In recent years, massage guns have grown in popularity as a type of do-it-yourself massage to ease sore muscles and work out any knots. This can be beneficial if soreness is keeping you from staying active. With relief, you can get back to all the activities you enjoy.
“The gentle pressure can decrease any tight muscle tissue or soften scar-like tissue, called adhesions. This helps to elongate the muscle fibers.” Stretching and massage therapy can do this, too — but with a massage gun, you can do it on your own, from the comfort of your couch.
Trigger point massage can be firm and specific pressure to the areas of restriction or “knots” and cause release of that knot. Effleurage massage after a workout or strengthening exercises can prevent or reduce the tightness or restriction that one may feel.
For instance, you want to use massage guns over muscle and refrain from using them on bony or sensitive areas. You also should avoid vital organs and inflamed areas. Using a massage gun on these areas could not only cause a jarring or uncomfortable sensation, but it also could cause injury.
Head and neck: You should avoid using a massage gun on your head and neck as the pressure can be too intense and cause damage to the delicate structures in these areas. Varicose veins: If you have varicose veins, using a massage gun can cause the veins to rupture, leading to bleeding and bruising.
This myofascial release has a comparable sensation to being rocked by your mother when you were a baby. It causes a pleasant wave sensation to travel throughout the body. It is, in fact, a relaxing experience. That wave infiltrates the restricted areas to allow for softening.
Focus on loosening the tight muscle by pressing down firmly and making small circles. If you're finding it difficult to reach the muscle knot in your back, neck, or shoulders, you can try using a tennis ball or foam roller to apply pressure to the knot. Slowly and gently move back and forth to relieve the tension.
Deep tissue: The best massage to relieve stress and muscle tension. Deep tissue massage can loosen painful “knots” and realign deeper layers of muscle through a combination of firm pressure and slow strokes. Your therapist will not only work on the usual muscles but on the connective tissue as well.
From treating knots and sore muscles to workout recovery, this device was designed with you in mind.
Don't overdo it.
Experts advise not to use a massage gun for more than 10 to 15 minutes and to avoid concentrating on a specific area for more than one to two minutes per session. Using your massage gun for too long can be counterproductive, resulting in soreness, increased tightness, and bruising.
If you notice certain areas knotting up often, ask your doctor about stretches to loosen those muscles and lower the chances of more knots. Ice and heat. Most muscle pain responds well to alternating ice and heat. Use an ice pack on the spot for a short while, and then switch to a warm compress or heating pad.
Kneading smaller areas, like your neck, with a trigger point massage can also benefit small muscle knots, while massage rollers can be used as tools to help that process along in wider areas.
Quick Answer: How Long Can I Use A Massage Gun For? Massage guns are powerful and are able to penetrate deep into muscle tissue with precision, increasing blood flow and speeding up recovery. They should only be used for a maximum of two minutes on any given muscle group. They can be used 2-3 times daily.
TENS machines can help with pain relief and easing the muscle tension, but they won't get rid of muscle knots entirely especially if the underlying causes of your muscle tension are things like stress or bad posture and they aren't addressed properly.
Trigger points, or muscle knots, are hyperirritable spots within a taut band of skeletal muscle. The pressure applied during therapy can cause these points to release, sometimes resulting in a popping sound.
When you massage a knot, it often feels like you are stretching a rope or taffy which is stuck in your muscle tissues. This may be a result of increased blood flow to the site of tension, but it also may be due to the relaxation of the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles (called fascia).
Some require deep tissue work and trigger point therapy which requires a sustained held position and slow movement to release. This can last anywhere from 5-10 minutes per knot depending on the body's holding patterns. Others require sports massage or even a gentler relaxation approach which may seem counter intuitive.
It can help loosen up the muscles and reduce the tension in the knot. Trigger Point Massage – During this type of massage a therapist will begin to apply pressure and stretch the muscle knot to release (a.k.a pop) it. You may experience minor discomfort, but long-term relief during this technique.
A foam roller is often the better choice for improving overall mobility or flexibility, releasing tight fascia, and addressing larger muscle groups like the legs, back, or hips.
Can a massage gun break up fat? Unfortunately, no. While massage guns can be used to help relieve muscle tension and improve circulation, there is no evidence that you can use a massage gun on stomach fat to break up fat cells.