What Is a Massage Gun – and How Does It Work? Ingrid Skjong - The New York Times
go to original April 24, 2022

The Benefits of Massage Guns (The List Show TV)

A massage gun is a handheld device that delivers percussive massage: quick, repeated strikes to the body patterned after a Swedish massage technique called tapotement. You’ll notice three terms typically mentioned within massage gun specs:

  • Amplitude: This term refers to how far the shaft of the device moves in and out in order to make contact with your body. The greater the amplitude—measured in millimeters—the deeper the massage, theoretically.

  • Percussions per minute: Abbreviated as ppm, this is the speed at which the device drums into your body.

  • Stall force: This measurement indicates the amount of pressure (in pounds) that you can apply to the device during use before the motor stops.

Most massage guns come with a variety of interchangeable attachments that allow you to target particular muscles or deliver a particular kind of massage. For instance, smaller, narrower attachments work well on areas like feet, hands, and calves; rounder, wider shapes work well on larger muscle groups such as quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Nearly all massage guns are relatively noisy and, depending on your level of sensitivity, fairly intense.

They work by quickly and repeatedly punching the body, triggering blood vessels to dilate. This action assists in hydrating muscle tissue with blood and can help release knots, explained Ericka Clinton, dean of the massage therapy program at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences and a New York State–licensed massage therapist. “I’ve really seen amazing results with the percussion tools,” she said. “The percussion gets you that rush of blood and separation of congestion in the muscle fibers very quickly.”

Massage guns promise to speed athletic recovery, increase circulation, decrease muscle pain and soreness, reduce inflammation, and increase mobility. Scientifically, however, the validity of those claimed benefits is a bit murky.

A massage gun cannot flush lactic acid. It can’t eradicate cellulite. It can increase circulation - but so can taking a walk.

Read the rest at The New York Times

Do Massage Guns Work? Let’s Look at the Science (Corporis)