This thing is great! Why and how did I get here? I used be a very active soccer player. Then, went inactive for couple of years... too busy with work and family. When I recently returned to the field, I pulled a thigh muscle (Rectus Femoris) and turned into a big lump and a knot. I tried all sorts of techniques: massages, warm water, rollers, electrodes, etc. But, nada! When a co-worker mentioned “Graston Technique”, I looked and found this tool. I like the nice aluminum protective where it came. And the tool itself is very well made, smooth, semi-sharp edges, and curved shape that wrap around nicely on the thigh or calf muscles. With plenty of leverage, it took only few tries and I began noticing a major difference. Now, I’m only have a small knot left to work off of my thigh. What makes this an effective tool is the amount of steady pressure you can exert on a given spot(s), which rollers can't do. True, it can be painful but it works. A massage cream of some sort helps it slides easier on the skin. It seems to work best if someone else does it on you, especially someone who is very pissed off at you or something of a sort.