“OK guys, I’ve a PSA for you, and it has to do with therapeutic massage weapons and your neck,” content material writer Sophie Dolce starts a video. She tells her TikTok fans that once the usage of a therapeutic massage gun each and every 30 mins to assist relieve a kink in her neck, she spotted a large lump. Thankfully, Dolce briefly sought clinical consideration, and medical doctors showed that the lump used to be in all probability led to by means of a swollen lymph node as an alternative of extended therapeutic massage gun utilization. However Dolce’s ultrasound effects did not prevent commenters from being concerned about their very own therapeutic massage weapons.
“No longer me having a thriller stroke at 28 and continuously the usage of a therapeutic massage gun on my neck,” one person wrote in response to Dolce’s authentic TikTok. “I simply were given a therapeutic massage gun so I am happy I noticed this,” some other commented, thanking Dolce for sharing. Others expressed considerations about correct therapeutic massage gun utilization, with some other folks swearing them off altogether.
It is simple to get over excited with therapeutic massage weapons, says Tony Poland, CMT, a former member of the United States Olympic Clinical Make stronger Workforce. “Therapeutic massage weapons really feel truly excellent, particularly if you’ll take them as much as round 3,000 RPM, which is principally the rate of the myelinated frightened gadget,” Poland says.
However pause prior to ditching your therapeutic massage gun totally. Whilst they do lift dangers, “the item it’s important to glance out for is tissue this is prone to injury simply, like arterial tissue,” Poland says. Actually, therapeutic massage gun producers themselves will suggest warding off delicate spots and counsel some other folks ask their medical doctors prior to the usage of one in any respect (together with other folks with IUDs — extra on that under). Forward, we proportion the entire expert-backed information that will help you use your therapeutic massage gun appropriately, save you damage, and nonetheless relieve muscle soreness.
Can You Use a Therapeutic massage Gun on Your Neck?
Poland says it is not an ideal concept to make use of a therapeutic massage gun for your neck. “There are arterial sinuses in there which can be extraordinarily prone to drive,” he explains. “In case you are pounding away with a therapeutic massage gun within the aspect of your neck, there is a probability you want to cross out.”
Julia Morgan, DC, bodily therapist, and skilled consultant for , provides that flawed therapeutic massage gun utilization may end up in “needless soreness and bruising.” She would additionally counsel warding off the carotid arteries (which trip thru your head and neck).
There have additionally been incidences of other folks having vertebral artery dissection after the usage of hand-held therapeutic massage gadgets. In a single case, a 27-year-old girl who reported signs of headache, neck ache, and dizziness used to be discovered to have a vertebral artery dissection; she’d used a hand-held therapeutic massage gun on her neck throughout the 3 weeks prior. In some other, a 43-year-old girl additionally had a vertebral artery dissection after the usage of a therapeutic massage chair that centered the neck and again.
The base line: in case your neck is sore, believe different, more secure therapeutic massage tactics. Poland in particular issues to one way referred to as Tool Assisted Comfortable Tissue Mobilization (IASTM), very similar to the Chinese language follow of gua sha. In essence, IASTM makes use of specialised gear to scrape the outside of the outside, activating the parasympathetic frightened gadget and liberating knots — no therapeutic massage gun important. However be sure to communicate in your physician prior to making an attempt, and are accustomed to the proper method.
What Different Frame Portions Must You Steer clear of When The use of a Therapeutic massage Gun?
Normally talking, Morgan recommends staying clear of the face, head, and bony spaces just like the backbone. “Watch out at the entrance of the neck to steer clear of the carotid artery and different delicate buildings just like the vagus nerve,” Morgan says.
She additionally says to steer clear of the bottom of the cranium, because the cushy tissue there may be extraordinarily delicate. Poland has the same opinion that the cranium must typically be have shyed away from. “I’ve used a therapeutic massage gun on temporalis, which is at the aspect of the cranium, however it’s important to dangle it a long way sufficient away that the gun is simply touching into the tissue, no longer in reality knocking the cranium,” he says. “If it is hitting the cranium, that is no excellent, for the reason that mind’s no longer going to tolerate that. It does all varieties of loopy issues in your imaginative and prescient and your belief of up.”
