The ten Greatest Therapeutic massage Weapons of 2023, Rated by Health Specialists

When stretching and foam rolling aren’t sufficient to ease post-workout muscle soreness, a therapeutic massage gun may also help present some aid. The perfect therapeutic massage gun is designed to assist scale back lactic acid buildup, promote restoration after a tricky coaching session, and improve blood circulation to sore or tender areas. It may additionally quickly improve your vary of movement earlier than you even start your exercise.

I’m in my mid-thirties and work out arduous 4 to 5 days every week, so I do know the worth of utilizing therapeutic massage gun to assist with my restoration. Along with my trusty foam curler, I exploit a therapeutic massage gun a number of days every week to make sure my muscular tissues are all the time feeling their greatest. Having been a health author for nearly three years, I’ve additionally spent numerous hours researching one of the best therapeutic massage weapons and have turn out to be intimately accustomed to options like stall drive and amplitude. Within the roundup evaluation under, I compile all of that data to convey you the highest 10 therapeutic massage weapons available on the market.

How We Selected the Greatest Therapeutic massage Weapons

The Breaking Muscle group has examined greater than a dozen therapeutic massage weapons over a number of months, utilizing them earlier than and after exercises, in between units, and at random occasions all through the day once we wanted aid from achy muscular tissues.

After testing every product, we utilized a proprietary scoring system to price it on a scale of 1 to 5 (one being the worst, 5 being one of the best) in numerous classes, corresponding to percussions per minute (PPMs), amplitude, decibels, portability, out there attachments, and total worth. We then mixed these particular person rankings to offer every machine an total rating and narrowed down our record to one of the best of one of the best.

Our High Picks for the Greatest Therapeutic massage Weapons

Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun General: Therabody Theragun Professional

The Theragun PRO tops our record as one of the best therapeutic massage gun total as a result of its ergonomic design, means to ship a robust therapeutic massage, quick charging, and comparatively quiet operation.

The Theragun PRO is presently in its fifth era. Just like the earlier iterations and different fashions just like the Theragun Prime, it has a triangular-shaped, ergonomic deal with. At 2.76 kilos, it’s a few quarter of a pound lighter than the fourth era, making it even simpler to carry and use.

Moreover, the fifth era Theragun PRO is 20 % quieter than the fourth era. You should use it whereas catching up in your favourite TV reveals at evening or on the gymnasium with out disrupting the opposite members. At its highest pace setting, it’s about 66 decibels, which is quieter than a washer or dishwasher.

The pace settings are additionally the identical between the fifth and fourth generations. The Theragun PRO has 5 speeds starting from 1,750 to 2,400 PPM. The stall drive of 60 kilos and the amplitude of 16 millimeters are additionally the identical between the 2 iterations. These specs make it one of the crucial highly effective therapeutic massage weapons we’ve examined. Whereas it could be an excessive amount of for inexperienced persons or the typical individual, it may be helpful for elite athletes or those that put their our bodies via frequent, intense exercises.

The Theragun PRO comes with Bluetooth connectivity, so you should use it with the Therabody app to sync customized restoration routines to the machine. You possibly can select routines to comply with earlier than or after actions corresponding to operating or energy coaching; to handle muscle rigidity in particular areas, just like the glutes; or to chill out earlier than going to mattress.

The app additionally contains video directions and tells you the way lengthy to therapeutic massage every space for enhanced muscle restoration. In case you’ve by no means used a therapeutic massage gun earlier than, following the app’s steerage may also help make sure you’re concentrating on your muscular tissues successfully.

Nonetheless, one downside (and one of many solely modifications from the fourth era that we don’t like) is that the fifth era Theragun PRO solely comes with one battery. The battery life between the 2 generations is similar at 150 minutes, however because the fourth era got here with two batteries, you would primarily rise up to 300 minutes of use.

That stated, the battery on the fifth era may be charged with a USB-C cable, so it does cost quicker than the fourth era (about 75 minutes versus 125 minutes when charging the fourth era on a charging station).

