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Gifts of Relief: 15 Gift Ideas for People with Back Pain

Looking for the perfect gift for someone with back pain?

Coming up with gift ideas for a loved one suffering from back pain or any chronic pain can be quite a challenging task.

But:

It is all worth it when you get to give someone a gift that will help them find some comfort, relief, and relaxation.

This post contains affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

We’re here to help you find the best pain relief gift ideas to ease the lives of people with chronic back pain, neck pain, arthritis, and any chronic condition that causes ongoing physical pain.

The 15 Best Back Pain Gifts (According to Back Pain Sufferers)

Chronic pain or illness such as back pain, arthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, Lyme, autoimmune conditions, and many others can be truly life-altering.

Your loved ones will greatly benefit from any of the gifts you’ll find below, and be thrilled to have any of them.

1. Infrared Heating Pads (to Melt the Pain Away)

✅ Good for: Back/neck/shoulder pain, joint pain, Sciatica, herniated discs, fibromyalgia, Lyme, autoimmune conditions, Foot pain, poor blood flow.

For people with chronic back pain, the cold makes everything worse. Joints stiffen up, and muscles and bones hurt more.

Heat is a lifesaver for people with back pain. Heat promotes blood circulation to the pain area and speeds up healing and pain-relieving blood components. Instead of buying them a heated blanket (a common gift), which basically “toasts” them with a lot of EMF radiation, go for an infrared heating pad.

An infrared heating pad emits infrared rays (like the ones the sun emits) through natural Jade/Tourmaline stones and allows for deep heating all the way to the bones – without EMF radiation.

This deep heat is proven to effectively relieve muscle, joint, and nerve pain – naturally and safely.

Our top recommendation in the past years is the UTK Infrared Heating Pads, which emit radiant heat through Jade and Tourmaline. 

They come in different sizes:

• The small size can cover the lower back, or wrap around joints.
• The medium size can cover the entire back and wrap around the legs, arms, or feet.
• The large size is for full body treatment – perfect for people with pain all over their bodies.

If you want to settle for a regular electric one – at least get an extra large heating pad)

High-quality IR heating pads come with different temperature settings, a timer, and auto shut off – so the user can fall asleep while using it – and it will shut off automatically.

2. An Electric Massage Mat (Rest, Massage & Heat)

✅ Good for: Back pain, muscle pain, poor blood circulation, Fibromyalgia, nerve pain, and more.

Massage therapy helps relieve back muscle pain, joint pain, and nerve pain, relieves tension and stress, improves sleep, and provides many other benefits that help chronic pain sufferers.

A vibrating heated massage mat is gentle enough to be both helpful yet not too aggressive and painful.

A full-body vibrating massager (with heat) can relieve an aching back, neck, and leg muscles, boost blood flow, and reduce stress – in less than 30 minutes.

Our top recommendation is the Snailax Massage Mats, which offer the best value for the money, especially the 363 model.  

3. Shiatsu Massage Pillow (Heated Massage on the Go)

✅ Good for – low back pain, neck and shoulder muscle pain, neck arthritis, arm pain, leg pain, stress relief, and poor blood circulation.

If the pain is more localized – mainly in the lower back or the neck (which also causes tension headaches) – a better massaging tool would be a massage pillow with infrared heat.

These electric massage pillows/wraps can be placed almost anywhere on the body: lower back, neck, shoulders, legs, under feet, underarms, and more.

The Snailax massage cushion is lightweight and compact, can be used at home and in the car, and is very comfortable.

Our top recommendation – the Snailax Massage Pillow – costs only $40 (with coupon code VLT30)

Here’s me using it:

4. Heated Foot Massager/Foot Spa (for Foot Pain)

✅ Good for: Plantar Fasciitis, Neuropathy foot pain, foot swelling, nerve pain, and all tired feet.

Chronic foot pain is highly debilitating. When your feet hurt – you can’t walk, you can’t stand, you can’t function.

There are many helpful tools to effectively relieve foot pain and ease the life of your loved one.

Our first choice would be a heated foot massager, which combines both massage and infrared heat. Massage combined with heat can greatly relieve foot pain and ease stress – in less than 20 minutes.

