This is my second kneeling chair. The first one was a relatively cheap metal contraption from a local home improvement store. That one had wheels which turned out to be a weak point. Another weak point was its squeakiness and sideways instability. It also had a feature that I almost never used: adjustable height of the seat. So after all this experience, I set out to find one without all those. From this respect, this stool is perfect: comfortable and not noisy. (I guess it also helps that I am of average height.) Moving it around is a little harder, but at least it is sturdy.Is it good for pain relief? Unfortunately, it only turns out when you actually start using it. Surely not good for all lower-back pains, but if your back is not yet in very bad shape it may help slow its deterioration. (At least, this is my hope.)This stool behaves like a rocking chair: it has a stable range in the middle but you can push it outside that stable position and reach an extreme range where the stool wants to return into the stable range. I have never felt insecure or likely to fall off, so it is a good design. There is a little sideways motion, but not too much if you are not too close to the upper weight limit. I do not use it every day, only at the weekends, or some evenings during the week.The trickiest thing was its assembly. Not because it is difficult (one person is enough and all the tools are provided) but there are too many ways to do it in the wrong way and the instructions are not too clear in the minute details (or my eyes are not good enough to see those clearly). The winning strategy for me was to start it from the seats (just the other way around as the instructions suggested). This way it was easier to figure out which direction the connecting pieces have to be in.All in all, it is a good buy. Durability will turn out in the long run. Ask me in a few years' time.