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Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun on Amazon: Ekrin Athletics Bantam Mini Therapeutic massage Gun

You could find dozens of therapeutic massage weapons on Amazon, however think about the Ekrin Athletics Bantam Mini Therapeutic massage Gun among the best. It’s quiet, has a formidable stall drive for a therapeutic massage gun of its measurement, comes with a good battery life, and is simple to journey with.

Our product tester gave the Bantam Mini 4 and 5 stars, respectively, for the deal with and battery life. She preferred the deal with’s slim design and rubberized grip and located it straightforward to achieve all of the muscle teams she needed to therapeutic massage, together with the higher again. Based mostly on her testing expertise, the six-hour battery life listed on the web site was correct. She additionally appreciated how the battery indicator lit up in several colours based mostly on how a lot battery is remaining (blue for 80 % full, purple for 60 to 80 %, strong pink for between 20 and 60 %, and blinking pink for lower than 20 %).

At simply 33 to 55 decibels, the Bantam Mini is quieter than an electrical toothbrush, which is round 60 decibels. You possibly can simply use it whereas watching TV or within the presence of others with out annoying them. 

We additionally like that the Bantam Mini has USB-C charging capabilities. It comes with a charging cable, however in the event you lose it, you should use any USB-C charger you in all probability have already got at dwelling. Plus, you possibly can cost it a number of methods, whether or not you wish to plug it into the wall with a charging dice (which it doesn’t include) or plug it into your laptop computer. The assorted choices you will have for charging it imply you’ll hardly ever have to fret about it not having any juice left.

The Bantam Mini comes with 4 attachments (flat, bullet, fork, and spherical) — greater than the three attachments you’ll get with different mini therapeutic massage weapons, such because the Theragun Mini, however fewer than the six you’ll get with bigger massagers, just like the Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun. Nonetheless, the attachments it does include are fairly normal and can let you therapeutic massage almost the entire fundamental muscle teams within the physique.

In comparison with the Theragun Mini’s 12-millimeter amplitude and 20-pound stall drive, the Bantam Mini solely has a 10-millimeter amplitude however boasts a 35-pound stall drive. We gave it 5 out of 5 stars for the stall drive however solely rated it 3 out of 5 stars for the amplitude. Our knowledgeable product tester, who’s additionally an authorized private coach and CrossFit Stage 1 Coach, says the amplitude is simply common (or barely above common, at greatest) for mini therapeutic massage weapons.

Nonetheless, the decrease amplitude and stall drive will not be a priority in the event you don’t use therapeutic massage weapons usually or choose a much less intense therapeutic massage. Different clients are glad with the ability the Bantam Mini offers. One reviewer says, “The Bantam could be small, but it surely actually performs – a lot in order that I now solely use the Bantam. The Bantam’s ~10mm amplitude, 3200 ppm pace, and the 35 lb stall pace feels nice on drained and sore muscular tissues.”

The Bantam Mini comes with a carrying case that’s simply seven inches when measured diagonally. If you wish to journey with it, it shouldn’t be too arduous to search out area in your baggage for it, even in the event you pack it in a small carry-on bag. The arduous outer shell also needs to preserve it protected in case your suitcase will get jostled round.

One of many areas the Bantam Mini falls quick is the pace settings. The Breaking Muscle employees member who examined it solely gave the pace settings 3 out of 5 stars. Whereas she says they’re appropriate for a mini therapeutic massage gun, the three mounted speeds (2,000, 2,600, or 3,200 PPM) are fewer than what you’ll discover on greater massagers, corresponding to Ekrin Athletic’s bigger mannequin, the B37 Therapeutic massage Gun.

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Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun Underneath $100: Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun

Technically, the worth of the Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun as of this writing is $120, however Amazon is providing a $20 coupon, placing it proper on the $100 mark. You can too generally discover it at a reduced worth across the holidays and different main buying durations, like Prime Day. It’s nonetheless among the best funds therapeutic massage weapons out there for that cause.

The Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun comes with six therapeutic massage heads, which is normal for regular-sized therapeutic massage weapons. What helps it stand out is that two of the therapeutic massage heads are chrome. You possibly can warmth them in scorching water or put them within the freezer to raise your therapeutic massage expertise. You possibly can even use them with important oils or CBD oil. These are nice additions as a result of not even high-end therapeutic massage weapons just like the Theragun PRO include metallic therapeutic massage heads. We gave it 4.75 stars out of 5 for this versatility.

