What are massage guns and how do they work?

As with the traditional massage techniques, massage guns are handheld devices that can also provide vibration therapy. It sends pulses of concentrated pressure deep into your muscles improving blood flow, relieving pain, tension and soreness for a more rapid and enhanced recovery. Vibration therapy has been proven to be one of the best techniques that restore and even improve muscular function after DOMS (Veqar and Imtiyaz, 2014).Recovery is achieved from increased blood supply to the injury and decreased sensation of pain.

INCREASED BLOOD FLOW

The application of pressure both in manual massage and massage guns is used to mobilize soft tissues, like muscles, to increase and improve blood flow to the area. When vibration is transmitted to the body, it produces a cycle of muscle contraction and relaxation. This triggers movement of the blood along and around the area where the vibration is applied. An increased blood flow to the area flushes out pain metabolites and replenishes the muscle with oxygen and nutrients needed for repair. Also, after a series of contraction—relaxation, tight muscles are made to relax. Muscle knots or nodules tend to soften and can easily respond to massage and stretching, thereby increasing range of motion. People suffering from both acute muscle soreness and DOMS can benefit from the increased vascularization in just one device, anytime and anywhere. ALL BECAUSE OF INCREASED BLOOD FLOW. That’s why to get repaired, get pumped up.

Both massage and vibration therapy provided by massage guns deliver the same result. However, in a study conducted to compare the effect of Vibration Therapy and massage in prevention of DOMS, vibration therapy shows clinically early reduction of pain 48 hours post exercise as compared to manual massage (Imtiyaz, Vegar and Shareef, 2014).

DECREASED PAIN PERCEPTION

Vibration therapy as an effective tool in alleviating pain works following Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall’s Gate ControlTheory. The theory believes that it is possible to “trick” the brain with right stimulation, thereby reducing perception pain (Guieu, Tardy and Roll, 1991).

Vibration devices such as massage guns relieve pain through stimulation induced analgesia.

• There are the 2 types of neural fibers:
• Small-diameter A-δ and C fibers transmit pain signals
• Large-diameter A-β fibers sense touch, pressure and vibration
• The neural fibers carry information to the central nervous system via the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
• This theory states that when A-β fibers are stimulated by non-noxious stimuli like vibration, they prevent pain signals transmitted by A-δ or C fibers from reaching the central nervous system.
• Vibration stimulation of the spinal cord via somatic sensation closes the “gate.”

Benefits of Vibration Therapy

• Fast recovery from any injury
• Relieves pain and soreness
• Decreases muscle stiffness improving muscle elasticity and increasing range of motion
• Stimulates muscle growth and improve muscle function (Pamukoff, Ryan and Troy, 2014)
• Promotes relaxation

Massage guns were developed to deliver these exact benefits of vibration therapy and provide the same relief as an actual manual massage does in the comfort of your own home, and the quality of relief is provided by yourself or by a loved one. This is exactly what the massage guns are employed. These tools improve recovery time from both injury and muscle soreness and are easy to use, portable and available for every budget.