A BRIEF POTTED HISTORY OF THE B2N MUSCLE MASSAGER

I had a back injury in 1997 which was no more than a jarring on a tennis court but it left me with four “aches”: sciatica in left leg, sore left hip and sacroiliac to the extent that I could not stand on that leg and a backbone which clicked with each step. In two years out of sport chiropractors or physios could not repair me permanently.
My orthopod (now deceased) made me rest in prostrate fashion for the end-of-year school holiday before going ahead with a hip operation. X-rays revealed cartilage thinning and possible osteophytes on spinal facets.
During that period I read up about backs and came across an article in which a man fixed his sore hip by rolling on a tennis ball. I obtained partial relief from this, including the spine clicking, but they returned. I was able to hear the clicks by lying on my back on the floor, raising the legs vertically with the shins horizontal and then rotating both legs. The clicks rebounded off the walls of the room and transferred through the floor into my head.
I was most impressed with the symmetery of the back and so made a symmetrical massager out of two tennis balls and a dowel (this has been banned, now an imported plastic rod). With the massager in position under and across my spine on the right spot on the floor I was able to rotate the legs until the clicking stopped. It took 45 rotations to start with, but gradually decreased in number. A friend at the Sports Science Institute, Prof “Kit” Vaughan, head of Biomechanical Engineering, was very impressed with the results and suggested selling it. After demonstrating to Tim Noaks (head of SSI), it went to Groote Schuur hospital for testing at the Orthopaedic unit (Prof Johan Walters) and to Dr John Gardiner (neorosurgeon). Due clearance was obtained and testing proceeded at the SSI. Within five weeks I had cleared up the clicking and could rotate my legs freely without the B2N. All the aches disappeared and I was back on the sports fields.
I could only sell the B2N in 2004 when I retired as a teacher. As a part-time job I have travelled the country showing the B2N at physio AGM’s (Pretoria, Durban and PMB) and to chiropractors, biokineticists, massage therapists etc. Over 1100 have been sold with quite a number of re-orders and Wynberg Pharmacy stocks them (5 re-orders since 2005). Provincial Pharmacy (Roger Gilson) has just started stocking them after a trip to visit the PE physios in June. In Joburg two groups of physios were very interested in them to treat headaches and fibromyalgia. As a result of their suggestions I now produce one with smaller balls for the base of the skull area and a harder one for the few who want them like this.
I have been amazed that such a simple object has produced such a consistent stream of expressions of pleasure and tension release with its use on the neck, back, stomach (constipation too!), thighs, hamstrings, calves (quicker repair of muscle injuries) and balls of the feet. It has been featured in Men’s Health (2004) and Discovery Health (2005) magazines and the name has now been registered as a trade mark. My “agents” are
the various physios who buy them from me at R60 and sell them at about R80 provided they take three or more (two cost R70 each and one R80). Those taking 10 get a free poster showing the various applications. For 20 they get one free as well as a poster. Naturally the “hands only” physios are not keen, though some are impressed that the B2N is no substitute for a physios fingers, merely an aid which takes the pressure off them.
I have extracted a set of daily 3-minute (Pilates) exercises without which I gradually revert to my old back which sounded like a gear-box gone wrong