Massage gun – useful or a waste of money?

What is a massage gun?

A massage gun is a handy device that initially looks like a drill or a cordless screwdriver. However, it is a massager that can be used to massage the individual muscles of the body. The massage gun creates pressure on the area to be massaged by means of many rotations and impacts.

What is a massage gun good for?

Due to the many twists and bumps that a theragun creates, it helps to release muscle tension and relieve pain in the affected region.

The massage gun usually reaches up to 3200 beats per minute. This stimulates the blood supply to the muscles and thus ensures better muscle regeneration.

The muscle relaxation achieved and the reduction in tension in the muscle thus enable mobility to be restored.

Such a deep massage is also suitable for eliminating muscle fibers or fascia. A fascia is a covering layer of connective tissue that can surround individual muscles, muscle groups, or entire body sections. Despite regular training, these can sometimes stick together and cause pain and impair mobility.

How to use the massage gun correctly?

 After the area of?? The body to be treated has been located, treatment with the theragun should not take place in the same area for longer than 1 minute. Otherwise, this can lead to over-irritation and inflammation in the muscle tissue. Start with a low shock count and work your way up gradually. Most massage pistols offer a selection of 1200 -3200 beats per minute. Depending on the muscle group, you can adjust the duration of use and number of bumps according to your personal feelings.

The device can also be used ideally around training. For example, it helps to relieve pain and tension directly before training and thereby improves flexibility when performing the exercise.

On the other hand, if you want to relax your muscles and accelerate the regeneration of the muscles, a short massage immediately after training is suitable.

Who is the massage gun suitable for / not suitable for?

 The theragun is of course primarily oriented towards people who are active in the sporting area and people who suffer from tension and want to treat themselves with it.

Pregnant women, people with heart diseases, circulatory disorders or tumor sites should prefer not to use the massage gun. In the event of tension, it is important to speak to a doctor or therapist.

What needs to be considered when buying?

 

There are currently countless suppliers on the market that offer a massage gun. The price varies by several hundred euros. When buying a massage gun for your own use, the following points should be noted:

Number of impacts per minute

 1200-3200 per minute is currently the standard. Basically you should make sure that the impact speed can be set in several steps.

Stroke length

 The stroke length describes the distance that the gun headcovers.

The Theragun currently has the longest stroke length of 16 mm and can thus penetrate deeper into the tissue. A stroke length of 10-12 mm is fine for home use.

Volume

 Depending on when and where you want to use the device, the volume can play a role. The quieter the better, of course. Otherwise, the value of 40-60 dB is normal.

Battery pack

 In my opinion, the battery plays a subordinate role if the device is used predominantly at home or in places with charging options. I would advise against devices that have a battery life of fewer than 2 hours.

Weight

 When it comes to weight, the lighter the better. After a few minutes, the weight is noticeable on the wrist. Make sure that the handle is not too thick and you can grip the massage gun well by hand.

Essays

 There are up to 8 different essays. Depending on the essay, certain muscle groups or regions of the body can be stimulated better. Here I recommend making sure that there is at least one attachment padded with air cushions as well as a U-shaped attachment and a trigger point attachment.

Resistance

 Basically you should make sure that the impact speed can be set in several steps. As already mentioned, most of them offer 1200-3200 impacts per minute, which in my opinion is completely sufficient. If you would like to apply more pressure to your body, you should make sure that the theragun does not stop as soon as you encounter resistance.

 Conclusion

A massage gun relieves pain, helps relieve tension, and can accelerate muscle regeneration after training. In the case of tension in particular, however, it is particularly important to correct the original reason for the occurrence. Proper posture combined with exercise and sport is often the solution here. A massage gun is therefore supportive in combination with the sport but cannot remedy the causes.