Hannover 96 putting players in something called a Melting Dome

Nothing about this picture looks right.

Hannover 96 are enjoying a splendid season in the Bundesliga, currently sitting third in the table. One of the secrets to their success has been a machine that helps keep the club's players with back problems, like Didier Konan Ya (pictured above), healthy. A machine called a "Melting Dome." Which, admittedly, doesn't sound like something you'd want to put humans in. It's also called a "back toaster," but that doesn't sound much better.

Anyway, according to Bild, the machine was first used in the Bundesliga by FC Cologne to treat Lu-Lu-Lu Lukas Podolski and is now a regular part of Hannover 96 players' daily routines. They typically spend 20-30 minutes in the heated tube to treat the muscles and deep tissue. Says physio Ralf Blume:

"It is sort of a one-person sauna. This creates a heat build up that purifies the body. This gives the players a lot less back problems than before."

Sounds wonderful. But I'm still not getting in something called a Melting Dome that is operated by a guy who looks like he wishes it would literally melt people every time he presses those buttons.

Photo: Bild