I’m a desk worker with chronic shoulder and low back pain, worse in winter. Stretching, massage tools, foot rollers—I try and abandon them. My mom swears by acupuncture at a clinic but it costs ~¥5,000 per visit (non-insurance), and even the insured osteopathic clinic felt ineffective. Laziness plus cost made me ask friends, “Anything I can do at home?” They suggested press needles (円皮鍼).

Found them near the pain-patch aisle at the drugstore

Near the Bengay/Voltaren section I spotted these:

About ¥2,000 for 20 pieces—¥100 each. Amazon had a cheaper, popular option:

Amazon.com doesn’t carry these exact brands, but I found a similar disposable press needle:

Roughly ¥1,000 for 100 pieces—¥10 each. I bought it. They’re “Pharos” press needles, 10 per sheet:

I bragged to my wife; she already had a different brand—Seirin Pyonex, individually wrapped and flashy:

Expiration-style dates are printed on the front. Pharos says “sterilized,” so they guarantee cleanliness until that date:

Inside, they look like the magnetic PIP Elekiban patches:

Even non-pros can slap them on

One Pharos review said:

I had low-back pain and frozen shoulder for nearly two years, but both eased (maybe it was time to heal, but still). I’ve used these for about a month. On “Waratte Iitomo,” an acupuncturist said non-pros can get some benefit, so I hunted these down.

Amazonレビュー: ファロス 円皮鍼100本入り（SJ-525） - 太さ0.18mm×針長0.9mm

I’d seen that episode: comedian Tamori’s favorite acupuncturist, Dr. Fumichika Takemura, put needles on faces and pulled out tape-on needles, saying “You can buy these at drugstores and use them at home.” Asked, “Do amateurs get results?” he said, “To a degree.”

Where to stick them? On the sore spot (same as acupressure)

The TV doctor said, “Stick them where it hurts.” Shoulder pain → shoulder, back pain → back. I wanted max effect, so I checked: they use the same points as acupressure. I palpate along those lines, find the most tender point, and stick one there.

Both Pharos and Seirin say you can wear them about three days. I bathe, sleep, and work with them on.

Did they work?

Maybe. Hard to isolate because when I’m desperate I also stretch, massage, bathe well, and use heat patches. So I can’t attribute recovery to the needles alone.

Clear upsides: with 1.60 mm needles I occasionally feel a tiny “prick,” which reminds me to stretch—keeps me engaged in getting better. I tried the soles of my feet (bad idea): stepping hurt like crazy and I peeled them off. No blood, surprisingly. Probably don’t use on soles; tops and toes are fine.

Quick dive: how acupuncture is thought to work

Shoulder/back pain and muscle soreness both trace to tight muscles; treatments focus on improving blood flow so waste products clear and muscles loosen. Acupuncture claims to “improve Qi flow,” which I interpret as local stimulation improving circulation—concepts differ, direction is similar. Magnetic patches and menthol plasters aim for circulation too.

Thick Tokuhon vs. subtle Salonpas (both boost circulation)

Tokuhon is thicker, smelly, and feels stronger; my wife prefers low-odor, low-visibility Salonpas. Ingredient lists actually show higher amounts in Salonpas—wish I hadn’t looked.

Main ingredient methyl salicylate is anti-inflammatory for bruises/sprains and shoulder/back pain. A big helper is tocopherol acetate (vitamin E derivative), which improves blood flow and reduces platelet clumping. It also stabilizes capillary walls to prevent protein leakage.

Loihi Tsuboko: looks like a magnetic patch

This one uses capsaicin-like vanillyl-n-nonylamide instead of vitamin E. The sticker is small (~3 cm) and gives a nice warming sting. The note says “remove an hour before bathing”—I ignored it and suffered when hot water hit the residual capsaicin. People with sensitive skin can redden or react, so be cautious.

It works. I use 3–4 on one shoulder. A pack has 150 pieces, so I don’t ration. Using three at a time roughly equals a 50-sheet Salonpas pack; cost ends up similar.

Pros: warming effect and strong adhesion. Round shape means no corner lift; small size flexes with skin, so it stays on through daily life. Large sheets on the lower back wrinkle and peel; these don’t.

Con: small stickers are hard to place on tricky spots alone—like inner shoulder blade (肺兪/心兪, rhomboid area). I could ask my wife, but explaining exact spots is tedious, so I contort and stick them myself.

Back to press needles…

Online, Pharos and Seirin are the value champs. Differences: Seirin has a rounder tip and individual packs; Pharos is about half the price. Performance feels the same. Seirin’s round shape makes them easy to pick up; the backing splits into two strips so removal is easy. Pharos packs 10 on one sheet, a bit fiddly to peel.

Pharos are square; I worried corners might lift, but after using on shoulder, back, legs, and glutes, they stayed on.

Press needles show up in sports

Leaving them on is called chin (置鍼). Marathon and ekiden runners often wear them; during the Hakone Ekiden I spotted a few. News photo example:

They’re on knee/leg points to prevent overuse knee pain.

Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu was also seen with them:

Supposedly to manage asthma symptoms. Men’s skating costumes cover skin, so they might be hidden elsewhere too.

Summary

For muscle-driven aches like shoulder or low back pain, acupuncture is an option. Press needles let you mimic it at home with continuous gentle stimulation to boost circulation.

Some points are away from the pain (hands/feet), so there’s more to explore when I have time.