Massage guns are unique tools for releasing muscle pain and enhancing health. Learn more about the benefits of percussion massagers in this blog post.
A good massage gun can be pretty pricey, but the benefits can far outweigh the cost for many people. If you can prevent injuries (which normally include visits to the sports masseuse, physical therapist, or doctor), it seems like a pretty wise investment. You can use massage guns to treat pain, tension, and injuries in muscles and localized body regions. Using this device correctly and regularly can improve your body's athletic capabilities and work to reduce stress in the body and mind.
Want to know more about the massage tool sought after by spas and fitness centers? Keep reading to learn about massage gun benefits, how to use a massage gun, and how a massage gun works. If you frequently suffer from delayed onset muscle soreness after your workouts and sports activities, you should keep reading!
Massage Guns Explained
With spas and fitness centers closed during the pandemic, many people were forced to explore at-home methods to reduce muscle soreness and tension. Let's take a look at one of the top technologies for keeping you healthy and pain-free.
What Is A Massage Gun?
A massage gun is similar in design to a handheld drill. The difference is, of course, that t has a rubber attachment at the end designed to stimulate the muscles using targeted percussive therapy. The massage gun comes with numerous rubber attachments to suit the shape and size of different muscles in the body. You can also use the massage gun to help break up scar tissue and alleviate pain.
What Is A Massage Gun Used For?
Massage guns are used to treat muscle soreness, and muscle tension, and can help improve performance for sports like weight lifting that place strain on the muscles. Massage guns can offer quick relief for areas in the body that have tightness or knots throughout the day, leading to further stress if left unremedied.
How Do Massage Guns Work?
Massage guns work similarly to a small rubber hammer repeatedly pounding the muscles. The impact of the massage gun causes blood to rush to the soft tissue in the area. This warms the tissue and helps to alleviate tension. This kind of muscle relaxation is called percussion therapy. Massage guns are similar to foam rollers, in that they both offer Self-Myofascial Release (SMR), but they achieve this in very different ways. Foam rollers use your own weight to more gently treat a larger area, while massage guns provide the body with percussion therapy in much more targeted treatment.
Differences Between A Massage Gun And Other Devices
A massage gun is different from a whole-body vibration massager. This is because a vibration massager is less powerful and can’t massage deeply. A massage gun, or percussion massager, has a more powerful motor and reaches much deeper into the muscle tissue to decrease lactic acid, improve blood flow, and increase oxygen required for recovery.
Things You Need To Know About How To Buy A Massage Gun
If you're seeking to buy a massage gun, you will need to know exactly what to look for. Here is some information about pricing and features for massage guns.
How Much Does A Massage Gun Cost?
Massage guns can cost between $49 and $399 or more, which is a huge price range. It is recommended that you invest a little more in order to avoid buying cheaply manufactured massage guns. The better ones will be quieter, have more features, better warranties, and will last longer.
Features To Consider In A Massage Gun
When looking for the perfect massage gun for your needs, there are several features to consider.
Settings
Various areas of the body have different sensitivity levels, which means you will need a massage gun with varying intensity levels. There should be lower settings for sensitive areas and higher settings for tricky or painful areas.
Speed And Power
The speed and power of the massage gun will determine how well it can provide relief for the muscles. The power determines the depth the massage gun can reach with each penetration, and the speed will determine the frequency with which the gun can hammer the muscles.
Design And Comfort
You want to use your massage gun while watching the TV, listening to music, or having a conversation, so it's best to opt for a quieter design which means you will be able to use the massager while doing other things. If you have trouble reaching certain areas of your body and don't have anyone to help you, it's best to opt for designs with extended handles for optimum reach.
Warranty
If you're investing in a high-quality massage gun, this can be pretty costly. If your massage gun breaks, this can be hundreds of dollars down the drain. This is why it's best to opt for a massage gun that comes with a good warranty to get it replaced or repaired if it breaks.
Customer's Reviews
Before purchasing your massage gun, it's a good idea to check out the customer reviews to see if you will get your money's worth. If there are many negative reviews of the effectiveness of the massage gun and the life span, it may be best to opt for a different model.
15 Benefits Of Massage Guns For Health
Now that you know what a massage gun is and how to purchase one let's explore the benefits you can receive from regularly using your new massage gun.
1) Relieve Stress And Relax Localized Parts Of The Body
We all suffer from stress in the body, but enlisting the help of a massage therapist or physical therapist can be pretty costly, and we may not be able to find the time for an hour-long massage appointment across town. Having a massage gun handy can help you to relieve stress quickly and efficiently. When we are stressed, we can get knots in areas like our back, shoulders, and neck, and a massage gun can help reduce this inflammation and tension by stimulating blood flow in the area.
2) Increases Blood And Lymphatic Circulation
Improving your blood circulation can have tremendous benefits for your overall health. A full body massage using your massage gun can help to stimulate better circulation throughout the body and relieve symptoms like fatigue, swelling, cramps, and coldness associated with poor circulation. The massage gun can also stimulate lymphatic circulation in the body and improve the dispersion of lymphatic fluid throughout the body to drain your lymphatic system, which eliminates toxins and decreases inflammation.
3) Encourages Healing Of Atrophied Muscles
Muscle atrophy is the wasting or thinning of muscle mass, which can cause weakness and even paralysis in the limbs. Using a massage gun on atrophied muscles can help wake up the muscles and stimulate faster healing with improved flexibility.
