Power Legs Massager

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Power Legs is an As Seen on TV foot and leg vibration platform that claims to use principles of acupressure to provide relief to your feet.

To use the device, you plug it into a wall and select the vibration intensity you want using the included remote. You’ll then place your feet on the device’s knobbed footrests.

This review examines the effectiveness of the concept used by Power Legs Massager to help determine if it's right for you.

Scientific Evidence for Vibration Therapy

Does vibration therapy actually help your legs and, if so, how can it positively affect your muscles and bones?

A study published in 2014 in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research focuses on vibration therapy as a solution for delayed-onset muscle soreness that athletes and non-athletes experience.

This muscle soreness, the study says, can result from a variety of conditions, some of which are related to aging. Decreased mobility can lead to leg muscles that get sore quicker because they aren’t used to basic tasks like walking and lifting.

The research concludes that vibration therapy can help your muscles through “improved range of motion and increased blood flow under the skin, muscular strength, power and development.”

However, the study concluded with the caveat that there hasn’t been much research done in this area and more research should be done.

We heard the same thing from Elliott Upton, a personal trainer at Los Angeles-based fitness consultation company Ultimate Performance.

Elliott Upton, a personal trainer at Los Angeles-based fitness consultation company Ultimate Performance confirms that there is some evidence that vibration therapy can help your muscles but that there isn’t enough research to provide a definitive guarantee.

“Exercise equipment or protocols using vibration are certainly not a new thing,” Upton said. “But there is very limited research to show there is any real benefit or efficacy in using vibration therapies or equipment among the general, healthy population.”

He said the existing research indicates blood flow and circulation could benefit from vibration therapy.

“Theoretically, the vibration may increase blood flow and circulation,” Upton told us. “The benefits of increasing blood flow are better muscle health, nutrient delivery to sore muscles, and better recovery – but these can be achieved with more conventional and cost-effective means.”

Those means include adding walking to your daily routine, getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night and staying hydrated.

Dr. Grayson Wickham, a doctor of physical therapy and founder of flexibility and mobility program Movement Vault, took a more positive approach.

Wickham told us multiple studies indicate that vibration therapy can:

• Strengthen muscles
• Increase growth hormone and testosterone levels in tendons
• Decrease the body-wide presence of notorious stress hormone cortisol

The therapy can help “slightly increase bone density in elderly individuals,” he said.

Wickham went on to tell us that long sessions of vibration therapy, however, can lead to muscle fatigue and decreased muscle force.

What all this tells us is that the research about vibration therapy is still forming, there aren’t any specific rules or protocol for how much therapy you should receive depending on your age and other factors, nor is there a general medical consensus that vibration therapy provides consistent benefits.

Pricing and Return Policy

If purchase through the installment plan, you make four monthly payments of $39.99 plus one time fees of $14.99 for the trial free + $19.99 in S&H bringing your total to $194.94

If you don’t cancel your trial by the end of the 30-day trial period, Tristar will charge you $39.99 per month for four months.

You can't also purchase the product in full bringing your total to $156.96.

In either case, Power Legs comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee that starts the day you get your device in the mail.

To process the return, you’ll need to call (973) 287-5164 to get a return authorization number that allows you to return the item. You will be responsible for return shipping costs, which, based on the size of the device, may cost you more than $20.

The return address is Power Legs, 500 Returns Road, Wallingford, CT 06495.

The Bottom Line

There is some existing research that indicates vibration therapy could help you prevent or soothe sore muscles. Because of that, Power Legs has the potential to provide some of the benefits they claim it offers.

However, the study we read and the expert insight we received confirmed that research about this type of muscle therapy is thin. Therefore, you’re left with somewhat of a gamble: Do you spend more than $150 on a device whose scientific support isn’t that strong?

The information we gathered indicates that you may want to avoid Power Legs, as its price tag is high and presets a considerable cost for an unknown longterm outcome.

As an alternative, consider the advice that Upton gave. Adding walking to your daily routine is a way to increase blood flow and circulation, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower your cholesterol levels.

The main difference between walking and Power Legs, however, is that you may be seeking out a product like Power Legs because you can’t walk or have a hard time doing that.

If you find yourself in that position but are concerned about the price of a new Power Legs, check with your health insurance provider or Medicare to find out if vibration machines are covered.