# I'm considering buying an acupressure mat/spike mat. Any opinions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729 "2009-07-21T12:58:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/1 "2009-07-21T12:58:07Z")
It’s all the rage here in Sweden right now - the acupressure mat, also known as spike mat or bed of nails. There’s a number of different models, but the principle is the same: a plastic mat with 4000-8000 plastic spikes. You lie on it for 20-40 minutes, and the pressure from the spikes are supposed to give deep relaxation and relief from all kinds of tension and muscle pain. Examples of models here: > **[Svenska Spikmattan - Originalet - Tillverkad i Sverige sedan 2005](https://spikmattan.com/)** > > Vår Spikmatta lindrar smärta, minskar spänning, gör det lättare att slappna av och ger bättre sömn. 90 dagars unik prova-på-garanti! [http://www.shaktimat.co.uk/](http://www.shaktimat.co.uk/) [http://www.yantramattan.se/eng/om.html](http://www.yantramattan.se/eng/om.html) I’m considering buying one, since I have chronic neck and shoulder pain. But I’d like to hear about people’s experiences first. Has anyone here used one? How did it work for you? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/2 "2009-07-21T13:25:00Z")
I thought the main principle of acupressure was putting,er pressure, on specific points of the body. It seems like you’d just get poked in a bunch of random places all at once. I’ll be interested to hear what others’ experiences are as well. ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/3 "2009-07-21T16:01:58Z")
Yeah, that’s confused me as well! It’s called acupressure mat and acupuncture mat depending on advertiser, although it’s really neither. The “pressure” created by the spikes is also supposed to make the body start manufacturing oxytocin and endorphins. In other words, they’re sharp (although not sharp enough to break the skin). Fun fact: A Swedish _fakir_ has sued a company who sells what they call “bed of nails”, because they don’t contain any actual nails. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/4 "2009-07-21T16:27:39Z")
This is neither here nor there, but sometimes when I’m feeling sore or achy, I’ll start wishing I could lie on a bed of nails or be poked with something really hard. Am I not so weird then? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/5 "2009-07-21T16:37:56Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > This is neither here nor there, but sometimes when I’m feeling sore or achy, I’ll start wishing I could lie on a bed of nails or be poked with something really hard. Am I not so weird then? Not weird; I think it would be quite tingly and pleasant! May I confess that I sometimes wish I could be stretched on a rack? ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/6 "2009-07-24T07:27:22Z")
Just an update for those interested: I ended up buying a Yantra mat. Having checked with some friends, the general opinion seems to be that it doesn’t make that much of a difference how many spiky things there are on the mat. Therefore I went for the cheapest version. Me and the S.O. both tried it yesterday and are both impressed. It hurt like a bastard for the first few minutes, then the endorphines kicked in and I suddenly felt more relaxed than I have in months. Slept like a baby, too, which I also haven’t done in months. I don’t give much for the drivel about acupressure points in the folder that came with the mat, but the getting poked by plastic spikes and getting a fantastic and relaxing endorphine high definitely works. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/7 "2009-07-24T07:54:54Z")
> [@Walpurgis](#): > > the general opinion seems to be that it doesn’t make that much of a difference how many spiky things there are on the mat. That opinion might change if the number of spikey things on the mat was 1! ---
**Author:** ![DarkAlley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@DarkAlley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkAlley)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/8 "2009-08-05T09:37:52Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > That opinion might change if the number of spikey things on the mat was 1! lol! One spike! What a joy! 😃 I came across this site searching for acupressure mat, but since it took a while to complete the registration here, I’ve already bought one. There’s a djungle of acupressure mat, but I went for The Fakirmat and I’m happy with my choice. I mainly bought it for the spiky neckpillow, which I haven’t seen anywhere else. But it says patent pending, maybe that’s why? [http://www.thefakirmat.com](http://www.thefakirmat.com) ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-buying-an-acupressure-mat-spike-mat-any-opinions/503729/14 "2015-04-17T23:29:35Z")
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