SoloMend pods placed between the shoulder blade and spine and on the back of the shoulder

Calm the ache.
Wake the muscle.
Get your shoulder back.

See the system

Recognize any of these?

Sound familiar?

  • Can't sleep on it

    Wakes you at night when you roll onto it.

  • Can't reach behind your back

    Seatbelt, bra strap, back pocket, the back seat.

  • Can't reach the high shelf

    Lifting it overhead catches or pinches.

  • Lifting and pouring

    Even pouring a kettle makes it ache.

  • It hits your traps, not your shoulder

    Presses and raises go to the wrong muscles.

The problem

Here's what's actually going on

The shoulder still moves, so it is easy to miss. But the muscles that should hold and steer it have handed the job to the wrong ones.

  1. The rotator cuff goes quiet

    After an injury, a flare-up, or years of desk, gym or work habits, the rotator cuff and the muscles that steady your shoulder blade stop doing their share.

  2. The traps and front delt take over

    Your upper traps and front delt step in to move the arm. It still moves, so you don't notice the swap.

  3. The shoulder gets loaded the wrong way

    The tendon over the joint carries the load alone, every reach, every carry. Reaching behind, lifting overhead, pouring a kettle or rolling over at night aches.

Why it keeps coming back

Why the usual fixes didn't stick

None of these are wrong. They just never change which muscles are doing the work.

  • Pills and injections

    Turn the volume down but change nothing about which muscles are working.

  • Rest

    Lets the compensation pattern set harder.

  • Physical therapy exercises

    The right idea, but you cannot strengthen a muscle you cannot feel, so the band work goes to your traps and you stop going.

  • Old wired TENS

    Only turned the volume down, badly, with wires, and ended up in a drawer.

You can't strengthen a muscle you can't feel.

How it works

Three phases: Calm, Wake, Strengthen

One system, three jobs. Each 15-minute session moves you through them in order.

  1. Two SoloMend wireless pods worn on the shoulder and upper back Phase 1

    Calm

    Auto mode, or Beat / Knead on their own

    Gentle pulses that quiet the ache signals, felt as a comfortable tingling. The shoulder stops guarding and can be moved, which gets the muscle ready for Wake: a guarded muscle can't be fully switched on.

  2. SoloMend pods placed between the shoulder blade and spine and on the back of the shoulder Phase 2

    Wake

    Auto mode, or Press / Relax on their own

    Muscle stimulation (NMES) makes the muscle under the pads contract, so you feel exactly where it is, and can usually see it too. Same pods, same spot for the whole session, nothing to move.

  3. A resistance band shoulder exercise with the SoloMend pods in place Phase 3

    Strengthen

    Specific cues to target the correct muscles

    Pods off, then the shoulder strengthening routine from the guide while the muscles are still switched on. Five movements, about 15 minutes, twice a week, each taught as a hold first.

Stimulate the muscle while it is relaxed, then do the band movement while the feeling is fresh.

The kit

What you get

Everything you need for all three phases. No surprise subscriptions.

  • Two SoloMend wireless pods

    Two wireless pods

    Each pod works on its own, or control both together from the charging case.

  • SoloMend charging case

    Charging case

    Also works as the controller.

  • Two SoloMend gel pads, one showing the snap connectors and one the adhesive side

    Two gel pads

    Sticks to the pod and your skin -- reusable, just keep the film on between sessions.

  • Free $15 value Two SoloMend resistance bands in brand orange

    Two resistance bands

    Beginner-level resistance, built for rehabbing shoulder muscles. Five movements, about 15 minutes, twice a week, each taught as a hold first.

  • Free $10 value The SoloMend door anchor

    Door anchor

    Loop the bands over any door for the full routine.

  • Free $30 value SoloMend Shoulder Strength Guide, digital guide cover

    Shoulder Strength Guide

    The band routine that's the difference between stretching and actually rebuilding shoulder strength.

The whole system $99.00

From the founder

Why I built this

I was 16 the first time I noticed it, holding a kettle out and watching my own arm shake trying to keep it steady. I had no idea that small weakness was the first sign of something that would take over a decade to fix.

It really started in the university gym, pressing too much weight on a barbell shoulder press. Something in my shoulder gave, but I felt invincible, so I kept training. The pain that followed made it hurt to breathe.

Keep reading Show less

That injury never really left. For years it flared without warning: dumbbell bench, cleans, even pouring tea for someone who noticed I was shrugging into the motion instead of controlling it. It wasn't just the gym either. An hour behind the wheel, one arm braced against it, was enough to set it off. Every flare-up cost me months of progress. Eventually I was training around the pain more than through it, watching my physique stall while guys with a fraction of my consistency passed me by.

The breaking point forced me into real rehab. That's when I discovered the problem was never strength. It was that the muscles meant to control the weight on the way down had gone quiet, and nobody ever taught me to feel them working.

Two years later, I haven't felt that pain once. My shoulders finally look like mine again.

Now I build SoloMend to help people skip the decade it took me: waking up the right muscles, calming the pain, and strengthening what was never trained in the first place.

Niall, founder

Compare

How it compares

Not a pain gadget. A system that covers all three phases.

SoloMend Wired TENS Pills Just exercises
Wireless
Wakes the muscle so you can feel it
Includes rehab kit and guide
Drug-free
Reusable

No-risk trial

Try it for 90 days

Try it for 90 days. If it isn't for you, email us for a full refund. No restocking, disposal or handling fees.

