These devices have become a popular alternative to foam rollers and other soft tissue therapies. In this article, we'll explore what a massage gun is and how it might help your post-run experience.
What Is a Massage Gun?
Massage guns are used for self-massage and a variety of other health and wellness applications. They work by using percussive force (repeated beats) to hit the skin and stimulate underlying tissues, improving circulation, reducing muscle spasms, relaxing tight muscles, and promoting deep relaxation. Deep tissue massage encourages blood flow and oxygenation, reduces stiffness, and helps alleviate pain and muscle tension.
How Do Massage Guns Work?
Treatment with a percussion therapy massager, like a massage gun, utilizes a repetitive tapping motion to unblock restricted blood vessels and increase blood flow to the treated area. This stimulates the muscles and surrounding tissue, which increases their ability to absorb nutrients and oxygen. The increased blood flow also carries away waste products such as lactic acid, which build up during exercise.
The handheld design of massage guns means that you can apply pressure to the areas that need it the most without having to head to a massage therapist or ask a partner. Massage guns work similarly to standard vibrating massagers, like back massagers or handheld massagers you'd use on your legs or feet, except they hit deeper down into the muscle tissue rather than just vibrating.
The combination of being powerful and lightweight makes massage guns a popular choice for runners. Newer massage guns are portable and cordless. Many come with rechargeable batteries so you can use them at home or on the go.
Where Can You Use Massage Guns?
You can use a massage gun almost anywhere on your body for brief periods of time. The head should be placed in direct contact with the skin before turning on the unit. Some popular places to use the devices include hamstrings, calves, quads, back, and feet.
Most experts suggest that you treat a muscle group with a massage gun for 1-2 minutes.
Post-Run Massage Gun Benefits
Clinical research on the effectiveness of massage guns is scarce, and it's important to note that many studies that do exist were funded by the makers of massage guns. However, there are some things we think we know about the benefits of massage gun therapy.
Massage Muscle Knots and Trigger Points
Muscle knots, also known as myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), are hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle tissue that cause pain in the local area, and sometimes refer to pain elsewhere. They are common in runners, especially those using high-volume/high-frequency training methods. Treating MTrPs is an important part of soft tissue work, as MTrPs can cause pain and loss of range of motion when left untreated and be precursors to more severe injuries.
The percussion effect of massage guns means that they can penetrate deeper than most similar massage therapies and may provide greater benefits to loosen muscles and promote repair of trigger points.
Reduce Post Exercise Soreness
Post-exercise soreness is common among even seasoned athletes. This type of soreness is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It generally kicks in between 24 and 72 hours after exercise, as lactic acid builds up in the muscle tissue and causes inflammation. If you're experiencing any discomfort following your workouts, then you may want to consider using a massage gun to help relieve your symptoms. There is some evidence that massage guns, when used immediately after a workout, have a positive impact on reducing DOMS.
Increase Range of Motion and Flexibility
There is quite a lot of evidence that massage guns can help to increase range of motion in the legs. You may be able to reduce the time required for a high-quality post-run stretch when you use a massage gun.
Many Runners Use Massage Guns as a Part of Their Post-Exercise Regime
Here are some other reasons that many runners choose to add a massage gun to their gym bags.
- Massage guns effectively loosen tight muscles after a workout
- Massage guns are portable, easy to operate, and do not need any special training or certification
- Massage guns can be used on areas that may be difficult to reach with other massage tools
- Some models come with multiple heads for different massaging techniques and to target different muscle groups
Foam Rollers Vs. Massage Guns
Foam rollers and massage guns are both used for self-myofascial release (SMR) in an effort to increase mobility and flexibility, reduce pain, and decrease muscle tension.
The massage gun exerts a lot of pressure on your muscles, which can be good or bad depending on what you want. If your goal is to relieve deep muscle tension and knots, the massage gun can do that. Traditional foam rolling uses a cylindrical foam roller to roll out your tight muscles. If you're looking for something gentler and less intense than a massage gun, you might want to stick with a foam roller.
Massage guns offer a way to self-massage that's generally more convenient than foam rolling. There is less technique required. A lot of runners like how much easier it is to target trigger points with a massage gun than with a foam roller.
Try a Massage Gun for Better Recovery
Muscle recovery after exercising is important for every runner. Massage guns are popular with runners, and it's widely reported that they reduce pain and can reduce knots in muscles. Despite their growing popularity, there are hardly any studies done on the effectiveness of these devices for muscle recovery; although there is a lot of anecdotal evidence. Adding a massage gun to your post-run routine may help you massage knots, reduce soreness, and increase range of motion.