Poland additionally says to steer clear of the entrance of the elbow (aka the “eye” of the elbow), the armpit, and the again of the knee. “There may be tissue in there, however there is additionally very delicate arterial tissue and frightened tissue,” he says.
Moreover, Theragun, some other percussive therapeutic massage gun, warns in opposition to the usage of their product on “your head, neck, and genitalia” in its .
Can You Use a Therapeutic massage Gun Whilst Pregnant?
The Theragun FAQs suggest that pregnant other folks ask their medical doctors prior to the usage of a gun.
Hyperice’s website online suggests the similar, and in addition chatting with a health care provider prior to the usage of you probably have the next stipulations: “diabetes with headaches similar to neuropathy or retinal injury, put on of pacemakers, fresh surgical operation or damage, epilepsy or migraines, herniated disks, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, or spondylosis, fresh joint replacements or IUD, steel pins or plates.”
This IUD point out gave us pause, however Morgan says to seek the advice of your clinical supplier with any direct considerations and “steer clear of use across the stomach and a couple of days after implantation or retrieval” if you are nonetheless frightened. Anate Brauer, MD, a double board-certified ob-gyn, additionally showed that therapeutic massage weapons don’t seem to be part of IUD consent counseling (and subsequently don’t appear to pose an important risk).
With all that during thoughts, it can be perfect to speak in your physician prior to the usage of a percussive therapeutic massage gun, and at all times steer clear of the usage of it for your head, neck, and backbone (and genitalia). And, after all, if one thing feels off, touch a healthcare supplier STAT.
Easy methods to Correctly Use a Therapeutic massage Gun
Get started Gradual
“You at all times wish to get started off slowly when the usage of a therapeutic massage gun,” Morgan says. Get started with the bottom depth to be had; you’ll at all times alter it relying for your stage of sensitivity — you could be shocked by means of how little you want to really feel the results. For the most efficient effects, Poland recommends a therapeutic massage gun that may hit about 3,000 RPM and does not trip an excessive amount of.
Use Mild Muscle Contraction
Poland notes that there is additionally a method to cause and unlock myofascial cause issues (steadily known as “knots”) the usage of a therapeutic massage gun. When you determine this kind of delicate spots on both finish of the muscle, Poland says to frivolously stretch or demanding the muscle prior to stepping into with the therapeutic massage gun. “It reasons that cause level to unlock and let cross, and you might be already in a stretch so it discourages the knot from contracting once more,” he explains. “The cause issues can unlock from stretch or from truly gentle contraction — both one — and that’s the reason easy methods to make a therapeutic massage gun so a lot more efficient.”
Stay It Gentle
Every other factor to remember is that after the usage of a hand-held therapeutic massage gun, you do not essentially have to use an excessive amount of further drive, Morgan says. Focal point on simply bringing the gun in your pores and skin, and do not press or dig it in like you could in the event you have been massaging the realm along with your fingers. “Stay the therapeutic massage gun transferring and steer clear of spending an excessive amount of time on a unmarried space,” Morgan says. Maximum manufacturers suggest round one to 2 mins in line with muscle staff.
“Other folks get started off approach too robust and approach too lengthy, and it can provide other folks dangerous stories with a great device,” Morgan provides. It could be tempting to linger on sore spots — however transfer on after a minute, then see how you are feeling. Extra steadily than no longer, you’ll be able to have already accomplished the muscle leisure you have been searching for. This easy tip even helped Poland when his therapeutic massage gun began to present him bruises. “I attempted simply the usage of it a lot more gently,” he mentioned. “A lot more efficient.”
Use the Right kind Attachment
After all, to assist goal other issues of the frame, you may additionally wish to believe a tool with other attachments supposed for various spaces of the frame.