Temple Massager, a veteran owned & operated small business, has been awarded an AFWERX Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense through the Air Force to explore broader use of the Temple Massager® wellness device to address a variety of medical and behavioral health issues facing military personnel.
The U.S. government has shown increased interest in non-pharmaceutical treatments for headaches to help address the current opioid epidemic. Researchers are examining non-medication treatment options to address stress, depression, sleep health, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To lower reliance on pain pills, researchers are working to identify headache-causing triggers and studying potential treatments to include massage, relaxation skills, and stress management. Temple Massager is designed to meet this pressing need by providing targeted physical stimulation and aroma therapy.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to help service members and veterans by creating an enhanced version of our device specifically designed for their unique needs,” said SPC Joe Meisch, Founder and CEO of Temple Massager, and former U.S. Army combat engineer.
Military personnel and other first responders face a wide range of stressors as part of their normal duties. The link between work-related stress and impaired functioning is well-documented, and performance is negatively correlated with stress. As the Congressional Research Service stated in a report this year “service members are more prone to unique conditions and situations that result in physical and mental health issues such as head trauma, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These may also lead to substance abuse and related disorders.”
Many of these problems can be alleviated or resolved with non-drug therapies, such as deep muscle relaxation. The Temple Massager was developed from battlefield experience to help soldiers cope with stress. It is easy to use, and proven to deliver deep muscle relaxation and reduce stress.
About Temple Massager: Temple Massager is a veteran owned and operated small business devoted to helping service members and first responders improve work performance and more effectively deal with stress. Designed by a combat engineer, this patented device took eight years to develop and is currently available commercially online at https://www.templemassager.com/. The Temple Massager is a portable device designed to promote deep muscle relaxation of the temporal muscle, the largest muscle in the head, responsible for chewing and the source of chronic conditions such as teeth grinding, and headaches. If left untreated these conditions can lead to long-term damage to the musculoskeletal system and are associated with head trauma and sleep disorders.