Our product tester additionally gave it excessive marks for the six pace settings. These are greater than most therapeutic massage weapons on this worth vary supply, but it surely does imply there’s a bigger variance between speeds.

At 30 to 45 decibels, it’s quieter than different therapeutic massage weapons which are about the identical measurement and don’t present as many PPMs. For comparability, the Theragun PRO solely goes as much as 2,400 PPM and is 66 decibels on the highest setting. The Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun goes as much as 3,200 PPM. Our product tester stated it was the quietest therapeutic massage gun she’s examined. A number of buyer critiques agree, with one saying, “It…is fairly quiet on the average speeds we use and the vibration that travels to your arms from holding it’s acceptable for the quantity of massaging it’s capable of put out.”

Weighing 2.3 kilos, it’s not essentially the most transportable therapeutic massage gun. The included carrying case is a pleasant contact, however we didn’t assume it was something particular. We gave this therapeutic massage gun 2.75 stars for total portability and three stars for the carrying case. In case you journey usually and need a therapeutic massage gun that’s much less cumbersome, a smaller possibility just like the Theragun Mini or Ekrin Athletics Bantam Mini could also be a better option.

Moreover, contemplating the scale of the Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun, we didn’t discover the 40-pound stall drive and 11-millimeter amplitude spectacular. Different choices just like the Ekrin Athletics B37 weigh about the identical however have a 56-pound stall drive and 12-millimeter amplitude. Nonetheless, the specs are respectable for a budget-friendly therapeutic massage gun and can be adequate for individuals who don’t want an intense therapeutic massage.

Not like different therapeutic massage weapons with a triangular deal with, the Sportneer therapeutic massage gun has a straight deal with, which might make concentrating on areas just like the higher again tougher. Nonetheless, the deal with has a 45-degree angle to assist with that. Our product tester additionally famous that she had no bother wrapping her small arms across the deal with and preferred the soft-grip rubber coating. She rated the deal with 3 out of 5 stars.

Sportneer claims this therapeutic massage gun has as much as seven hours of battery life. Based mostly on our testing, we predict that is correct. We used it when it was totally charged for 15 to twenty minutes a day for every week — simply over two hours complete — and the battery nonetheless had loads of juice.

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Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun Underneath $50: OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun

In case you’re searching for an ultra-budget-friendly therapeutic massage gun, the OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun may very well be for you. For lower than $50, you get a quiet, light-weight massager with a wide selection of attachments that may assist relieve muscle rigidity and stimulate blood circulation to tender areas.

The decibel degree ranges from 35 to 55, much like the Ekrin Athletics Mini Therapeutic massage Gun and B37 Therapeutic massage Gun. In case you use your therapeutic massage gun in a public setting or whereas watching TV, the low noise degree received’t interrupt different individuals or drown out your leisure.

The product itemizing claims that it takes three to 4 hours to cost, but it surely looks like that is provided that the battery is totally drained. Some buyer critiques recommend it could take as little as half-hour to cost if it nonetheless has some juice left. Nonetheless, there’s a battery indicator on the LCD touchscreen. You’ll be capable to shortly gauge how a lot battery you will have left earlier than it’s important to cost it once more, so that you shouldn’t be met with any surprises in the event you attempt to flip it on and discover that there’s no battery left.

It comes with 10 attachments, which is spectacular, particularly contemplating the worth level. Not even the almost $600 Theragun PRO has that many. A number of the attachments are normal, just like the spherical and bullet heads. Others are extra distinctive, just like the air compression head and the spade head. Whether or not you’re searching for a delicate, enjoyable therapeutic massage or want to essentially assault a painful muscle knot, the OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun shall be as much as the duty. Plus, it comes with a sturdy carrying case with numerous compartments to assist preserve the entire attachments organized.

The 30 pace settings it provides are greater than every other merchandise on this record — the following highest is the Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun with six pace settings. Nonetheless, this can be greater than you actually need to get an efficient self-massage. As one buyer evaluation says, “The one factor is that it has like 30 ranges. I feel it solely wants 5 or 6, however I assume if you’re tremendous delicate having extra ranges would make it easier to modify accordingly.”

The OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun weighs just below two kilos, almost three-quarters of a pound lighter than the Theragun PRO. It could be a greater possibility when you have smaller arms or dexterity points and want a light-weight massager. In any other case, we’d advocate taking a look at extra compact choices just like the Theragun Mini. The Theragun Mini solely weighs one pound, although it solely comes with three attachments and solely goes as much as 2,400 PPM (the OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun goes as much as 3,250 PPM).

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Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun for Runners: REP Rapidstrike Therapeutic massage Gun

When operating, the calves, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and iliopsoas (a hip flexor muscle) can all take a beating. A therapeutic massage gun just like the REP Rapidstrike may also help ease soreness and tightness in these areas. Plus, its light-weight development makes it straightforward to tuck into your gymnasium bag while you journey to the gymnasium, the monitor, or a race.

In reality, we gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars for portability due to its compact measurement. It additionally comes with a carrying case for simple portability and group, although we want the case was extra protecting, so we gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Nonetheless, it’s higher than many different therapeutic massage weapons we’ve tried whose carrying instances are made with skinny, flimsy supplies.

REP doesn’t record specs like amplitude or PPMs. Nonetheless, based mostly on the data we acquired from certainly one of our product testers (an authorized private coach and CrossFit Stage 1 Coach who’s examined dozens of therapeutic massage weapons and written on them extensively), we’d guess that the decibel degree is between 60 and 65. We’d place the amplitude between 11 and 13 millimeters and the PPMs at round 2,200 to 2,400, making it much less highly effective than the Theragun PRO.

A buyer evaluation on REP’s web site additionally appears to agree that this isn’t essentially essentially the most highly effective therapeutic massage gun. He says, “I do solely want that the upper setting had just a little extra punch to…get deep into areas that want extra work. It’s a commerce off between how quiet you need this versus how deep you need it to therapeutic massage.”

We solely rated the deal with 3.5 out of 5 stars. It doesn’t have a rubber grip, so it could get slippery, and the straight deal with isn’t as ergonomic as we’d like. Nonetheless, we had no points with the diameter and didn’t expertise a big quantity of wrist or forearm fatigue when utilizing this therapeutic massage gun.

We discovered that REP’s claims of as much as eight hours of battery life have been correct, however we gave The Rapidstrike 3.5 out of 5 stars when it comes to battery and charging. It doesn’t include a charging brick and there’s no battery indicator mild. Charging can take about 90 minutes, which is slower than the Theragun PRO however quicker than a few of the cheaper choices just like the OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun.

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Greatest Mini Therapeutic massage Gun: Therabody Theragun Mini

As a result of it weighs proper round one pound and includes a compact, triangular design, we think about the Theragun Mini one of the best mini therapeutic massage gun available on the market.

I had an opportunity to make use of the Theragun Mini on the Breaking Muscle testing facility, and I cherished how comfy the silicone-coated therapeutic massage gun was to grip. The light-weight construct meant I used to be capable of maintain onto it for a number of minutes at a time with out my hand or forearm muscular tissues getting fatigued.

The Theragun Mini is presently in its second iteration. The primary era solely got here with the usual ball attachment, however the second era now additionally comes with dampener and thumb attachments.

That stated, different mini therapeutic massage weapons, just like the Ekrin Athletics Bantam Mini Therapeutic massage Gun and REP Rapidstrike Therapeutic massage Gun, include 4 attachments. The Theragun Mini nonetheless falls quick in that regard. It’s suitable with Therabody’s fourth and fifth era attachments, however it’s important to pay round $20 for them — and the machine is already near $200, making it the most costly mini therapeutic massage gun on our record.

The 12-millimeter amplitude on the second era is similar as the primary era. It’s not as a lot because the 16 millimeters you’ll get with the bigger Theragun PRO, but it surely nonetheless delivers an efficient therapeutic massage. The stall drive is simply 20 kilos, so it received’t ship as intense of a therapeutic massage because the Erkin Athletics Mini Therapeutic massage Gun, which has a stall drive of 35 kilos. Nonetheless, after I used the Theragun Mini, I used to be impressed with how highly effective it was. In reality, I couldn’t even apply it to the very best setting, although I is usually a little bit of a child in terms of sore muscular tissues.

