Navigating the Power of Massage Guns for Muscle Recovery
Many people have recently ditched traditional massages for massage guns. This tiny percussion device stimulates muscles more deeply than old vibrating gadgets. Moreover, new massage guns boast affordability, mobility, and user-friendliness.
Massage gun benefits abound — these handy gadgets promote circulation, ease pain, and reduce stress. Let's take a closer look at how these devices work and how to use them properly to maximize their effectiveness.
Massage Guns: What Are They and How Do They Work?
This small, handheld device uses percussion therapy to eliminate tension, warm muscle tissue, and enhance blood flow in specific areas. Unlike conventional therapeutic massages, a massage gun makes it easy to exert pressure more precisely.
Meanwhile, high-powered motors allow them to penetrate tissue deeply, thus increasing mobility, easing tension, and regenerating muscles faster. While anyone can purchase and utilize these gadgets, they are a hit among pro athletes seeking to relieve sore muscles after a workout.
The prices vary depending on the brand/model — some can cost less than $100, while others can go up to $500. Most devices are wireless, use a rechargeable battery, and have several interchangeable components.
Massage Gun Benefits
A massage gun can benefit both professionals and non-athletes, providing some of the following advantages:
- Lower delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) — Sometimes, you can feel the soreness 24–72 hours after physical activity, caused by small tears in the muscle fibers. According to research, percussion therapy can increase skin temperature, improve blood flow, and reduce inflammation and pain caused by DOMS.
- Improved mobility — Limited physical activity, trauma, or repetitive movements can cause fascia (layers of fluid and tissue) to tighten around the muscles. A massage gun can help distribute fascia fluid and relieve this discomfort.
- Relieved sciatic pain — The sciatic nerve runs from your lower back through the legs. When inflamed, it causes sharp pain, numbness, and needle sensations. Since the gun can perform a deep tissue massage, it can help ease the pain.
- Enhanced blood and lymph circulation — If correctly applied, a massage gun benefits better blood circulation, supplying nutrients and oxygen to the body. It relaxes the muscles involved in circulation resistance. Moreover, a massager stimulates lymph nodes, helping the lymphatic fluid travel to the areas of the body where it is needed.
- Reducing muscle tension and providing pain relief — Percussion massagers bombard the nervous system with high-intensity stimulus, inhibiting muscle tension. They can also significantly decrease chronic pain if used on the muscles guarding the injured area.
Additionally, massage gun use showed promising results in improving sleep and immunity, reducing lactic acid build-up, promoting faster healing, and preventing injuries.
What to Look for When Buying a Massage Gun
A simple search for a muscle massage gun would have yielded numerous results. Thus, you must find the one that will address your pain points without causing any harm.
Before you purchase one, factor in the following:
- Battery — Some massagers can run very long on a single charge, while others must be recharged more frequently. Since battery life is always a concern, find the one you can plug in when using it.
- Speed — Multiple speed settings allow you to target different muscle groups, as not all withstand the same pressure.
- Attachments — Pick a gun with several detachable heads, allowing you to customize it according to your needs.
- Weight — Find a light massager, preferably between 2 and 4 pounds, since you may hold it in one hand for 10 or more minutes until you finish one muscle group.
- Ergonomics — A massage gun should help you reach all the areas you want to massage. According to researchers, triangle-shaped grip massagers proved best in this regard.
How to Use a Massage Gun Correctly
Massage guns are highly effective at relieving tension, and they can be used at any time. Many individuals use them before and after a workout. When combined with pre-workout cardio and stretches, the massage gun improves mobility, activates the muscles, and increases blood flow. When used post-workout on every muscle group, it reduces soreness and inflammation, promotes relaxation, and helps maintain blood flow.
Here are a few massage gun tips and guidelines on how to use it effectively:
- Select the desired speed and intensity — Massage guns have different speeds, settings, and interchangeable heads, so you need to figure out what’s best for you. Start with low intensity to control the pressure on the muscles.
- Point it directly to the muscle — Find the tight area, target the muscle, and point the gun’s head at it. Don’t push or add any pressure, but move the head across the area gently. Stay in one spot for at least 15 seconds, and cover the entire area in two minutes because you don’t want to overstimulate the muscle. Hold the massage gun for a few extra seconds if the muscle is sore or tight. In case of discomfort or pain, stop immediately.
- Avoid certain areas — A massage gun will cause more pain than relief in certain spots. Therefore, you should not use it on open wounds, joints, bony areas (elbows, the nape of your neck), or places with acute pain or injury, as it can only aggravate the issue.
- Limit your use — Regardless of how great it feels, don’t use the device for more than several minutes on a single muscle group. It is best to follow the manufacturer's recommendation.
- Take breaks — Monitor how your body responds to the massage gun, and take a few days off before using it again.
Conclusion
As you can see, a massage gun offers the benefit of deep tissue therapy whenever you feel discomfort or pain. It can reduce stress quickly, and you can add it to your exercise and recovery routine to reap plenty of benefits.
However, it’s worth noting that you must consult your doctor or physical therapist before using a massage gun, especially if you are pregnant and have deep vein thrombosis, arthritis, nerve sensitivity, low bone density, or any injury.
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