  • No surprise subscriptions: you're never signed up to anything you didn't choose
  • No restocking, disposal or handling fees
  • Replacement gel pads available when you need them, no commitment

Gel pads are reusable: keep the protective film on between sessions and replace them once they no longer stick fully. Replacements are available whenever you need them, and you're never signed up to a subscription you didn't choose.

This product is not a substitute for medical advice. See a clinician for a sudden injury, inability to lift the arm, numbness, or worsening night pain.

FAQ

Questions people ask before buying

Straight answers. If yours isn't here, email us and a person will reply.

I already have a TENS unit. Isn't this the same thing?

No. A TENS unit does one thing: it turns the pain signal down while it's switched on. SoloMend does that in its Calm phase, then does the part a TENS unit was never built for. In the Wake phase the pulse changes, slower and stronger, reaches the muscle behind the tendon and makes it contract. You can feel it, and usually see it. That's the half that rebuilds the shoulder, and no TENS unit can do it. And it's wireless, so you can wear it on the back of your own shoulder.
Does it hurt?

No. You start on the lowest of 16 levels and turn it up until you feel it. The Calm phase feels like a gentle tapping or kneading in the back of the shoulder. The Wake phase feels like the muscle gently tightening and letting go on its own, which you can feel and usually see. Most people describe it as odd the first time and pleasant after that. If it ever feels too strong, you simply turn it down.
Can I put the pods on myself?

Yes. All three spots are easy to reach with your own hand. Shoulder blade: reach over the top of the sore shoulder with your other hand and feel the firm ridge across the blade; the pod goes just below it. Beside the armpit: bring the same hand under your armpit and round to your back; the pod goes just behind the crease. Back of the shoulder cap: reach over the top of the shoulder and your hand is already on it. If you can touch the spot, you can place the pod. No wires, nothing to tangle.
I did physical therapy and the exercises didn't help. Why would these?

Two reasons. The stronger muscles at the front and top did the exercises for you, because nobody gave you the cue that keeps the work at the back. And most sheets work the rotator cuff alone and skip the rear deltoid, the muscle that's hardest to isolate and that most shoulder rehab misses. SoloMend wakes the muscles at the back first; then the Shoulder Strength Guide gives you the cue for every move, and the rear deltoid is in it.
I've never done exercises like this. Can a complete beginner do them?

Yes. Every movement starts as a hold with a light band, and the guide shows you where you should feel it and where you shouldn't. It's built for people who have never trained a day in their life. And it still works for people who go to the gym every week, because the muscles it works are the ones most workouts skip.
I've been told I have a rotator cuff tear. Will this help with the pain?

In most cases the tear isn't what hurts: over half of pain-free people over 60 have one and never know. The pain comes from the muscles that have switched off and the tendon carrying the load alone. SoloMend wakes those muscles and the bands make them strong, which is what the guidelines recommend first for most tears. It doesn't stitch a tendon back together, and a sudden tear that stops you lifting your arm needs a doctor first. But if the pain built up over time, from wear on the tendon rather than an injury, that is exactly the pain this is built for: use the device and follow the guides.
I've been told I have shoulder impingement. Will this help?

The pinch is real, but the 2018 trials showed that making more room didn't fix the pain. The pain comes from the shut-down muscles behind the tendon and the load the tendon carries alone, and that's what the whole system works on: the pods wake those muscles, the bands rebuild them. It doesn't remove a bone spur, and it isn't a substitute for a doctor's assessment.
I've also been told it's biceps tendonitis.

The biceps tendon runs through the same crowded gap at the front of the shoulder, so when the key shoulder muscles are off it takes extra strain for the same reason. Getting them working again takes the load off both tendons at once.
How long does it take each day?

The pod session is 15 minutes a day and switches itself off. The band routine is about 15 minutes, twice a week, done after a pod session while the muscles are awake. That's 30 minutes a week of exercise.
How does it charge?

The pods charge inside the case. The case charges through the USB-C port on its base, with any USB-C cable.
Is it safe?

Yes. SoloMend is an FDA-cleared muscle-stimulation device, and you control the intensity from the lowest of 16 levels. The exceptions: don't use it with a pacemaker or any other implanted electronic device, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with epilepsy. The full list is in the Device Guide.
How long do the pads last, and how do I reorder?

The gel pads are reusable. Put the protective film back on after each session. If a pad needs it, detach the pod and clean the gel gently with a little water, then let it air-dry (no alcohol). Replace a pad once it's damaged or no longer sticks fully.

Replacement pads are sold on their own, so you order them when you actually need them. You're never signed up to a subscription or auto-ship without choosing it, and there are no surprise recurring charges.
Can I use it on both shoulders?

Yes, one shoulder at a time with one set of pods. If you want to run both shoulders together, or share with a partner, a second pod pair is available after purchase.
How long does shipping take?

Delivery times once your order is dispatched:

United States: 5 to 8 business days.

United Kingdom: 3 to 5 business days.

Australia: 4 to 7 business days.

Canada: 5 to 7 business days.
What if it isn't for me?

Try it for 90 days. If it isn't for you, email us for a full refund. Returns go to our US or UK warehouse. No restocking, disposal or handling fees.

Ready when you are

Calm it. Wake it. Strengthen it.

Two wireless pods, charging case, gel pads, resistance bands and the placement guide. One system, one price, 90-day money-back guarantee.

$99.00$200.00One payment. No surprise subscriptions.
  • 90-day money-back guarantee
  • Returns to a US or UK warehouse
  • Delivered in 3 to 8 business days