Like different therapeutic massage weapons in Therabody’s lineup, the Theragun Mini is suitable with the Therabody app. The app delivers customized wellness routines based mostly in your objectives, whether or not it’s good to loosen up earlier than a exercise, relieve achy muscular tissues after a tricky coaching session, or scale back upper-body rigidity from hunching over a keyboard all day.

The Theragun Mini makes use of the identical motor because the Theragun Professional, placing the decibel degree at round 66 when used on the very best pace setting. That is about the identical decibel degree as a dishwasher. Once I tried it, I wasn’t bowled over by the quantity of noise it delivered, and I may be delicate to tremendous loud noises. So, I feel most individuals ought to be capable to tolerate the noise degree of the Theragun Mini.

Greatest Deep Tissue Therapeutic massage Gun: Ekrin Athletics B37 Therapeutic massage Gun

The Ekrin Athletics B37 Therapeutic massage Gun isn’t essentially the most highly effective massager, but it surely does go as much as a formidable 3,200 PPM and has a 12-millimeter amplitude, which is sufficient to ship an efficient deep tissue therapeutic massage. We additionally just like the 15-degree deal with, which makes it extra comfy to carry for lengthy durations.

The B37’s decibel ranges vary from 35 to 55, identical to the model’s Bantam Mini Therapeutic massage Gun. Its proprietary sound insulation places it amongst the quietest therapeutic massage weapons. For reference, the Theragun PRO fifth era is 66 decibels, so the B37 could also be a better option in the event you choose a quieter therapeutic massage expertise.

The eight-hour battery life is greater than every other possibility on our record apart from the REP Rapidstrike. Even in the event you use the therapeutic massage gun day-after-day, a single cost needs to be sufficient to final greater than every week. One reviewer on Amazon says, “I’ve been utilizing it for every week and haven’t needed to recharge the battery. I exploit it about 20 minutes a day complete.”

The 5 pace settings on the B37 are center of the street. The Theragun PRO provides the identical variety of speeds, although it solely goes as much as 2,400 PPM, whereas the Ekrin Athletics B37 goes as much as 3,200 PPM. The upper PPM helps offset the 12-millimeter amplitude, which is decrease than the Theragun PRO’s 16-millimeter amplitude.

Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun for Again Ache: Therabody Theragun PRO

In case you undergo from decrease again ache, the Theragun PRO could possibly ship the aid you want. 

Its ergonomic deal with and adjustable therapeutic massage arm make it straightforward to achieve round and therapeutic massage the again muscular tissues. It doesn’t have a U-shaped attachment, which we usually advocate utilizing across the spinal column. Nevertheless it does include a thumb attachment that may be wonderful for massaging delicate muscle tissue within the decrease again.

The Theragun PRO’s pace settings vary from 1,750 to 2,400 PPM. It has a 60-pound stall drive and a 16-millimeter amplitude, which pack a reasonably highly effective punch. In case your decrease again is extraordinarily sore, you’ll seemingly wish to begin on the lowest PPM and regularly work your manner up.

As highly effective as it’s, the Theragun PRO is quiet. On the highest pace, it reaches about 66 decibels — quieter than family home equipment like washing machines and dishwashers. This implies you possibly can have a relaxed, peaceable therapeutic massage session whether or not you’re at dwelling or on the gymnasium.

We additionally like which you could sync the Theragun PRO with the Therabody app for customized therapeutic massage routines. If you wish to develop past the decrease again, the app will information you on tips on how to therapeutic massage the calves, glutes, hamstrings, or every other muscle group.

The Theragun PRO’s present model solely comes with one battery. This isn’t unusual in different therapeutic massage weapons we’ve tried, however it’s a downgrade from the earlier iteration of the Theragun PRO, which got here with two batteries. Nonetheless, the listed battery life is 150 minutes, so in the event you use it for about quarter-hour per day, it ought to final a few week and a half.

