I have one of these at home. The guy in the picture is a Catholic Priest. He became famous in Taiwan helping people, speciality being foot massages as therapy.
I've got this machine under my desk. It's the easiest way for an IT nerd to get more blood circulation.
The massaging of the feet as therapy is called "Reflexology". It stimulates the internal organs and detoxes the body. It increases blood circulation which we as IT people need help with. I love my machine. The cloth cover on it, wears out, so you'll need to order a new one eventually, I'm on cloth cover #2, and it's worn to shreds and so I'll be ordering another one soon.
OSIM makes 2 foot massagers:
The iPoke
and
The iSnug
The iPoke does only the sole of the foot. The iSnug is a bit better, it does the bottom and the sides, it also adds heat. But I still prefer the 吳神父 腳底按摩機 to both of these.
One of the things I really like about this machine vs something from like OSIM, is that it is able to hit all the major pressure points, including the topside of the feet. The two little grayish bubbles pulsate to give a massage. You can stick your feet into the two slots to get a "side" massage of the foot too as it squeezes the sides. I really really love my machine, the buttons are all in japanese, which isn't that great, but come on, there's like 5 buttons.. There are 3 speeds, 2 directions, and 2 program buttons. I usually use it at the highest speed. It stops by itself after 20 minutes. Don't use it after you've eaten. Other than that, I use it before I go to bed to get rid of tired feet, and use it when I first turn on my computer in the morning, to stimulate blood circulation.
If there's a machine that pays for itself in terms of health, this machine is it. Some people put it in the living room for use by the family when they watch TV. I don't agree with this strategy. You are watching tv usually after you eat, and that's not when you can use it. You need to put it under your computer table. This way, whenever you are sitting too long, just press the button with your toe and you will get instant blood circulation. This is great when you are feeling tired and fatigued.
Any foot massager is better than no foot massager, but of all the ones available on the market in Taiwan, this is the one I prefer the most. It does what it says, and hits all the pressure points. Easy to use. Lasts a long time, I've had mine for over 3 years and I use it for about half an hour every day. My wife uses it too when she's on my computer. While it's not cheap, it's not as much as the OSIM. And besides, what kind of price tag can you put on health anyways?
It easily pays for itself within the first month.
