Massage Guns ( Pros & Cons Explained)

Are Massage Guns Worth it?

As long as you use the massage gun properly and you are extremely careful, it will definitely be worth it. It can help relieve pain from sore muscles as well as work out scar tissue that you might have. They are also effective at reducing the chance of a sprain or strain on your muscle from intense activity.

You will need to be careful with the device and use it as directed for the best results, but you are more likely to experience benefits than side effects.

It is incredibly important to remember that every person is different. You can have a friend that swears by a massage gun, but it just doesn’t work the same for you. The best thing to do is listen to your body, try it out, and see if it is worth it for your particular situation.

What are Massage Guns?

Massage guns are neat handheld devices that you can use to give your muscles a quick an easy massage. They usually feature some type of oscillating head that works through your stiff muscles to loosen them up and promote blood flow.

Massage guns will usually have multiple different head shapes and sizes so you can target the muscle that hurts the worst. You will also notice that the massage guns have different speed and strength settings to adjust the massage to benefit you the most.

A massage gun uses vibration therapy. This is where the head will oscillate quickly and hit the targeted muscle over and over again. This stimulates your nervous system, increasing the blood flow to that area. This will help release tension, relieve pain, and increase the range of motion to that muscle.

Massage Guns vs. Traditional Massage

Professional massages can have the tendency to be more effective than massage guns because you don’t have to do any of the work during a massage. You can just relax while your muscles are being treated, which will increase how much your muscles relax. 

However, a massage gun is a very effective alternative to getting a traditional massage. It isn’t always possible, or practical, to get a massage every day or even a couple of times a week. A massage gun can easily be a supplemental form of massage.

When you use a massage gun in addition to getting traditional massages, you will have much better results. For example, you can use a massage gun every day and get a traditional massage every two weeks or once a month.

7 Massage Gun Benefits

There are so many different benefits you will experience when you use a massage gun. Here are the top benefits that you get from regular use of a massage gun.

Relaxation

When you use a massage gun, you will experience stress relief. This is because the massage gun helps to relieve tension and fluid in your muscles to improve the metabolism of your muscles. This will help you relax because you won’t be feeling as much pain.

Increased Blood Circulation

Massage guns also help increase circulation of blood in the area you are massaging. This allows more oxygen and necessary nutrients to enter your muscles.

Healing

Using a massage gun promotes healing of muscles by bringing attention to them and essentially waking them up. This makes it easier for your muscles to heal at a quicker rate while increasing the flexibility of the area.

Release of Lactic Acid

Since massage guns use vibration therapy, it increases the amount of lactic acid that is released from your muscles. Your muscles will usually become filled with lactic acid after exercise, making them feel tense and uncomfortable. When you release the lactic acid, you will be relieved from the pain.

Scar Tissue Relief

The repetitive motion of the massage gun works to gently break up scar tissue. The collagen fibers in the scar tissue will be deeply massaged, working to get rid of any pain you might be feeling and return movement to the area.

Enhances Motion Range

If you use the massage gun on your joints, you will quickly notice that your range of motion is increasing as they become more flexible. Doing this regularly can drastically decrease the risk of sprains and strains in the future.

Does A Massage Gun Help With Knots? Click here to learn more

Overall Health

With regular use of a massage gun, you will also experience better health in general. It has proven to improve your sleep, increase your immune system, and reduce anxiety.

5 Massage Gun Side Effects

If you don’t use your massage gun with caution, you run the risk of harming yourself instead of helping yourself. You need to listen to your body, and if your body doesn’t like the massage gun, you need to stop. Here are some side effects you might experience if you aren’t careful.

Ruptured Blood Vessels

If you hit a blood vessel with your massage gun, there is a huge chance that it might rupture. This will be painful, and you will notice bruises in the area. You might also experience blood leaking into your muscle tissues.

Stretched Collagen Fibers

If you use the massage gun too often, you might start to experience some stretching in your collagen fibers and elastin fiber. This will lead you to have skin that looks stretchy and saggy over a short period of time.

Damaged Muscle Fibers

Muscle cells are generally durable, but they are not used to experiencing multiple impacts in a row. The pounding effect of the massage gun can damage important proteins in your muscle and make them lose their strength.

Sensitive Nerves

Massage guns put your muscles under pressure and force that your nerves aren’t used to. This can make the nerve endings under your skin to transmit unwanted signals from the nerve to the brain. This can increase your heart rate and blood pressure.

Muscle Contractions

When your nerves send unwanted signals to your brain, this can cause your muscles to contract. This is the opposite of what you want when you are trying to get your muscles to relax, causing the treatment to be ineffective and counterproductive.

References:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/can-a-massage-gun-fill-in-for-your-therapist-heres-what-you-need-to-know/2020/04/22/7b634b0c-8350-11ea-878a-86477a724bdb_story.html
https://www.mymoonstonemassage.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-massage-guns
https://accelperformance.com/theragun-massage-gun-therapy/
https://www.iqbody.com/are-muscle-guns-dangerous-hint-yes-find-out-why/