Through our research, the best value foot massager is the Renpho Foot Massager with Heat. However, it is only suitable for thin feet.

5. Back Massage Chair (for Trigger Point Release)

✅ Good for – back muscle knots, chronic back/hip/neck pain, back and neck arthritis, Neuropathy, and Fibromyalgia.

If a zero-gravity massage chair is out of your reach, treat your loved one with a shiatsu massage chair seat instead.

A shiatsu massage chair can be a great addition for chronic back pain home treatments.

It helps by reducing stiffness, improving circulation, and targeting specific areas of the back for pain relief.

The chair also promotes relaxation and reduces stress, which is greatly needed for those with chronic pain

The Homedics back massage chairs offer rolling massage and heat functions, with a variety of pre-programmed massage modes to choose from.

Our top recommendation is the Shiatsu Elite II, which covers the entire back, including the neck and shoulders, with an intense and invigorating massage, and 3 different massage zones to choose from.

You can control the massage chair with the intuitive controller, and the heat function makes this one extra soothing and pain-relieving.

6. CBD Cream (for Back Inflammation)

You may have heard about the proven benefits of CBD products for pain relief.

Studies suggest CBD can help reduce inflammation, which is often a factor in chronic back pain.

Topical creams have shown promising results in easing inflammation and even Neuropathy, and our top recommendation – Mission Farms – is the gold standard of CBD products.

The Mission Farms organic and chemical-free CBD cream contains 300 mg CBD and goat’s milk which helps deliver the cream deeper into the tissues.

A relatively low-cost gift, with great benefits, and beautiful packaging.

7. Soothing Wireless TENS Unit

✅ Good for – Chronic back/hip/neck pain, people who suffer from back pain at work, or while traveling.

TENS home machines deliver an electrical current through electrodes the user attaches to their aching muscles (lower back/hips/neck etc.).

The electrical stimulation helps to block pain signals and trigger the release of endorphins, which are natural painkillers produced by the body.

This is completely non-invasive pain relief.

By using a wireless TENS machine, there is no need for wires and cables and they can wear it discreetly under clothing and control it by a remote or directly on the device.

TENS units can also be customized with different settings and intensities to provide personalized pain relief.

Our top recommendation, the iReliev Wireless unit, has 16 programs and 25 intensity levels, which help to find the right combination for anyone.

8. Microwaveable Neck & Shoulders Wrap (a Warm Hug)

✅ Good for –stress relief, neck and shoulder pain, neck arthritis, kyphosis, military neck, and more.

A microwaveable neck & shoulder wrap is a simple and effective pain reliever anyone would love to get.

This “warm hug” for the upper back and neck also comes with aromatherapy and is filled with clay beads, flax seeds, wheat, lavender, chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass, rosemary, cinnamon, yarrow, white willow, valerian root, yellow dock.

The GENIANI neck wrap has a gentle fragrance that is not overbearing, and the heat lasts for about 30 minutes.

The price is comfortable too.

See the  Best Neck & Shoulder Heated Wraps of 2024

9. Contoured /Orthopedic Pillows (for Pain-Free Sleep)

✅ Good for – herniated/bulging discs in the neck, neck arthritis, nerve compression (pinched nerves), military neck, and more.

Quality of sleep is important to everyone.

However:

Sleep is even more critical for people suffering from back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain.

A good night’s rest is essential for a speedy recovery from injuries and any health condition.

Unfortunately, people with back and neck pain cannot sleep well because of their pain and experience difficulty falling asleep.

An orthopedic cervical pillow can help him/her fall asleep comfortably, stay asleep, and even fix their posture and aid with healing – while they sleep.

Our top recommendation, the Therapeutica pillow, is a cervical traction pillow, which gently stretches and relieves neck and shoulder pain at night and helps speed up recovery from neck and shoulder injuries.

10. An Acupressure Mat (Blood Circulation Boost)

✅ Good for: Sciatica, back pain, Neuropathy, fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Spine & muscle pain, and more.

Related: Can an Acupressure Mat Relieve Back Pain?

An acupressure mat is the closest thing to real acupressure you can use at home.

These nails activate the nervous system and boost blood circulation and endorphin release, which results in pain relief, stress relief, higher energy, improved heart function, and deep relaxation.

