Does A Massage Gun Help Arthritis?

Arthritis is not a condition of the elderly. In fact, most people who are affected by arthritis show symptoms between the ages of 30 and 60, well within the parameters of what we would consider middle age. In the U.S. alone, 24% of the population has arthritis or, 59 million people.

Fortunately, opiates and heavy medication are not always the answer as percussive massage guns show a lot of promise in relieving pain and returning people to a better quality of life. They’re fairly simple to use, though some arthritic locations may require a second person to help. 

Arthritis is no laughing matter and it usually creeps up over time. In fact, you may even suspect that it’s nothing more than the pain and strain of hard work, or maybe you simply hurt your back after a long day of working on the car. 

By the time it arrives in force, it is a continuing problem, with very little reprieve outside of taking medications, engaging in specific routines, or in this case, utilizing a massage gun to gain some semblance of relief.

How Does a Massage Gun Help Arthritis?

Another term for it would be “percussive therapy” and that is essentially what it does. Arthritis is inflammation in and around the joints and much, much more. In fact, the word arthritis really has no meaning, as it’s simply a generic word for over a hundred, different symptoms. 

What percussive massage therapy does is draw blood and oxygen to the immediate area, which promotes healing. With blood, also comes additional warmth and improved circulatory function. 

It does this through thousands of micro-impacts (percussions) over a very small space in time. This percussive effect increases the flexibility of the muscle, sinew, and tendons in the immediate area. It also helps ward off one of the more debilitating effects of the disease, which takes place over the long term.

As inflammation sets in around the joints of the body, the bone is affected through a slow and methodical deterioration; a sort of, osteoporosis as it becomes hollowed out, weak, and brittle. 

Keeping up with a routine of methodically engaging in the use of a massage gun not only brings relief but also wards off the ultimate result of bone loss. The increased blood flow and oxygen reduce the inflammation that causes the degradation in the bone. 

Of course, another side-effect of using the massage gun is to return you to your original quality of life, reducing your pain and making it easier to perform your daily activities such as going to work, driving, playing with the kids, or whatever it is that you normally take joy or make a living from.

How to Use a Massage Gun to Help with Arthritis

The idea is to directly target areas that are most affected and then work your way around those areas as well. Using a massage gun has an enormous amount of appeal since a single, deep tissue massage can cost upwards of $150 and as low as $100.

Keep the massage gun about an inch away from the muscle group that you are working on and spend at least 15 seconds on each as well. Don’t spend more than 2 minutes on a specific muscle group because it will actually start to do more harm than good.

Can Massage Guns Be Harmful? 

If you are overly sensitive to massage guns or deep tissue massages, you may want to try massage guns that have multiple settings and you want to keep it on the lowest settings, only increasing it as much as you can tolerate at any given moment. 

The great thing about massage guns is that they come with so many different tips that any one part of the body can be effectively reached, including areas between the toes and between the fingers. 

To learn more about massage gun attachments click here.

Never leave the massage gun on when you’re not using it and never use it on an injured muscle. Though most recommend that you not use it on your neck, that’s because of the spine and you should avoid hitting it with a massage gun. 

If need be, have someone else use the massage gun to work this area of your body.

Best Massage Gun Tips to Use for Arthritis

For large surface areas, you want a broader impact tip/head on your massage gun. Pneumatic heads are perfect for this as they are very wide and their impact is cushioned enough to generate blood flow and oxygen without digging too deeply into the tissue.

The most commonly used head is the one that comes with all massage guns and it is the round head. This one digs in more than the pneumatic head and has less cushion, so it’s great for the thighs, calves, and arms. 

The aforementioned areas that are difficult to reach, such as in between the fingers and toes, are easily taken care of with the bullet head. The bullet head is a precision head for the massage gun, allowing you to get into the tight spots around fingers and toes.

When it comes to the bullet head, you may want to keep it on the lowest setting, as the bullet tip will penetrate deeper than most other heads. 

Our Favorite Massage Gun

Some massage guns offer a new type of head, called the aluminum head because it’s made of just that. It is almost exactly the same in width and impact as the pneumatic head. The only major difference is the fact that since it is aluminum, the heat levels on it can be adjusted. 

One thing that heat does is promote blood flow, which is exactly what you’re looking for. This makes the aluminum head essential for arthritic therapy and you should ensure that you get one for your own massage gun.

Want to read more about massage guns? Read Pros and Cons of Massage Guns

Final Thoughts

Arthritis isn’t curable but, with the proper level of therapy, of which a massage gun can play an integral part, it can be effectively treated and minimized. The idea is to keep the joints healthy, promote blood flow, oxygen, and reduce inflammation. 

All of this can be accomplished with a massage gun and help you get the relief that you’re looking for.

References

N/A (December 16, 2020). HOW MUSCLEGUN CAN HELP WITH ARTHRITIS.
Retrieved from: https://muscleguns.co.uk/blogs/news/how-musclegun-can-help-with-arthritis

(June 29, 2021). What Massage Gun Head Should I Use?
Retrieved from: https://www.bobandbrad.com/post/what-massage-gun-head-should-i-use