Everything You Need to Know About Deep Tissue Percussion Therapy
How The MuscleGun Works?
The MuscleGun is designed to speed up muscle recovery by increasing blood flow to the muscle and flushing out lactic acid build up. You can also use the MuscleGun to warm-up/activate muscles before exercise to prevent injury.
How Percussion Therapy Works?
Percussive massage is comparable to a deep tissue sports massage, but you can do it yourself at home, in the gym or even at the office. It's also quicker, every 5 minutes with the MuscleGun is equivalent to a 20 minute deep tissue massage. The MuscleGun applies firm pressure and fast strokes to reach deeper layers of muscle and fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles). It's used for quicker muscle recovery between workouts, chronic aches and pain and contracted areas such as a stiff neck and upper back, low back pain, leg muscle tightness, and sore shoulders.
Is this designed to replace a massage therapist?
Absolutely Knot! ( see what we did there?) If you already have massage therapist that you love, then the MuscleGun is the perfect compliment to your therapy session! Just imagine what the MuscleGun can do in the hands of a skilled massage therapist?!
Benefits
Deep tissue Percussion Therapy focuses on specific problem areas, such as fitness muscle recovery, chronic muscle pain, injury rehabilitation, and the following conditions.
- Muscle pain from intense workouts. Known as "DOMS" (delayed-onset muscle soreness)
- Limited mobility
- Upper back or neck pain
- Low back pain
- Muscle tension in the hamstrings, glutes, IT band, legs, quadriceps, rhomboids, upper back
- Recovery from injuries (e.g. whiplash. Consult your Doctor first)
- Repetitive strain injury, such as carpel tunnel syndrome
- Postural problems
- Sciatica
- Tennis Elbow
If you are interested in a way to prevent sports injury, address sport-specific concerns, or to help with muscle recovery time after sports, consider getting a MuscleGun.
Deep tissue percussive massage is used to break up scar tissue and physically break down muscle "knots" or adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue) that can disrupt circulation and cause pain, limited range of motion, and inflammation.
At the beginning of a percussion therapy session or before a workout, lighter pressure is generally applied to warm up and prepare the muscles.
Lets Talk Tips...Just for a minute...Just to see how they feel
The different massage tips are designed to target specific muscle groups. MuscleGun X tips are made from closed cell PU foam so they are a bit more flexible than the MuscleGun Carbon and MG Pro tips. Please watch our videos.
Round Ball Tip:
Great for all over use and warming up before workouts.
Pointy Tip:
Great for small muscle groups in the feet, hands or targeting knots.
Fork Tip:
Great for small muscles either side of the spine. The shape is deigned to not hit your spine.
Flat Tip:
Great for larger muscle groups and applying more pressure. You can also use with massage cream or oil and easily wipe clean.
Flat Blade Tip:
Only available on the MuscleGun X. Designed to strip muscles and get between large muscle groups or shoulder blades.
Where to Use
*Drinking water after may help to flush the metabolic waste from the tissues.*
Does percussive massage Hurt?
It shouldn't hurt, but remember this is a deep tissue treatment, so if you've just done an intense workout then your muscles may feel tender as they are trying to recover. MuscleGun is designed to speed up this process by increasing blood flow and flushing out lactic acid build up.
At certain times during the treatment, you may feel some discomfort or even some pain as you work on areas where there are adhesions or scar tissue. Pain isn't necessarily good, and it's not a sign that the massage will be effective. In fact, your body may tense up in response to pain, making it harder for you to reach deeper muscles.
You should always listen to your body if you feel pain during the massage. You can adjust the speed, change massage tip and how much pressure you apply to prep your muscle for deeper massage.
Precautions
Deep tissue percussive massage may not be safe for people with blood clots (e.g. thrombophlebitis or deep vein thrombosis), due to the risk that they may become dislodged. If you have a history of blood clots or are at risk of forming blood clots, it's essential that you consult your Doctor first!
If you have blood clots or are at risk of forming blood clots, it's essential that you consult your doctor before using a deep tissue percussive massager.
If you've had recent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or have another medical condition, it's wise to check with your doctor before starting percussion therapy. Some people with osteoporosis should avoid the deeper pressure of this type of massage.
Percussion therapy should not be done directly over bruises, inflamed or infected skin, skin rashes, unhealed or open wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, fragile bones, or areas of recent fractures. Massage may cause bruising and rarely, hematoma (a localized collection of blood outside of blood cells), venous thromboembolism and a condition known as spinal accessory neuropathy.