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Greatest Handheld Therapeutic massage Gun: Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2

Technically, the entire therapeutic massage weapons on our record are handheld. However we chosen the Hyperice Hypervolt Go as one of the best handheld therapeutic massage gun as a result of it’s light-weight, and whereas we discovered the deal with a bit thick for our preferences, we did respect how grippy the rubber coating was.

Hyperice doesn’t disclose the stall drive or amplitude of the Hypervolt Go 2. Nonetheless, based mostly on our testing and what we learn about therapeutic massage weapons, we are able to assume that the stall drive is between 20 and 30 kilos and the amplitude is round 10 millimeters. The stall drive is about the identical because the Theragun Mini, however the amplitude is 2 millimeters decrease. We rated the stall drive 4 out of 5 stars and the amplitude 3.5 stars.

We additionally knocked off a couple of factors as a result of the Hypervolt Go 2 solely comes with two attachments: a flat head and a bullet head. Different mini therapeutic massage weapons include no less than three attachments, so the flexibility of the Hypervolt Go 2 is missing in that regard.

The Hypervolt Go 2 is sufficiently small to journey with, but it surely doesn’t include a carrying case, so that you’ll must buy some sort of pouch or bag individually to maintain it protected. 

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Greatest Therapeutic massage Gun for Athletes: Hyperice Hypervolt 2

For athletes trying to up their restoration recreation, the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 may very well be a good selection. Hyperice doesn’t present the stall drive or amplitude. However we estimate the stall drive to be round 30 to 40 kilos and the amplitude to be round 13 to 14 millimeters. As such, we predict it’s protected to say that this therapeutic massage gun can ship the quantity of strain it’s good to loosen stiff muscular tissues and scale back soreness.

Bluetooth lets you sync the Hypervolt 2 to the Hyperice app and rivals Therabody’s therapeutic massage gun tech capabilities. With the app, you possibly can choose numerous routines for warming up or cooling down earlier than or after your exercises. This is usually a helpful characteristic for anybody who’s new to utilizing therapeutic massage weapons or prefers a extra structured method to their warm-ups and cooldowns.

The decibel degree hovers round 70 on the highest pace, making it noisier than the Theragun PRO. Nonetheless, it’s no louder than a dishwasher, so it shouldn’t be too disruptive. 

Whereas your buy features a pouch to maintain the attachments organized, it doesn’t embody a case for the therapeutic massage gun itself. If you already know you’ll be touring with it, plan on buying one other protecting case or discovering one thing to wrap the therapeutic massage gun in to keep away from injury.

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What Do Therapeutic massage Weapons Do?

Therapeutic massage weapons use percussive and/or vibration remedy to ship an efficient therapeutic massage that targets the deepest tissues of the physique. They aren’t precisely the identical as a deep tissue therapeutic massage from a licensed bodily therapist. Nonetheless, therapeutic massage weapons can nonetheless be a handy manner to offer ache aid and promote blood circulation to tender areas of the physique when you possibly can’t make it to the spa.

Therapeutic massage weapons sometimes include numerous attachments, corresponding to a ball, flat head, fork, or bullet. Every attachment serves a special objective. A ball attachment, for instance, is good for understanding painful knots deep within the tissues of huge muscle teams just like the glutes, hamstrings, or quads. However, a bullet head attachment may be higher for assuaging soreness in smaller muscular tissues like these within the ft or for actually zeroing in on painful set off factors.

Therapeutic massage weapons additionally let you modify the pace and depth settings for a personalized therapeutic massage expertise. Decrease intensities are higher for individuals who are new to utilizing therapeutic massage weapons or when engaged on extra delicate areas. Greater intensities let you extra successfully attain the deeper tissues of your bigger muscular tissues.

