IntelliSkin Review: Best Compression Shirt for Back Pain

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If you are looking for the best compression shirt for back pain, you may have come across the IntelliSkin Foundation shirt. How does the compression shirt work and does it stop back pain and improve your posture?

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In this IntelliSkin review, we dive deeper into what the shirt is, how it works, and the results you should expect.

Let’s get started.

Improve Your Posture with the IntelliSkin Foundation 2.0/Eve Shirt

The IntelliSkin Foundation 2.0/Eve shirt looks like any other compression shirt. The shirt fits tightly and it can be difficult to imagine how it helps to stop back pain.

Most posture correctors use a traditional style brace that pulls the shoulders back, which often results in restricted body motion.

The IntelliSkin shirt is different since it has no snaps, straps, or buckles. Therefore, when wearing the shirt, your body’s range of motion will not be restricted.

We love the shirt because it is fashionable and, hence, does not have to be hidden underneath your clothing.

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IntelliSkin Reviews: Background of the Company

Before we go further with this IntelliSkin review, it is important to provide some background information about the company behind the product and explain how the shirt works.

In the 1970s, a Japanese doctor known as Dr. Kenzo Kase started a concept known as Kinesio taping. The concept involves taping various parts of the body such as the legs, arms, and torso for various health benefits such as supporting the muscles, enhancing performance, relieving pain, and improving posture. This technique is popular with many top performing athletes.

Kinesio taping seems similar to athletic taping. However, the two concepts are quite different.

Athletic Taping vs Kinesio Taping

In athletic taping, athletes are taped with a rigid tape to restrict their muscles’ range of motion. The practice has no rehabilitative benefits and is only used for a short time.

On the other hand, with Kinesio taping, flexible taping that still allows a full range of motion is used on targeted areas of the body. A person usually has to wear the tapes for several days for rehabilitative purposes and pain relief.

How Does Intelliskin Posture Shirt Work?

The IntelliSkin shirt uses Kinesio taping and compression shirt techniques. Therefore, it works similarly to Kinesio taping. The company refers to this technology as “PostureCue”.

The IntelliSkin shirt features strips of PostureCue materials that work in a similar manner to the Kinesio tapes. The strips are sewn on the back and shoulders of a compression shirt. The tight fitting nature of the compression shirt ensures that the strips are held in place on your back and shoulders.

The bands do not physically hold your shoulders in place like traditional braces do. Instead, they help to train the muscle memory by aligning the spine and the shoulders.

The PostureCue strips send signals to your brain to relax or tighten specific muscle groups depending on your posture. Therefore, when wearing the IntelliSkin shirt, you will be compelled to maintain good posture. The PostureCue fabric will help your brain know whether to relax or tighten your muscles at any time.

IntelliSkin Foundation/Eve Shirt Founder

The inventor of IntelliSkin is Dr. Tim Brown, a California physician with extensive knowledge and experience in Kinesio taping technique. Dr. Brown has a Doctor of Chiropractor degree and in 1984, developed an advanced kinesio taping method he dubbed “Specific Proprioceptive Response Taping” (S.P.R.T.).

Over the years, Dr. Brown has taught his technique to thousands of orthopedists, athletic trainers, physiatrists, chiropractors, and sports medicine specialists.

Dr. Brown’s company has developed a full range of back pain and posture support apparel, including bras, shorts, and shirts. The IntelliSkin Foundation 2.0/Eve shirt is the company’s most successful product.

How Much Does Intelliskin Shirt Cost?

The IntelliSkin shirt costs about $100 and is available on Amazon. You can see the men’s shirt price and women’s shirt price on Amazon. The shirt is sold with a 100 percent money back guarantee and is shipped with a return poly mailer together with a pre-printed return label.

When you get your package, open the mailer carefully just in case you would want to return the shirt. If you get the wrong size shirt or do not like the shirt, you can repackage it, stick the provided return label on top of the original, and ship it back to the company.

You should expect a refund in 3 business days from the date your return package is received by the company.

IntelliSkin Size and Color Options

The IntelliSkin shirt comes in seven sizes and two color schemes; black & silver and white & silver. If you want to alleviate back pain or improve your posture, it is important to order the correct size.

When it comes to sizing, there are different shirt sizes for men and women. The men’s shirt is referred to as the “Foundation” while the women’s is known as “Eve”.

The two shirts are identical in appearance and style, except for their cut, length of the sleeves, and location of the product logo. For the men’s shirt, the logo is at the top left while for the women’s, it is at the bottom right.

There is no much difference in the sizing of the men’s and women’s shirt.

IntelliSkin Sizing Guide

The Foundation shirt is available in seven different sizes, from XS (x-small) to XXXL.

IntelliSkin Foundation (Men’s) Shirt Sizing

Below is the IntelliSkin sizing guide as obtained from the manufacturer’s website.

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How to Measure Men’s Size

To measure the men’s Foundation shirt size, use a home tape measure to take the chest measurement. You will need help from another person to take the measurement.

Run the tape measure across the back and under the armpits so that it is around the largest point of your chest. Make sure the tape measure is not bowed or twisted when running across the back.

To get the most accurate reading, we recommend getting bare-chested before taking the measurement.

After taking the measurement, match it with your weight and then choose the corresponding shirt size using the chart above.

If your chest size and weight do not match with the numbers on the chart, decide which measurement is important (either the weight or chest size) and then determine the shirt that would best fit your body size.

Remember, the IntelliSkin shirt works best when it is tightly fitting.

