Customer Reviews

OPTP Original McKenzie Lumbar Roll Standard Firmness - #701

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I did not realize this existed or how helpful it would be until it was suggested while undergoing PT. I had tried other seat type cusions, etc. for driving and prolonged sitting and got no appreciable relief, the Lumbar Roll made an immediate impact providing comfort and promotong better posture.

I experience pain and discomfort from Sciatica, and there was a point when it made driving almost unbearable. After doing proper stretches and changing how I bend and such, combined with the Mckenzie roll & tush cush, I feel much better. I noticed an immediate difference in how I felt while sitting the car while using this product. I recommend it to anyone with lower back pain. The only problem I have with the roll is the strap that comes with it. It doesn't do a very good job of keeping it in place on my seat, to the point where I just took it off the strap completely and just place it myself every time I get in my car. It is a minor inconvenience I suppose, but still worth noting.

The concept of a lumbar roll is very useful, and this product fulfills that need, albeit with 2 major obstacles.
A, after a few weeks, this becomes as flat as a pancake and is useless....and B, you can create as good, or better support with an old towel, or generic foam piece or any number of improvised materials. These people pray on one's desperation to feel better, instead of giving you simple directions as to use common household items they lead you to believe this will be that much more effective...well, it isn't so don't waste your money. Lumbar support it very useful, but you absolutely do not need this product to obtain it.

I have this McKenzie Lumbar Roll strapped to one of my desk chairs and I am trying it out there. I did try their suggestion of wearing it attached around the waist and then having access to lumbar support wherever I sat. I find it bulky and the elastic is too loose for this idea to work for me.
The roll is stiff and unforgiving. But if I am sitting in one position at my desk for a long period, then I appreciate the lower back support it provides. Probably could save money by getting a small, firm pillow for the same job.
I greatly prefer the McKenzie Super Lumbar Roll.

I've had this about two weeks and am disappointed in it. The strap doesn't fasten well around a standard office chair and easily loosens. The roll says it's a "standard firmness." That's a meaningless description and makes it hard to make a sensible purchase. I'd say that this roll is not even as firm as what you would have by rolling up a normal terrycloth towel into a roll form. Worse, after only a few days, the roll became deformed just by virtue of having used it. I'm going to now spend the $ for the "firmer" roll but am not terribly optimistic given the quality of this product.

I have been using this product since 1990, and it has been a lifesaver for me. I tried many other lumbar supports and none worked nearly as well as this one. However, all were highly regarded by other back sufferers. What this shows is that each individual's back pain is highly idiosyncratic, and if you are a back sufferer, you need to shop around and find the aid that is best for you. It appears from the reviews that the McKenzie lumbar roll has been good for a large number of people, so if I were new to this game and seeking relief for the first time, I would certainly give it a try. My next comment is that the strap has not worked for me. I took it off with the first roll and have never looked back. Not using the strap means that my roll is constantly being inserted (manually, each time I sit down) at different orientations. This is probably why I have not experienced the "flattening" that several reviewers complain about. My last point is that the firmness of a lumbar support is one of the most personalized features that back sufferers should be seeking -- a firmness that pleases one person will be too hard or soft for others. That being so, you need to experiment. I have found the standard McKenzie roll to be exactly right for me, after I have used it for a couple of weeks. It DOES soften up a bit, but for me that is perfect. If you find the standard firmness too soft after some use, then try the firmer one. To summarize, I literally cannot live without this product. It goes with me everywhere. I have lost many over the years -- I am logging in now to order two more, having forgotten one recently on an airplane. however, I always have spares, at work and at home, and am replenishing my spare supply right now. If you are a back sufferer like me (I once spent six months laid up in bed with back pain), then try this product.

I purchased this product after reading Dr. McKenzie's book, 7 steps to a pain free life. I use it in the car and in my home, and it really helps with lower back support. The only drawback seems to be that after prolonged use, it becomes flattened and tends to lose some of its support. It does spring back to it's round shape over time. Perhaps the extra firm model would be better in retaining its shape.

The Mckenzie Lumbar Roll helps me get the support I need while sitting for long hours at my desk. I recommend it to anyone with neck or back pain or discomfort.

I'm a fairly average sized guy (height/weight), but the foam in this roll isn't firm enough to keep it from going completely flat when in use. It does return pretty much to its original shape when not in use, however, it doesn't support my back enough to maintain the proper curvature of my lumbar when I'm seated. Perhaps I should have ordered the firmer version that some of its reviews claim was too firm. It's too late and not worth the time and money to return the two I received. Perhaps I should have ordered one of each. With two ruptured discs, this means I may end up buying a third lumbar roll (firm this time) when I only needed one roll.

The problem with these rolls when a patient first tries them, is that you're shoving a big hunk of foam in the small of your back. Several things happen at this point...

-some people's backs will be now be more comfortable when they sit
-some people's backs will actually be more UNCOMFORTABLE when they sit
-a few people will be indifferent

So how do you explain it? Well, as the title says, everybody's back is a little different. I've found one thing that explains things is the curve of your back. If you have a low back curve that is really exaggerated (increased lumbar lordosis), then these rolls usually feel good to those patients - the roll seems to support the curve. On the other hand, if one's low back curve is decreased, and they have a rather "straight" spine, then suddenly shoving a big roll behind their back is uncomfortable because it makes the spine go in a direction it's not used to normally going. I personally fit in this category myself.

Another major factor is the particular back problem you have. People with that have a spondylolisthesis, the most common one being where the lumbar vertebrae is slipping forward, will likely not like this roll, because it's making the back curve in more - which can make the slipped vertebrae move more in the direction it's slipping. And of course the other back condition I've found that has a tendency to not like these rolls, are people with spinal stenosis. People with spinal stenosis often have smaller than normal holes where the nerves come out of the spine, and these rolls increase the curve of your spine which can make these holes even smaller. As for people with herniated discs, some like them, some don't.

The lesson here? Well, you really don't have to be a spine specialist to figure out if this roll is for you - all you really have to do is try it and see - your back will let you know! And now you also have a little better idea why some of the reviewers here call it a "lifesaver" yet others call it "a waste" :)