Massage Gun benefits are endless, but you must know about the most important ones before buying one.
In this article, we will cover 15 surprising benefits of massage gun that you should know about.
For example, did you know that by using a massage gun your nervous system is relaxed?
The reason for this is that applying pressure to your body with a massage gun helps to relax your muscles and nerves.
This results in a feeling of relaxation, which leads to a better sleep at night.
Must-Know Massage Gun Benefits
All benefits that we will list out below are very common among people who have used a massage gun for some time now.
However, there are still many other benefits that you may not be aware of.
The main takeaway you can get from these benefits is that they all help you relax and improve your overall health, but let's go into more detail.
1. It improves the stimulation of the nervous system.
By using a massage gun constantly, the stimulation of the nervous system increases.
This means that if you have been having problems sleeping or waking up during the day, then using a massage gun can help you relax and fall asleep faster.
Let's get deeper into this topic of nervous system stimulation. What is the nervous system? And how does is work?
The nervous system is made up of two parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
The CNS controls all of our voluntary actions, such as walking, talking, breathing, etc., while the PNS controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and blood circulation.
Every signal in the nerves will travel directly to the brain via the spinal cord. When the nerve cells reach the brain, they send signals to the brain, telling it what to do.
If there is something wrong with the signal being sent from the brain to the nerves, then the person may experience pain, numbness, tingling, or other symptoms.
When you apply pressure with a massage gun or a traditional massage, it stimulates the nerve endings in your skin.
These nerve endings send signals to your brain, telling it that pressure is being applied to them.
When you feel these signals, your brain sends messages to other areas of your body to tell them that something is happening. This process is called “nervous system stimulation.”
When you constantly (as part of a daily routine) make use of the vibration (percussion) massage, your body starts to recognize the vibration as a signal to relax your tense muscles.
So, the more you use a massage gun, the more your body gets used to it, and therefore, it becomes easier for you to relax. As a result, you will experience less tension in your muscles and a feeling of relaxation. This also results in you falling asleep much better at night and being less stressed.
2. It releases dopamine.
What if we said that if you used a massage gun, you would become happy? Yeah, it's actually true, in fact, when you massage yourself, you produce the happiness hormone dopamine.
Your brain releases dopamine when you see things that are pleasurable. For example, when you see food, you feel hungry because your brain releases dopamine.
Everything that makes you happy is related to dopamine.
So, when you use a massage gun device, you stimulate the nerve endings in your body, which causes the release of dopamine.
As a result, you start to feel happier and more positive. In other words: one of the massage gun benefits is getting happy. A good reason to incorporate a percussive massager into your wellness routine!
3. You could improve your performance.
Athletes are always looking to perform better than their competitors. They want to be able to run longer distances, jump higher, lift heavier weights, etc.
Of course, performance depends on talent and hard training, but there is also a very important thing called recovery.
Recovery is the time after exercise where you allow your body to repair itself. During this period, your body repairs damaged muscle tissue, removes waste products, and rebuilds new muscle fibers.
If you don't give your body enough time to recover properly, you could end up getting injured.
In fact, studies show that athletes who train too often without giving themselves adequate rest periods tend to suffer.
As an athlete, it is important to find a good balance between training and muscle recovery.
That's why, on top of all that, you should include a massage in your workout routine.
Of course, training will make you stronger, faster, and more likely to reach your goals. But on the other hand, you don't want to suffer an injury because your body is overtrained. For that reason, athletes are focusing on their recovery process. Recovery consists of several factors:
- Sleep: Sleep is essential to your recovery and plays an important role in your mental well-being and overall health. While you are sleeping, your body is recovering from your busy day or workout.
- Nutrition: Different nutrients can help your muscles recover faster after a hard workout. Protein is the most important nutrient that you should take in after your workout to boost the recovery of your muscles.
- Blood circulation: Blood circulation is incredibly important for the release of waste products from the body. If you can speed up blood flow after a workout, you basically speed up recovery.
As we know now, a massage gun improves the blood circulation in your muscles.
So when you're done with your workout, create for yourself a recovery period as a cooldown. It's very simple; you don't need to run for like a half hour after your workout.
No, you just need to take your massage gun with you and give yourself a quick massage.
To speed up the recovery process, you lower the risk of injury and overtraining.
As a result, you are back to 100% fitness faster than you expected, when otherwise you were most likely not yet at your peak (50–60%).
In this case, you could improve your sports performance, reach higher goals, run faster times, and beat your competitors, just by taking care of your post-workout recovery with the help of a massage gun, nutrition, and a good night's sleep.
4. A massage gun can break muscle knots (trigger points).
Trigger points are knots in muscle tissue that cause pain. Trigger points are usually caused by tight muscles and are a result of overuse. They can be painful and sometimes even lead to injuries.
