What You Should Know about Massage Guns before Buying One

You have probably heard a lot of talk about massage guns and you may have had a health practitioner such as a physiotherapist, massage therapist or chiropractor recommend that you purchase one. You may have already experienced the amazing effects of a massage gun and would like to have access to one in the comfort of your own home. Massage guns, when used properly, will initially cause some minor discomfort or a dull pain, but it's a good pain and can help provide you some much-needed relief after a long workout.

Massage guns are handheld devices that can be recharged so that you can use them over and over again. Early renditions of massage guns resembled janky jigsaws but since that time they have been refined. They are now the perfect recovery tools that perform much better than foam rollers and hand massages that you can do on your own.

Millions upon millions of massage guns are sold across the world and they are becoming increasingly popular. Word-of-mouth advertising is common since once a person buys a massage gun they don't have any hesitation about telling their family and friends about it. You may have had somebody you know recommend that you get one. They really are that fantastic!

Before rushing out to get one though there are a few things you should know beforehand. These facts will give you the information you need to make a buying decision with complete confidence.

How a Massage Gun Works

BANG massage gun helps to relax and relieve sore muscles by stimulating them. This helps to reduce contractions in the muscles. You know how you feel when you rub a sore muscle and feel some type of relief. This is the same type of effect you can receive with a massage gun but the gun and specialized massage head attachments allow you to work deeper muscles that you can't reach with your hands alone.

The massage gun helps your brain sense the tension and tightness in soft tissues across the body. This includes not only muscles but fascia and tendons as well. When you use a massage gun your attention is more focused on the tightness of the muscle. This allows your brain to concentrate on the tension you're feeling and release it.

Overall Massage Gun Effects

There have been studies done that show that using a massage gun before exercising can help prevent soreness in women that are untrained. There needs to be more research on this topic, however, in order to draw more conclusions. It's not clear at the moment whether a blanket statement can be made that using massage guns before exercise can prevent soreness for everybody.

It is known, however, that blood flow increases due to percussion therapy. Massage guns help nutrients enter into the muscles while at the same time removing any blood pooling in them. This blood pooling can occur when a person has been sedentary for too long. 

Percussion therapy may also help remove metabolic waste that has accumulated during exercise. This can lead to muscle burning, which is commonly felt after a workout.

Percussion versus Vibration

You may have previously used a vibrating tool such as a platform or a foam roller. This type of instrument causes your muscles to shake due to small oscillations. This is how massage guns used to work in the past and this therapy helps to stimulate the flow of blood and help muscles relax. Recently, however, massage guns have been designed to use a percussion model to penetrate deep down and reach targeted muscles. This provides more stimulation to the muscle and can allow faster healing of deeper muscles.

How to Use a Massage Gun

It's important to note that using the massage gun for a minute or two is enough to provide the expected effects. If you use the recovery instrument for longer periods of time the muscle will be overstimulated and more fluids will be driven into the muscle than can flow out. You'll need to have a lot of respect for this massage tool since it's a powerful instrument.

It's also best not to use the massager daily since you may discover that you aren't getting the effects that you would expect by using it so frequently. You should consider using the massage gun every second or third day and alternate its use with a foam roller or other type of therapy.

When to Use Massage Guns

When you have been sitting for too long and feel tight and stressed a massage gun can help loosen up your muscles. After a long, hard work out, massage guns can help muscles cool down and speed up the recovery process. When you use this therapy directly after a workout it can stop the muscles from tightening up. Before exercising, massage guns can also work out muscle knots that have formed in specific areas. You can also use a gun after you've performed a warm up but still feel like your muscles are tight.

It's best not to use a massage gun on any areas that may have been sprained or strained. You should leave these types of injuries up to the professionals. The device should never be used directly on joints, nerves or bones since they have been designed specifically for muscles. Avoid using them for too long or pressing too hard with them. If the massage gun causes any significant pain you should decrease the pressure you are using.

Best Massage Gun Canada

The best massage gun in Canada will be one that gives you the most value for your money. Look for massage guns that will provide you with all the benefits you are looking for at an affordable price point. You'll also want a massage gun that will last for a long time and one that is manufactured by a reliable company that stands behind its products.