IntelliSkin Eve (Women’s) Shirt Sizing

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How to Measure Women’s Size

When measuring women’s size, you have to consider four measurements: hips, waist, underbust, and overbust. Below is an explanation of how to measure each:

• Hips – Take the measurement around the widest point of your hips
• Waist – Take the measurement of the smallest part of the torso, between the hip bone and bottom rib
• Underbust – Take the measurement underneath the fullest part of your bust while wearing a bra
• Overbust – Take the measurement around the fullest part of your bust while wearing a bra

Anytime you are taking the measurements, the tape measure should not be sagging or bowing.

After taking the measurements, compare them to those listed on the IntelliSkin women’s sizing chart above and choose the shirt that best accommodates your body style.

If your body does not exactly match the measurements on the chart, you will have to compromise. For instance, you may find that your hips, underbust, and overbust are all within a specific size range but the waist measurement is slightly larger than the specifications. In such a case, the shirt will fit you properly on the upper portion but the hips may be a bit snug.

Remember, IntelliSkin compression shirts stretch quite nicely.

Materials Used and Care Instructions

The body of the IntelliSkin shirt is manufactured in the USA and is made of a combination of Nylon (56%) and Lycra (44%). The contrast is made of Poly (91%) and Spandex (9%).

The compression shirt should be washed on the gentle cycle in cold water and hung dry. Do not dry clean or iron the shirt.

IntelliSkin is trusted by many athletes to improve their back muscle alignment and relieve pain. Medical experts such as chiropractors and sports physicians also recommend it for treating back pains.

There are also tons of IntelliSkin reviews on Amazon. Majority of customers are happy with the shirts and indicate they experienced a better posture and their back pain subsided due to wearing the shirt.

There are also a few negative reviews, mostly from customers that did not order the right size shirt. This is what it’s important to take your measurement correctly to determine the right shirt to buy.

Personal IntelliSkin Review: How Does it Perform?

I’m an average overweight male and spend most of my time in front of a computer designing graphics for clients as I occasionally stretch my hand to the art printer next to me to change the photo print papers.

After seeing the testimonials of IntelliSkin shirt from athletes and medical professionals, I decided to order it to see whether it would work for me, an average American.

Arrival and Initial Fitting

I ordered the XL size shirt and it arrived in 3 days, neatly packaged inside a large ziplock bag. When I opened the package, the shirt seemed small for the XL size I had ordered. I had to check the tag to confirm that it is indeed an XL size.

On initial observation, the shirt seemed well-engineered and was tapered at the armpit area and mid-section. It is easy to see that the shirt is designed to follow the body shape.

The sleeves were extra-long and the shirt was generously long, which meant I could bend without fearing it rising up.

I carefully wore the shirt over my body and it felt great. The shirt has a silky smooth touch and looks cool. Moreover, it was not restrictive as I had thought compression shirts are.

When wearing the compression shirt, I noticed that my back was aligned straight and this made me feel a couple of inches taller.

Like is recommended by the manufacturer, I wore the shirt for an hour for the next couple of days to get a feel of how it works before I could start wearing it the whole day.

Over the next four weeks, I wore the shirt for over 200 hours and I have the results here for you!

Wearing IntelliSkin at the Office

You will look cool wearing the IntelliSkin Foundation at the gym. However, the shirt is not the best attire to wear in an office environment.

When going to work, I decided to wear the shirt underneath my dress shirt. I struggled to get the shirt on in the morning but once I managed, it felt soothing. I could feel some elasticity on the shoulder area, which meant that the posture corrector was working its magic even when I was wearing a loose-fitting dress shirt on top.

I headed off to work at my computer desk as usual. I wasn’t sure whether the shirt would help me maintain an upright posture during the 10 hours work shift. However, I seemed to be more aware of my posture and my back seemed to be upright all the time.

At the end of the workday, I was surprised that I had spent the whole day without slouching on my design as I usually do.

After work, I went home, removed the Foundation shirt and tossed it into the washing machine. I later hung it to dry overnight. The shirt is made from light material and by the time I was removing it from the washing machine, it was almost dry.

I wore the IntelliSkin Foundation shirt for the next 4 days and continued to experience even better results. My shoulders and back started to feel less stressed and fatigued with each passing day. By the end of the week, I was feeling fabulous. I know that the shirt was helping to improve my posture.

Over the next four weeks that I wore the Foundation shirt, it performed better than I ever had anticipated. I even ordered a second one so that I could rotate wearing the shirts when I washed the other. I wore the shirt literally everywhere I went; to work, to the gym, during weekends walking, and so on.

I’ve been suffering from back pain for a long time and have used various back braces. I’ve found the IntelliSkin Foundation to be the most comfortable and least restrictive posture corrector on the market.

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Pros

• Helps to correct posture while relieving back, neck and shoulder pain
• Satisfaction guarantee. Full refund offered if you are not satisfied with the product
• Machine washable
• Highly rated on Amazon
• Endorsed by multiple medical professionals and sports celebrities
• You can wear it without having to conceal it
• It is sewn with precision to provide a great fit
• It’s lightweight, comfortable, and soft
• No buckles, snap or straps
• Invented by a doctor with experience in Kinesio taping

Cons

• Is very tight fitting. You will take some time to get used to it
• The shirt is a little pricey

Verdict

The IntelliSkin compression shirt (for men and women ) is sleek, does not have straps and easily conceals underneath your shirt. This makes it an excellent posture shirt for office workers or anyone looking to ease back, shoulder and neck pain caused by poor posture.

The only issue I have with the shirt is its high price, which is worth it, in my opinion.

If you are looking for a practical solution to a common problem, I recommend you get the IntelliSkin Foundation shirt.

Editor’s Note

This is a guest post by Kevin Harter of Crystalint Media. Physioster welcomes guest posts related to physiotherapy from professionals in different fields. Get in touch with us if you’d like to submit a guest post.