Massage Gun vs Massage Guns While massage guns excel at providing immediate relief from soreness, stretching offers more long-term benefits. For example, regular stretching will increase your range of motion, improve your overall flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury.
A massage gun can target deeper tissues and improve blood flow, aiding recovery for tight muscles. It shouldn't replace stretching, but can be a helpful addition after your routine. Focus on stretching and foam rolling, then use a massage gun on specific tight areas for a well-rounded approach.
When it comes to whether you should stretch or use a massage gun, the short answer is both. By combining stretching and a massage gun use, you can unlock a range of benefits. Stretching helps improve flexibility by elongating the muscles and increasing their range of motion.
While massage can help relieve muscle tension and improve circulation, it does not provide the same benefits as stretching in terms of enhancing flexibility and range of motion. Ideally, incorporating both into a fitness or wellness routine can lead to better overall muscle health and performance.
Dangers and contraindications for massage gun use While rare, a percussive massage tool can sometimes cause severe or life-threatening injuries, including fractures or joint damage, deep vein thrombosis, and rhabdomyolysis. Using a percussive massage gun can cause a fracture in persons with osteopenia or osteoporosis.
“If you're treating a more specific area, having more control with a smaller head can be helpful and also improve safety with its use.” Manage frequency. While you can use a massage gun daily, Dr. Aeder recommends limiting use to two to three times per day.
Massage guns are designed to help improve muscle recovery, increase blood flow, and reduce muscle soreness and tension. While using a massage gun may help to improve circulation, it is not designed to burn fat directly.
Unfortunately, you can't replace stretching with sports massage, but combining the two together can greatly help you progress with your stretching a lot faster and with less risk of getting injured. Massage can release trigger points and muscles in spasm, making your stretching routine more effective.
Stretching before a massage is immensely beneficial to reap all the advantages a massage gives. When scheduled to receive any type of massage, stretching beforehand helps to relax the muscles and improve circulation.
Massage relaxes the muscles, separating and loosening muscles fibres. The muscles are elongated and stretched which releases tension and allows more movement. Massage reduces tightness by applying pressure to knots and breaking adhesions. Pressure points can be used to force out knots in the muscle.
While massage guns excel at providing immediate relief from soreness, stretching offers more long-term benefits. For example, regular stretching will increase your range of motion, improve your overall flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury.
Vibration therapy after a workout can help to remove lactic acid buildup from the muscle and thus reduce the risk of muscle soreness (1). Using a massage gun on your hamstrings can greatly help to relieve the tight feelings you can get from lactic acid buildup.
If your goal is to improve sports performance, foam rolling is preferable, especially prior to engaging in your sport. If your goal is sports performance and you don't have a foam roller, then dynamic stretches are preferable to static stretches (a topic we've covered in our article on running and flexibility)
Massage guns are powerful tools for pain relief and muscle recovery, but proper use is key to maximizing the benefits and avoiding injury. Make sure to stick to large muscle groups, start slowly, and avoid sensitive areas to ensure a safe and effective massage.
Aim to keep the massager on muscles only, avoiding joints and bones. You can use a massage gun daily (and multiple times a day) but try not to target any single muscle group for more than two minutes in a session. When you're just starting out, experts recommend focusing on one area for 10 to 30 seconds.
You move the gun over a tight muscle, and the vibrations help increase blood flow, which relaxes the muscle in just a few minutes. But for longer-lasting relaxation, you need to stretch and lengthen the muscle that's been tight for a while.
The first rule of massage therapy is to ensure the comfort and safety of the client. This includes creating a comfortable and relaxing environment, using proper techniques and pressure, and communicating effectively with the client to ensure that they are comfortable with the massage.
Massage therapy can encourage healthy blood circulation, reduce stress, and release tight muscles, while stretching is the technique to go if you wish to extend your range of movement and prevent strains, cramps and other injuries.
You may have heard that one of the benefits of a massage gun is that it can replace stretching, which is best done before and after every workout. Kayode disagrees. “While stretching and massage guns increase blood flow and boost circulation around the body they work in different ways.
Stretching can be an effective way to relieve tight muscles at home. A 2023 review and meta-analysis found that consistent stretching over 3–12 weeks could reduce muscle stiffness, which may ease the sensation of tightness.
While it is possible to use a massage gun on your belly, it is generally not recommended as the abdomen contains many vital organs and delicate structures that could be harmed by the intense pressure and vibrations of a massage gun.
In terms of effectiveness, muscle massage guns have been shown to be highly effective in treating muscle knots. One study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found that using a massage gun for just one minute on each trigger point led to significant reductions in pain and discomfort.
Using a massage gun too much can result in bruising—and potentially leave you feeling more sore than you did before grabbing the tool, Valant says.