Trigger points are easy to recognize. Often, when you glide over the muscle and feel a sore point somewhere, chances are there is a muscle knot or trigger point there.
A trigger point is not a serious problem, but it does cause reduced blood flow in the muscle and cause pain.
To break a trigger point, a lot of force must be applied to the point where the muscle is stuck.
Massage therapists use different ways to massage deeper and deeper into the muscle tissue, eventually making the muscle as soft as butter again.
The result of breaking a trigger point can be that the muscle feels very sore. It feels like you have been hit hard in that area. This is normal and common.
A massage gun actually does all the work for you. The massage gun penetrates up to 14 mm deep into the muscle, so every muscle knot will lose the match against the power of the massage gun.
To get the point clear: it is possible for basically anyone to break a muscle knot; you no longer need a professional massage treatment.
All you have to do is turn on the massage device, place the massage head on the muscle, and let it do the work for you.
5. It prevents injuries.
Injuries happen. We all know that. But if you want to prevent them, you need to be aware of what causes them.
There are many things that can cause an injury. For example, a wrong movement when setting off on a sprint or twisting your knee can affect a knee ligament in a very bad way.
These injuries are often the result of accidental movement, and there is little you can do about it—just bad luck!
But there are also plenty of sports injuries you can actually influence and prevent. Muscle injuries are less likely if you strengthen your muscles through training.
What is also common is that a muscle is under too much tension during the day. This muscle then tends to cramp, strain, or even tear earlier during exercise.
When using a massage gun, you relax the muscle and make the tension disappear like the sun. A relaxed muscle is more flexible and therefore less prone to injury.
A very good reason to use a massage gun is because everybody hates injuries! Especially if it's an injury that you could have avoided in the first place!
6. It stimulates the release of lactic acid.
Lactic acid is produced by our body when we train hard. When lactic acid builds up in the muscles, it makes us tired and weak.
When you're running a marathon, you'll probably notice that after some time you start feeling really exhausted. That's because your body has built up a lot of lactic acid.
If you don't release this lactic acid from your muscles, it stays in the muscle tissue and starts to build up. This leads to a decrease in performance and strength.
If you want to avoid this, you should get massage therapy on a regular basis. As you know now the massage gun increases blood flow in your muscles.
When the blood circulation is at a high level, the lactic acid is released faster.
This means that you recover quicker, feel better, and, at the end, perform better than ever!
7. Stimulates lymphatic drainage
The lymphatic system is one of the most important systems in the human body. It helps remove waste products from the tissues and organs.
It works together with the circulatory system and the immune system.
The lymph nodes are small glands located throughout the body. They filter out bacteria and other foreign particles from the bloodstream.
They also help fight infections and heal wounds.
If your lymphatic system is not working properly, you will experience problems such as swollen ankles, back pain, fatigue, skin rashes, allergies, and colds.
A lot of people suffering from these symptoms have been diagnosed with chronic lymphedema.
To treat this problem, you need to stimulate the lymphatic system. One of the most effective ways to stimulate the lymphatic system is by using a massage gun. The lymph fluid flows through the lymph vessels and drains into the veins.
The lymphatic system will work harder as a result of the massage, and the lymph fluid will drain away faster.
8. A massage gun warms up your muscles.
A warm-up is a must before exercising. In fact, many people who are not familiar with working out start their workout sessions without warming up first.
Starting a heavy workout without warm muscles is dangerous because you could injure yourself.
For example, if you were to lift weights without warming up first, you might hurt your back. Or when you start sprinting without warming up, your risk of injury increases.
Whatever sport you do, a warm-up is extremely important!
A perfect way to activate your muscles is by using a massage gun before doing any physical activity. By targeting the specific muscle group for at least 30 seconds until 1 minute is enough to activate the muscles.
In combination with stretching and doing some cardio, you are sure that the blood flow in your muscles is sufficient, and thus your muscles are warm enough for a workout in which you have reduced the chance of getting injured.
Here's an example of how your warm-up should look:
- 30–60 seconds per muscle group—activating muscles by using a percussion massage gun.
- 5 minutes of cardio—it depends on your kind of sport.
- 20–40 seconds stretching the muscles you're going to use.
If you follow this routine, you will be ready for anything!
We simply cannot emphasize enough how important it is to warm up before starting any exercise or sports session.
So, take your massage gun, warm up, and get ready to hit your workout.
9. It relieves pain.
One of the biggest massage gun benefits is that it relieves muscle pain.
There are so many people who are suffering from chronic pain, sore muscles, high muscle tension, muscle soreness, muscle fatigue, or other pain complaints.
The causes of this muscle pain are common work-related posture issues. Office workers who work the whole day behind a computer screen often suffer from neck pain.