Advantages of Therapeutic massage Weapons

Now that you already know what a therapeutic massage gun does, it’s possible you’ll surprise the way it may also help you. Beneath are a few of the many advantages of therapeutic massage weapons:

• Elevated blood circulation. The repeated mechanical motions of a muscle massager assist promote blood circulation to the focused space, which may also help present aid if the world is sore or tight. It may additionally assist put together your muscular tissues for a exercise.
• Decreased muscle soreness. Some analysis has proven that utilizing a therapeutic massage gun earlier than a exercise can scale back the quantity of muscle injury you incur. (1) Consequently, it’s possible you’ll expertise much less soreness and fatigue throughout and after your exercise.
• Elevated flexibility and vary of movement. One examine within the X confirmed that athletes who used a therapeutic massage gun on their calf muscular tissues skilled elevated dorsiflexion of the ankle. (2) Extra analysis is required to guage how lengthy these results final, however it’s attainable that you just’ll discover higher efficiency within the gymnasium in the event you use a therapeutic massage gun as a part of your warm-up.
• Comfort. With a therapeutic massage gun, you may give your self a therapeutic massage any time your muscular tissues want just a little love — no extra ready till a therapeutic massage therapist at your native spa can suit you in for an appointment.
• Portability. Many therapeutic massage weapons are sufficiently small to stash in your gymnasium bag so you possibly can embody them as a part of your warm-up or cool-down routine. Additionally they normally include carrying instances that can assist you preserve the entire attachments organized.

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How Do You Use a Therapeutic massage Gun?

To make use of a therapeutic massage gun, safe your most well-liked attachment to the machine, swap it on to the bottom setting, and maintain it towards the world of the physique you wish to goal. Slowly transfer the therapeutic massage gun over the muscle for one to 2 minutes. It’s greatest to maintain it shifting as a result of this can assist promote blood circulation; concentrating it on the identical spot for too lengthy could result in bruising or worsen soreness and tightness. In case you really feel such as you want a deeper therapeutic massage, regularly improve the setting till you attain your required depth.

You should use a therapeutic massage gun at any time of the day. I usually like to make use of mine for a therapeutic massage session within the night to assist me unwind earlier than bedtime, however I do know a number of athletes who use theirs as a part of their warm-up routine. I’ve additionally heard of individuals utilizing therapeutic massage weapons instantly after a exercise as a approach to calm down and chill out the muscular tissues they only skilled the toughest.

When Ought to You Not Use a Therapeutic massage Gun?

Whereas therapeutic massage weapons are usually thought of protected when used correctly, there are a couple of cases the place it’s really helpful to keep away from them. You must by no means use a therapeutic massage gun on bruised or injured areas (assume a sprained ankle), as they will make accidents worse. You additionally shouldn’t use one immediately on bony elements of the physique, like your knee joints. These areas are extra prone to harm from the drive of the therapeutic massage gun.

For a similar cause, it’s greatest to keep away from utilizing a therapeutic massage gun on the spinal column, as it could trigger injury to the discs and nerve roots of the backbone.

Lastly, people with circumstances corresponding to arthritis, hypertension, or sure cancers shouldn’t use a therapeutic massage gun. Therapeutic massage weapons can worsen irritation and different signs related to these well being circumstances.

What To Look For in a Therapeutic massage Gun

Attachments and Equipment

I extremely advocate getting a therapeutic massage gun that comes with a number of attachments, as they will make a big impact in your expertise with the product. I’ve a therapeutic massage gun from Compex, and it solely has one ball head. I want I had taken the time to do extra analysis on the advantages of the completely different heads earlier than I positioned my order. (That is additionally a part of the explanation I didn’t embody that therapeutic massage gun within the record above.)

For instance, a fork attachment is good for massaging across the backbone or the world across the Achilles. Damper or foam attachments are good for hitting delicate areas, like these nearer to your bones or joints. Bullet attachments may also help you zone in on remoted sore spots.

Earlier than making your buy, think about the place on the physique you’ll use the massager essentially the most, and ensure it comes with attachments which are appropriate for concentrating on these areas.

Percussion vs. Vibration

Therapeutic massage weapons can supply both percussion or vibration remedy. Percussion therapeutic massage weapons use an up-and-down movement and might attain no less than 16 millimeters into the physique tissues. They’re higher for breaking apart muscle knots, however some individuals discover them too intense. The entire Theragun fashions reviewed above are percussion therapeutic massage weapons.

Vibration therapeutic massage weapons use a side-to-side movement, which is useful for rising blood circulation and circulation.

Noise Stage

You’ll seemingly need a therapeutic massage gun that’s comparatively quiet, particularly in the event you’ll use it in a public setting like a gymnasium or within the presence of different people who stay with you. Many therapeutic massage gun manufacturers record the decibel degree of their merchandise on their web sites, so you should definitely learn the product descriptions fastidiously. 