4) Improves Mobility By Stimulating Nerve Receptors
When you use a massage gun on the muscles, you can improve the mobility of your muscles by stimulating nerve receptors. This encourages vasodilation in the skin and muscles, improving mobility and sports performance.
5) Breaks Up Scar Tissue By Massaging Collagen Fibers, Alleviating Pain
Scar tissue is made from a build-up of collagen fibers. If you have had an injury or surgery, there may be scar tissue on the skin's surface, limiting the range of motion or strength in that area. A massage gun can help break up these collagen fibers and slowly adapt the scar tissue to move more quickly than it adapts to your body's natural trends.
6) Improves Sports Performance
With the better range of motion and flexibility of the joints caused by using the massage gun, you will notice better sports performance. Your circulation will also be improved, which will help to increase your stamina. You can use the massage gun to warm up and cool down the muscles for sports and strenuous activities like weightlifting.
7) Facilitates Injury Rehabilitation And Prevention
If you use the massage gun to warm up your muscles before your workout, you will be able to lower your chances of straining muscles that haven't been warmed up properly, preventing injury. If you injure your muscles, you can rehabilitate them using a massage gun to bring blood to the area and promote healing.
8) Promotes Muscle Recovery
Studies have shown that massage guns can improve muscle recovery and flexibility. If you frequently suffer from delayed onset muscle soreness, you may be frustrated by the length of time it takes for your muscles to recover before exercising them again. Use a massage gun on areas where you feel delayed onset muscle soreness. Move the device slowly over the place for two minutes, and stretch the muscles for the best results.
9) Releases Lactic Acid, Alleviating Any Pain
Intense exercise can cause lactic acid to build up in the body, which is why you experience muscle soreness after exercise. Using a massage gun after your workout can help delay and reduce muscle soreness by decreasing the muscle's ability to hold onto this lactic acid. Massage guns can provide whole-body vibration therapy that can be useful for physical therapists in alleviating DOMs.
10) Enhances Range Of Motion In Minutes
Using a massage gun can help increase mobility by working on the muscles, connective tissues, ligaments, tendons, and joints, which all have a part to play in our mobility. Your joints are more flexible after using a massage gun, which means you will have enhanced athletic performance.
11) Improves Flexibility
Similarly, as well as promoting mobility, massage guns can help to improve flexibility, making the joints more malleable and less vulnerable to strains and sprains that may set you back and prevent progression.
12) Boosts Immune System
The lymphatic system is responsible for many bodily functions that provide immunity from viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Lack of exercise, poor nutrition, dehydration, and little physical touch can cause the lymphatic system to be less effective. Using a massage gun can boost your immune system by physically stimulating the lymphatic system.
13) Improves Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia, Sciatica, And Osteoarthritis
In addition to alleviating pain caused by exercise, massage guns can help to relieve muscle tension and pain caused by fibromyalgia, sciatica, and osteoarthritis. One study found that patients who have fibromyalgia could significantly improve their quality of life by using massage gun benefits.
14) Improves Depression And Anxiety Symptoms
A massage gun can help alleviate tension in the body caused by anxiety and depression, which can lessen the overall impact of anxiety and depression on the body. Pairing the use of a massage gun with breathing exercises and yoga can stimulate the blood flow, provide tension release, and improve one's ability to manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
15) Helps Sleep And Proper Rest
Massage therapy using the device can help alleviate stress and tension in the body and help you sleep better by relaxing the nervous system. Use the device for two minutes on each muscle group in the body to relax the muscles before sleeping.
Risks Associated With Massage Guns
As with any tool, it’s important to become educated on the correct usage of a deep tissue massage gun. If you are unsure of whether or not a massage gun is right for you, consult with your doctor.
Incorrect Use Of Massage Guns
For the most part, a massage gun is very simple and easy to use. However, there are some things you should avoid:
- Massaging any bone directly (particularly the bones in the neck and the spine, or any joints with arthritis pain).
- If you have fibromyalgia, avoid intense tissue massage, which can cause a pain flare-up.
- Keep your use of the massage gun short, and do not use it on any area for over 3 minutes.
Aggravating Injuries And Chronic Conditions
If you have injuries or a chronic condition, deep tissue massage can cause pain signals to fire and aggravate the injury. This is why you should avoid any painful areas and listen to your body while using vibration therapy.
How To Avoid Risks When Using Massage Guns
The muscle tissue is sensitive and should be treated gently, so here are some of the best tips for using a massage gun safely.
Start With A Slow Setting
It's always best to start with a slow setting to ensure you don't hurt yourself with too much pressure. A slow setting works just as well to draw blood into the area, and you can turn up the setting should you require deeper penetration.
Avoid Using The Massage Gun In Bony Areas, Nerves, Vessels, Pulled Muscles, And Torn Ligaments
Areas that have been injured and sensitive areas with nerves and blood vessels should be avoided when using the massage gun. You should also avoid bony areas such as the spine, as a direct impact on the neck or spine could cause discomfort and injury.
Don't Over-Massage Any Areas Of The Body
You should use the massage gun in moderation and avoid over-massaging any areas of the body. Otherwise, you may overwork the muscle, leading to irritation and bruising. It's best to sweep the area for around 2 minutes before moving to another tense area.
Always Follow The Manufacturer's Recommendations
The instructions that come with your massage gun will instruct you on how to use the gun correctly and safely and may provide education on the best moves for each area. Follow the instructions, and you will be sure to use the gun safely. Or, if you need further instruction, use resources available on the internet to instruct you on the massage techniques to use.