Our top recommendation, the Akuspike, takes spike mats to a whole different level – with copper, iron, silver, zinc, and nickel spikes – instead of the cheap plastic spikes you see on other ones.

It’s also a great tool to manage insomnia. The relaxation effect is so profound – I usually fall asleep lying on it – in 5 minutes.

For a lower price – see our Shakti Mat Review!

11. Comfy Pajamas and Warm Slippers

✅ Good for: everyone suffering from chronic pain and spending a lot of time at home.

For people who live with chronic pain, comfortable pajamas, and warm slippers are very important, because they may need to spend a lot of time at home.

They need soft pajamas that are easily put on and taken off, and warm, fuzzy slippers with rubber nonslip bottoms to prevent slipping and falling, like these.

If you want to make the pajamas as healthy as possible – choose organic cotton pajamas that are chemical-free and high quality, like these.

12. Back Pain Gift Baskets

A handmade gift basket filled with thoughtful pain management gifts, food, and drinks – is a great way to show someone you care for their health.

Find a wicker basket and fill it with anti-inflammatory foods, snacks, and drinks (like green tea packets), organic olive oil, and fresh cherries.

Add a neck & shoulders heating pad, a salt lamp, warm socks, or anything else you think of – and you have a great gift.

13. A Portable Infrared Sauna (Detox, Pain Relief & Healing)

✅ Good  for: anyone suffering from chronic pain/illness

Portable infrared saunas have become very popular in the last few years, and for a good reason: they provide an enormous amount of healing benefits, including:

• Muscle relaxation and pain relief
• Nerve, joint, and spinal pain relief
• Stress relief
• Deep relaxation
• Toxin release
• Improved sleep
• Improving the immune system
• And more

This is one of the best gift ideas ever.

While extremely helpful for any chronic condition, infrared sauna sessions, or a home infrared sauna –  can be very expensive.

The good news is:

A portable infrared sauna pod/tent will deliver the same detox, stress relief, and pain relief benefits – for half the price.

However:

It’s important to purchase the lowest EMF portable sauna you can find – to avoid exposing the patient to EMF radiation. 

That’s why we only recommend the Durherm low EMF portable sauna.

If your budget allows for it – we think a portable IR sauna is the ultimate gift idea for people suffering from chronic illness.

14. Hybrid Mattress for Back Pain sufferers 

A high-quality hybrid mattress for back pain will provide your loved one with the best balance of comfort and spine support for back pain prevention and relief and can be a life-changing experience for anyone sleeping on a bad mattress.

See the best hybrid mattress for back pain (in 2024)

Back pain is a serious obstacle when it comes to healthy sleep and recovery from any chronic illness or acute injuries.

When you don’t sleep well because of back, shoulder, or neck pain – your pain intensifies – leading to more lack of sleep, and the vicious circle begins.

Through our research, the best-value hybrid mattress for back/neck pain sufferers is the Bear Hybrid Mattress, which is a good mattress for muscle pain recovery and comes with a 100-night trial and 20-year warranty.

The company has reliable customer service, and the mattress comes with an 18-month trial and lifetime warranty.

15. Inversion Table (Quick Back Decompression)

An inversion table is one of the quickest natural back pain relief tools available in 2024, and we believe every home should have one, and not only for the pain relief benefits.

A high-quality inversion table has been known for decades to be one of the best ways to quickly relieve and heal bulging/herniated discs, spine arthritis, and disc degeneration, but it has many more benefits, including full-body circulation boost, brain function enhancement, varicose veins, stress relief, and more.

In 2024, the number one inversion therapy brand is still Teeter Inversion tables, which are the safest and highest quality gravity tables on the market. You can see their best models compared – on our Teeter Reviews.

Conclusion

In this post, you’ve found the ultimate pain management gift ideas – to ease the life of a loved one suffering from chronic pain such as arthritis, back/neck pain, foot pain, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and more.

These are all thoughtful and great gifts that anyone suffering from debilitating pain would be thrilled to receive.

If you have other ideas we haven’t heard of – please share them with us in the comments below, as well as any questions you may have.

To your health and happiness,

The Back Pain Relief Products Team