, for the details you check once. Nothing here is ordered by commission.