I like to recommend searching for a therapeutic massage gun that’s round 70 decibels or decrease, which is barely louder than the sounds of two individuals talking to one another and family home equipment like dishwashers. The Theragun PRO and Theragun Mini are each good choices whose decibel ranges are round 65 on the very best pace setting. For a good quieter massager, think about the Sportneer Therapeutic massage Gun, which solely goes as much as round 55 decibels.

Charging and Battery Life

A therapeutic massage gun’s battery life can vary anyplace from two to eight hours, relying on the mannequin, how usually you employ it, and what degree of depth you employ most frequently. Regardless that you’ll seemingly solely use it for a couple of minutes at a time, a protracted battery life is useful as a result of you should use the therapeutic massage gun for a number of days earlier than needing to recharge it.

It’s additionally good to search for a therapeutic massage gun that doesn’t take a very long time to cost for these occasions when it unexpectedly runs out of battery. A unit that solely takes an hour or so to completely cost can turn out to be useful in such conditions.

Amplitude

Amplitude refers to how far the therapeutic massage gun head goes up and down. A therapeutic massage gun should attain no less than 16 millimeters to be thought of a percussion therapeutic massage gun, although few choices available on the market which are listed as percussion therapeutic massage weapons truly attain that deep. Most attain nearer to 12 or 15 millimeters. Nonetheless, this is usually a good factor, as many people discover true percussive remedy to be too intense.

Different therapeutic massage weapons you’ll discover available on the market, just like the Ekrin Athletics Bantam Mini Therapeutic massage Gun, solely attain so far as 10 millimeters. Nonetheless, these may very well be good choices for these with delicate pores and skin or anybody who prefers a gentler therapeutic massage expertise.

Stall Drive

Stall drive is the quantity of drive you possibly can apply to an space earlier than the therapeutic massage gun’s motor stalls. It’s usually listed in kilos and ranges from 20 to 60 kilos, for essentially the most half. Stall drive can have an effect on which therapeutic massage gun you determine to buy as a result of it signifies how aggressively you possibly can press the machine into your muscular tissues. In flip, this impacts the depth of your therapeutic massage.

A stall drive of no less than 30 kilos is good in the event you choose low- to moderate-intensity massages. A stall drive of no less than 40 to 50 kilos is healthier in the event you choose a extra aggressive self-massage.

Percussions Per Minute

Percussions per minute (PPM) is the variety of occasions the massager’s head will hit your muscle per minute. These can vary anyplace from 1,700 to three,200 PPMs. Most therapeutic massage weapons, together with the Theragun PRO, REP Rapidstrike, and Hyperice Hypervolt Go, supply a number of completely different pace settings, so you possibly can tailor your therapeutic massage based mostly on which muscle you’re concentrating on or how sore you might be.

Design

The design and product weight of a therapeutic massage gun can impression how comfy it’s to carry. A heavy, cumbersome therapeutic massage gun could also be tough to make use of, particularly when you have dexterity points. It may additionally trigger wrist fatigue to settle in shortly or make it tougher to hit the focused areas successfully.

In our expertise, therapeutic massage weapons with triangular-shaped handles, just like the Theragun PRO, are simpler to maneuver than these with straight handles, just like the OLsky Therapeutic massage Gun. Straight handles could make it tougher to hit hard-to-reach areas, just like the scapula within the higher again.

Greatest Therapeutic massage Weapons: Facet-by-Facet Comparability

FAQs

Analysis

1. Kim, J. Y., Kang, D. H., Lee, J. H., O, S. M., & Jeon, J. Okay. (2017). The results of pre-exercise vibration stimulation on the exercise-induced muscle injury. Journal of bodily remedy science, 29(1), 119–122. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.119
2. Konrad, A., Glashüttner, C., Reiner, M. M., Bernsteiner, D., & Tilp, M. (2020). The Acute Results of a Percussive Therapeutic massage Therapy with a Hypervolt Machine on Plantar Flexor Muscle tissue’ Vary of Movement and Efficiency. Journal of sports activities science & drugs, 19(4), 690–694.