Science shows that percussion therapy can help reduce pain.
The reason why is because body vibration therapy (vibration massage) gives a deep massage that stimulates the nerves in the area where the pain occurs. This causes them to relax and gives them relief from pain.
Initially, it provides temporary relief, but when people continue their work, they will notice that the pain is coming back.
For complete pain relief, you should use a massage gun every day and always keep it with you when you're working.
By doing that, you will stimulate the nervous system, as we have mentioned earlier in this article.
Of course, it is also important to maintain a proper posture when working at a computer. Always keep that in mind, and don't forget to take some breaks from sitting.
It increases the likelihood of developing muscle soreness by relieving pain. Muscle soreness is very inconvenient when you want to perform again the next day after your workout.
Muscle pain can also get in the way of certain things in everyday life. To prevent muscle soreness, there is a huge advantage to be gained.
Our advice is to always use a massage gun after an intense workout. This will increase your muscle strength and decrease the chance of getting sore muscles the next day.
10. It can help burn more calories.
Just to be clear, percussion massagers are not going to make you lose fat directly! But, it does help to burn more calories.
The reason why is because when you perform exercise, your body uses energy to move your muscles. When you use a percussion massager, it helps to increase the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream.
This means that your muscles need less energy to function properly. So, when you use a percussion massaging device, it makes it easier for your body to burn more calories.
Not only that, but having refreshed muscles and nerve endings also increases your performance in the gym. When that happens, you'll automatically feel better, be stronger, and burn more calories.
Massage guns can really help you out in ways that you didn't even know existed.
11. It improves flexibility.
Flexibility has become more important than ever nowadays. Our bodies are becoming stiffer and stiffer as technology advances. We've become more sedentary as a result of our excessive sitting.
Muscle stiffness can be a reason for your muscles to end up with injuries. If you want to prevent yourself from getting injured, you must stay flexible.
Stretching exercises are great ways to improve flexibility. Stretching keeps muscles flexible & strong, and we need that flexibility to keep joints moving. Without stretching, the muscles shorten and become tense.
We don't want tense muscles because they hurt and they increase the risk of injury.
When you use a percussion massage, it helps to improve flexibility. Your muscles are stimulated and relaxed simultaneously. This allows your muscles to stretch out and loosen up.
So percussive massage therapy is a good way to help your muscles relax more, but you still need to do stretching exercises to achieve an improved range of motion and become more flexible.
A very important part of increasing the risk of injury!
12. Eases arthritis symptoms
Arthritis is one of the most painful conditions and affects millions of people around the world. Arthritis can cause joint inflammation and swelling.
It's caused by the wearing out of cartilage, which is an essential component of joints. Cartilage protects bones and acts like shock absorbers.
If you have arthritis, then you know how painful it is. Percussion massage therapy can help relieve the pain associated with arthritis.
With percussion massage, you let the muscles around those joints relax. The muscle tissue surrounding the joint becomes loose and soft.
As a result, the pressure on the joint decreases, as does the pain. There are many people suffering from arthritis who are helped by using percussion massage therapy.
Arthritis is not just about pain. It has other side effects as well. For example, if you have arthritis, you may experience loss of movement or difficulty walking.
So whatever you can do to prevent these problems will be beneficial, and a massage gun can help you out.
13. Massage guns are safe to use when pregnant.
It's been proven that it's safe to use a massage gun while pregnant. There are no known side effects or harm to the baby.
In fact, there are even studies showing that massage therapy can actually help reduce pregnancy ailments.
Lower back pain during pregnancy is one of the most common problems women face. Therefore, a massage gun is a very efficient solution to relieve lower back pain.
Important: We advise you to avoid body parts that are sensitive, such as the breasts and belly button.
So yes, it's safe to use during pregnancy. Be careful with areas like the belly and breasts!
Article: Massage Gun While Pregnant
14. It reduces cellulite.
By using a massage gun, you can target the problem areas of cellulite. If you want to know exactly what cellulite is, click here.
Cellulite is caused by excess fluid retention in the skin. This results in the formation of small pockets of trapped fluid under the skin.
When you apply pressure to the affected areas, the trapped fluids are forced out through the skin's surface. As a result, the area looks smoother and flatter.
This is why percussion massage therapy and massage guns are effective at reducing cellulite.
The best thing about this treatment is that it doesn't require any special equipment. All you need is a massage gun.
You don't need to go to a spa for this treatment. In fact, you can do it anywhere. Just make sure that you choose a quiet place where you won't disturb anyone else.
One extra way to get rid of cellulite is to eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Combining that with massage gun treatments will give you great results.
Nobody wants extra cellulite; luckily, now you can easily remove it without spending too much money.
