The acuBall’s Unique Design Features The acuBall’s effectiveness is the result of a number of unique design features: 1) Heatability If you like the feeling of heat on tight sore muscles, you’ll love the acuBall’s unique patented heating ability. You certainly don’t have to heat it, many people use it at room temperature, but you should try it. People have remarked countless times that they love the sensation of deep penetrating warmth on sore, achy muscles. Many people love taking a heated acuBall to bed with them. Why does it feel so good when it’s heated? Heat expands muscles, causing blood vessels to open up, bringing more blood to tight areas. This increased blood flow flushes out accumulated wastes, calming irritated nerves and loosening muscles back to their normal relaxed state. Heat also relaxes the central nervous system naturally calming and soothing us – the perfect state for self-healing! Heating your acuBall is simple: either microwave for 50-60 seconds or boil for 12 minutes.: Microwaving: place acuBall on microwave safe RING (included in package) to elevate it off the bottom of your microwave.  Microwave for 50-60 seconds. When you first take it out IT WILL NOT FEEL HOT – give it a few minutes and you’ll start to feel lovely heat which will last for over an hour!  NEVER exceed 60 seconds as acuBall will melt. Use caution when microwaving.  Anything that you microwave for too long will ignite. Boiling: immerse acuBall in boiling water for 12 minutes and towel dry. View and print the heating instructions [PDF] 2) Spine Align Belt for Releasing Tight Vertebrae Many spinal problems come from tight muscles which cause vertebra to lock together, ‘jamming up’ instead of flowing freely. The Spine Align Belt, a precision moulded groove running around the middle of the acuBall, allows you to lie directly on the acuBall – opening and loosening your spine one vertebra at a time. Like pulling an accordion open, this helps to ‘free up’ your spine all the way from your low back up to the top of your neck. The acupoints at the side of the Spine Align Belt also give an acupressure treatment to the important postural muscles running along both sides of your spine (the erector spinae muscles), allowing them to open and relax. Better spinal motion, improved Central Nervous System flow (since your Central Nervous System runs through your spine) and improved posture result. The area where your neck meets the back of your head is a key area for wellness enhancement. Why? Because it is here that your brain exits your skull and becomes your spinal chord, transmitting vital information to every part of your body. Any tightness here affects your brain’s ability to optimally communicate with your body, so you want this area to be as loose and flexible as possible. Because we spend so much time with our heads bent forward – working, computing and care-giving this area is almost always tight. The Spine Align Belt allows you to open this crucial area, which as you’ll experience for yourself, feels truly wonderful. The zone on the bottom of the acuBall has multiple smaller acupoints for doing lighter work like releasing tight muscles in your scalp, face and temples or massaging your child. The larger acupoints on the rest of the acuBall are for deeper work like loosening larger muscles in your neck, legs, hips and low back. 3) Dual Stimulation Zones for Large & Small Muscles The zone on the bottom of the acuBall has multiple smaller acupoints for doing lighter work like releasing tight muscles in your scalp, face and temples or massaging your child. The larger acupoints on the rest of the acuBall are for deeper work like loosening larger muscles in your neck, legs, hips and low back. The acuBall-Mini – Used by Professional Athletes, Therapists & Hospitals The acuBall-Mini’s smaller nibs and harder feel make it perfect for releasing tight muscles in the smaller muscle groups of the body such as the feet, hands, shoulders, upper back, arms and forearms. It is particularly effective in the feet for relieving painful conditions like plantar fascitis. Athletes (golfers, runners, tennis players) use the acuBall-mini before their activity to loosen problem areas in their feet, shoulders or arms to enhance muscle performance and reduce risk of injury. It’s also an excellent massage tool – used by thousands of health professionals to save their hands!  Try massaging your friend’s shoulders and neck with it and you’ll understand why.  The acuBall-Mini is also wonderful for helping arthritic hand conditions creating improved circulation, increased joint motion and relaxed muscle. Many people travel with the acuBall-Mini in their purse. The Toronto Raptors of the NBA get an acuBall-Mini as part of their training program. Why? Because it’s 100% natural pain relief and performance enhancement effects are that good!