When your muscles and joints are hurting, do you reach for analgesics? Although medications may resolve your discomfort, they tend to render side effects. The Ohio State University Medical Center recommends massage for drug-free relief. 1/ A percussion massager is a handy, portable solution. Here’s a selection of the best devices that put healing in your hands.
If you follow any athletes on social media, there’s a good chance you’ve seen enthralling videos of their muscles rippling under the pressure of a vibrating self-massager that uses a recovery technique called percussive therapy.
What Is a Percussion Massager?
A percussion massager is a handheld device that applies pulses of concentrated pressure deep into your muscle tissue. This form of deep-tissue massage can work knots and tension out of the muscles while improving blood flow and quickly enhancing range of motion. When used properly, a percussion massager can shorten your recovery time while relieving some of the pain, tension and soreness that comes naturally from intense martial arts workouts.
The rapid pulsations delivered from a percussion massager will soften stiff muscle tissue, and you can target extremely sore muscles by working the surrounding tissue. Eventually, softening and soothing the surrounding tissue will have a relaxing, soothing impact on the sore, overworked muscle. Many professionals are using percussion massagers to minimize pain and discomfort for patients, but you can buy your own percussion massager to achieve the same results in the dojo, at the gym or while recovering at home.
What to look for in a percussive massage gun?
Speed and power: If you work out a lot and often experience soreness, you should opt for a device with at least two speed and power settings — one being less intense so you can still use it on very sore, painful muscles.
Type of motion: Do you want just vibration, vibration plus thumping, vibration plus a circular motion, or some other combination? When shopping for a percussive device, make sure to take note of how the device delivers the therapy.
Portability: If you’re going to be traveling with your massage gun, you’ll want one that can easily fit into a bag or suitcase. Not all fit that bill.
Attachments and accessories: Where on your body will you use your massage gun? If you’ll only use it on just your large muscles, such as your back and legs, you probably don’t need many attachments or accessories. But if you intend to use it on specific areas, such as the arch of your foot, you’d benefit from attachments intended for those specific areas.
Battery life: A long battery life is always beneficial. The last thing you want is for your massage gun to die when you need it most.
Cost: Of course, you’ll want to look for a device within your budget. Expensive massage guns usually offer more speed, power and motion settings. Less expensive options might only come with one mode, but can still be effective.
What’s The Benefits of Percussion Massage Therapy?
The deep muscle stimulation provided by percussion massage therapy can deliver all of the following benefits:
Ease soft tissue pain
Release lactic acid
Accelerate muscle recovery
Stimulate muscle growth
Improve blood circulation
Enhance range of motion quickly
Gentle muscle stretch
Improve muscle responsiveness
There you have it, The best percussion massaging guns on the market right now. It is a little on the expensive side so if you are not ready to make such a big commitment but still want to massage your muscles, we recommend a vibrating foam roller.