15. It’s most reliable tool for athletes.
Massage guns are unmissable among athletes. Every athlete wants their body to perform better than ever before. There are many athletes who visit a massage therapist to get rid of all the aches and pains.
But a decent massage therapist is often very expensive; think of $60 to $80 per session. This can be quite an expense for most people.
The same applies to physical sports therapists. A physical therapist's treatment is often stretched out over a number of treatments, whereas the problem can be corrected much more quickly by addressing the pain point directly, for example.
The massage gun has grown in popularity among athletes in the last three or four years.
The biggest reason is that this handheld device is so easy to use and carry everywhere. It's like having your own personal massage therapist with you, everywhere you go!
Now there is a transition going on where athletes are moving from using foam rollers to using a massage gun.
Foam rolling is also very effective for releasing your connective tissues, but it's not as easy to use as deep tissue massage guns.
If you want to learn more about the massage gun vs. foam roller, you must read this article.
Meanwhile, portable massage guns have become indispensable for professional athletes. They are used during training sessions, competitions, and even after games.
What Are the Unknown Consequences of Using a Massage Gun?
We talked about the pros of using a massage gun. But if there is a benefit, there is always a drawback. Take a close look at these drawbacks and see which ones you might experience.
You could damage a muscle.
Please be aware if you have already sustained an injury to a muscle, for example, a torn muscle. Then it's absolutely not a good idea to use a massage gun on that muscle.
First of all, it's a very unpleasant feeling, and it will hurt you very much. But secondly, it's even more dangerous, because you could damage the muscle even more. So please be aware of that. Always ask a physical therapist if you don't know what kind of injury you have.
It can create laziness for training.
While a massage gun is an excellent tool for warming up your muscles before a workout or match, you must also warm up on your own.
It is very important to stretch and do some cardio before your workout. Add to this by using a massage gun to properly activate your muscles.
But never use just the massage gun to replace a full warm-up.
The same obviously applies to your recovery process as well. In addition, nutrition and sleep are also very important factors.
Don't succumb to intense pressure.
If you push too much pressure into the muscle, the device doesn't have the range to make the same number of percussions per minute as normal. That means that it does not work as well as it normally does.
There are many different types of massage guns available. Some are designed for home use, others are meant for professionals.
What we offer on our website is only focused on quality. We simply don't want to compromise on quality.
Our goal is to help you find the best massage gun for yourself. After all, the main thing is that you get a product that will give you all the benefits we have mentioned above without unnecessary drawbacks.
That's why we created this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about massage gun benefits and why percussive therapy (deep tissue massage therapy) is used by so many professional athletes, massage therapists, and other medical professionals.
Are there places where you should not use a massage gun?
You should avoid bones and joints. Just use the massage gun on muscles and not on bones. Also, don't use the percussive massager on your face, and be careful with painful areas.
In the majority of cases, you will feel no pain when using a massage gun. However, if you feel any pain, then stop immediately.
Think of it like going to massage therapy. A massage therapist would not massage your joints or bones, right? So, think of it like that.
Can I use a massage gun daily?
Yes, in fact, our advice would be to use a massage gun daily to take full advantage of all the benefits. As you know now, by using a massage gun, it helps your body and mind to fully relax.
It increases the chance of getting injured, helps you recover faster, and decreases pain.
There are enough reasons to use it every day.
Is a massage gun better than an original massage?
Percussion massage is not necessarily better than an original massage, but it's way easier to use and breaks knots, which is what takes a massage therapist longer.
So vibration therapy has the same effects as traditional massage but is easier to achieve.
Of course, a traditional massage can feel more personal and relaxing. But for your own experience, you should definitely always have your massage gun with you.
Is percussion massage therapy safe for your body?
Yes, percussion massage therapy is completely safe. There are no risks involved when you use a massage gun. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you should not use a massage gun on injured parts of your body.
Is it permissible to use a massage gun on the neck?
You have to be careful when using a massage gun directly on your neck. Because it's a sensitive area and it's easy to get a headache. So we recommend using the massage gun on your back, shoulders, and arms.
If you experience pain in your neck and you want to treat that area with your massage gun, our advice is to treat the trapezius muscle, and you will feel that your neck will be free of pain.
Does a massage gun help to fix my posture?
A massage gun does not help to fix your posture. But if you use it correctly, it will help you relax your muscles and improve your posture.
If you have problems with your posture, you should consult a physiotherapist or a chiropractor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a massage gun is a great tool to relieve stress and tension from your body. It's an effective way to loosen up tight muscles, and it's a great way to relax your body.
If you're looking for a quick solution to reduce your stress and tension, this is the best option for you.
It's easy to use, and it's extremely effective. And most importantly, it's totally safe.
It's time to start using a massage gun! Take a look at this page to see what's the right massage gun for you
