Exploring the Impact of Massage Guns on Health
Massage guns are handheld devices designed to deliver percussive therapy directly into muscle groups, providing percussive therapy treatments that may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness, improve flexibility and stimulate the nervous system.
Peake advises people to use guns with care to prevent damage. Applying too much force could damage blood vessels or cause bruising if done improperly, according to him.
Improved Blood Circulation
Poor circulation can have detrimental effects on muscles, joints, and ligaments. A massage gun can help improve circulation by providing oxygen rich blood to reach muscles and tissues and flush away waste products accumulated therein – also aiding muscle recovery post workout! Percussion and vibration from massage guns stimulate lymphatic systems which act as the second leg of circulation and carry interstitial fluid from organs like your lungs or heart back into circulation for reuse by your circulatory system.
Massage guns feature vibrations and percussion to increase skin elasticity, leading to greater flexibility and range of motion, decreasing injury risk and making physical activities simpler for performing.
Massage guns can also help improve nerve function. By stimulating the nervous system, massage guns cause your brain to produce or release feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine which help improve your mood, motivation and can lower stress levels.
Massage guns can also help prevent muscle stiffness and pain by loosening tight muscles to improve mobility, which in turn prevents overcompensation from other muscle groups and prevent pain or stiffness from building up. Their pounding action helps loosen them quickly for increased freedom of movement, helping avoid painful stiffness in muscles.
Massage guns are used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to enhance their performance. According to one study, using one minute of massage gun massage on major muscles before strength training sessions increases bench press reps before fatigue sets in.
As with any device, massage guns pose certain risks. Massage guns should only be used on areas of sensitive tissue like eyes, nose or knees where injuries have already occurred and improper use can make your injuries worse or delay healing timeframes; for this reason it’s recommended that physical therapists or doctors be consulted prior to using one themselves. When starting off using your massage gun it is wise to start on low settings before gradually increasing them – using it at too high a setting can drive inflammation into muscles, slow down recovery times and increase muscle soreness levels causing further delays or soreness during recovery processes as well.
Increased Lymphatic Stimulation
Percussive vibration from a massage gun increases lymphatic circulation, pushing out toxins from muscles into your bloodstream for elimination, which in turn helps reduce muscle soreness caused by exercise (delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS). Furthermore, increased lymphatic circulation allows your body to better absorb oxygen and nutrients for faster recovery and enhanced performance.
After using a massage gun, the lactic acid and waste products that accumulate in your muscles can be more quickly eliminated, helping keep you motivated for workouts and keeping injuries at bay. But be careful not to overdo it with pressure; an expert advises using lower settings for no more than two minutes on each large muscle group before moving onto another area – anything over that can drive waste deeper into muscles without being released properly, leading to injury and soreness.
Massage guns not only help improve myofascia – the connective tissue surrounding muscles and bones – but they can also increase flexibility by stimulating sensory cells in the skin that interrupt contraction of nearby muscles and relieve tension, leading to more flexibility and mobility gains for those suffering from fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disease which causes joint pain and fatigue. This technique may prove especially useful for people living with this disorder.
Massage guns’ stimulating ability can also aid nerve function, which is especially useful in healing damaged or injured muscles. Felix cautions that massage guns should only be used on soft tissues since misuse could damage bones and nerves.
Furthermore, massage guns with their percussion action can provide relief for fatigue caused by rheumatoid arthritis – an autoimmune condition that causes joint pain and stiffness – by increasing blood flow to affected muscles and alleviating soreness related to this chronic condition. Massage guns may provide an efficient alternative to foam rollers or other tools which may be expensive or difficult to use.
Increased Tissue Metabolism
Massage guns employing percussion therapy have been demonstrated to stimulate nerve receptors while dilatant blood vessels and increasing circulation, increasing oxygen-rich blood and fluids exchange and hastening tissue repair. This healthy exchange aids injury prevention as well as expedites its healing.
Another key benefit of improved circulation is its ability to break down adhesions (knots, scars and other abnormal tissue formations). This may help limit inflammation caused by injuries as well as helping recover from chronic injuries like shin splints, sciatica and fibromyalgia more quickly.
Studies have demonstrated the differences between Theragun mini vs Prime, but they have both increased muscular strength and endurance, providing athletes with an edge when training hard. A 2021 study discovered that using a massage gun between bench press sets resulted in significantly greater muscle strength gains compared to an exercise without vibration therapy.
Massage guns are often used to increase flexibility by loosening tight muscles and joints, which is especially helpful for athletes that specialize in specific disciplines. For instance, runners could use one to enhance the range of motion in their hamstrings for full stride runs while weightlifters could use them to warm up calf muscles and Achilles tendon before doing deep squats without their ankles popping up unexpectedly.
Percussion massage has also been found to aid sleep by sending signals faster than pain signals to the brain and decreasing any associated discomfort. According to research conducted by Theragun in partnership with biostrap sleep tracking specialists, 87% of participants reported better rest when adding massage guns into their daily routines.
Massage guns have become a popular alternative to professional massage and vibration therapy in order to facilitate muscle recovery and achieve training goals. Massage guns are often utilized prior to exercise sessions in order to alleviate tightness or stiffness and activate muscles more efficiently. Studies have also indicated that both massage and vibration therapy may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness–tightness that appears a day or so post workout–as a way of helping recovery from intense workouts.
Increased Flexibility
Massage guns can help speed your workout recovery by increasing blood flow to muscles in need, providing oxygen and nutrients needed for healing, and eliminating waste products that cause muscle soreness, like lactic acid.
Massage gun therapy also assists in stimulating spinal functions to increase mobility and flexibility, while its pounding action stimulates the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin which can boost moods and foster feelings of wellbeing.
Use of your massage gun correctly can be very effective at breaking up knots and trigger points in your muscles. Be wary not to pound too heavily on areas that are damaged or sensitive such as tendinitis or fasciitis as this could damage or exacerbate these conditions.
Massage guns deliver hundreds of firm up-and-down pulses into muscles, skin, fat, blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue with repeated concentrated strikes that can damage fibers in muscles and tendons, aggravating pain-causing metabolites like lactic acid.
Reduce these effects by setting your massage gun to its lowest setting and avoiding intense or repetitive strokes. Your massage gun can also help deepen stretching exercises for greater muscle flexibility.
Massage guns can also help manage delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS refers to tightness and achiness that often arises days or two post-exercise as a telltale sign that exercise damaged muscle fibers; DOMS serves as an indicator that something went amis with your fitness regimen and serves as a timely reminder.
Massage guns can help ease muscle soreness after working out, but it cannot replace receiving professional full-body massage therapy from a physical or massage therapist. A professional can evaluate injuries and recommend appropriate treatments that could speed healing process; additionally they may give advice on how to best utilize and maintain massage guns so as to get maximum benefit out of them.