00:00So you recently got a massage gun and you want to know the most effective way to use it to relieve pain and
00:05Decrease muscle soreness well today
00:07I'm gonna give you my thoughts as a physical therapist on the best way to use a massage gun and the absolute worst thing
00:12You can do but I'll talk about that in a minute
00:14Let's start with a real quick overview of what this massage gun does
00:17Why it's so therapeutic and what you can do to get the most out of your massage gun
00:22Massage guns come in various shapes and sizes, but at its core
00:25It's really just a handheld device that percusses back and forth at variable speeds and depths and as this massage gun
00:32Pulsates you can glide it along a muscle you can move it across muscle fibers
00:38You can move it in circles over a wide area or simply just target one spot for a deep tissue massage
00:44Now all massage guns generally work the same way
00:47But there are a few details to know about and even features to look for when you're shopping for the best massage gun
00:52Or even just understanding what those terms mean on the massage gun that you have first off the amplitude
00:58It refers to the depth at which the massage gun head pulses back and forth meaning if you hold this gun steady to your thigh
01:05How deep will it push into your leg now to emulate a deep tissue massage pick up a massage gun with a greater amplitude?
01:11Which will also help you to treat bigger bulkier muscle groups that tend to get store after exercise this massage gun right here
01:18That I like using is the x6 pro by Bob and Brad the two most famous physical therapists on the internet in their opinion
01:25Of course, and it's an example of a massage gun with a very powerful
01:29Amplitude of 10 millimeters
01:31So it gives you that deep tissue massage and it has this really nice long handle that I like using because you can easily reach the middle of your back
01:39You may also see the term ppm or pulses per minute
01:43Some manufacturers refer to as rpm or rotations or even revolutions per minute
01:47And it's basically how many times your massage gun head is punching you per minute
01:532000 to 3000 is the typical rpm for most units with higher speeds generally delivering a more intense massage
02:00On the back of most units you'll find the lights indicating which level of intensity you're at whether it's level one all the way up to level five
02:08I recommend starting with level one getting used to that and varying that based on the muscle group
02:14Because some muscle groups may be able to tolerate a higher intensity while less bulky muscles
02:19You may want to stick with the level one or level two intensity
02:22Okay on to the attachments or the heads which are interchangeable accessories that come with your massage gun
02:28Now a great massage gun is going to give you a good massage no matter the attachment
02:32But by changing the attachment heads you can really change or fine tune that massage very quickly very easily
02:38So be sure to watch that next video that will play after this because I go into even more detail on which massage gun head to use
02:45It's a really helpful video that you don't want to miss as well
02:47Also the battery life is worth mentioning as well
02:50The battery is generally here in the handle and most massage guns will have a rechargeable battery
02:54This is recharged with a usb-c
02:57This one is charged with an adapter an ac adapter that plugs into the wall
03:02But oftentimes you're going to find that using your massage gun
03:06You can get about two continuous hours on a single charge
03:09Many manufacturers will say that their battery life is up to 30 days with 10 minutes of use per day
03:15I've seen this to be true for many massage guns that I've owned
03:18But the one tip that I have is to charge the massage gun fully as soon as you get it
03:23And then to use up that battery completely so it's dead before recharging it
03:27I just think that it allows the battery to go through a full cycle and hopefully prolongs the life of your battery
03:34All right, now you're ready to use the massage gun
03:35But you'll need to figure out what exactly it is that you're gunning for
03:38Is it knee pain or a sore back maybe even tight quads or knot up in your shoulders?
03:44That objective of your massage treatment will determine what type of muscles you massage and what techniques you want to use
03:51As well as what head to attach onto the massage gun most massage guns will turn on by pressing and holding that large button on the back of the unit
03:59This is also the button that can be pressed again to cycle through the different intensity levels
04:03Increasing that pulse per minute cycle to increase the intensity of the massage
04:08Now generally you want to massage an area for at least 30 seconds per muscle group
04:13Though two to three minutes is ideal
04:14You may want to work up to that over time based on your tolerance
04:17Because this may take time for you to get used to that force and the speed of the massage gun
04:22So break it up by hitting other muscle areas that you need to relax
04:26Because then you can go back to that muscle group and increase your tolerance and provide even more of a massage
04:32Another key point about using any massage gun is to remember to stay hydrated
04:36Muscles are 80% water and a well hydrated muscle is a happy muscle
04:40So you need water to flush out lactic acid repair tissue and just to promote general
04:46recovery for your your muscles
04:48So be sure to drink water before and after you use your massage gun
04:52Most massage guns come with at least a couple of different heads and shapes and sizes that will alter the feel of the massage completely
04:59Now a public service announcement here for massage guns is to use it for muscles not bones
05:05Regardless of what the the shape is on the massage gun head
05:08It's not meant for bony parts of your body like your spine or the skull or the clavicle or your elbow
05:15It's not going to feel good. It could even bruise that area
05:17So focus on soft tissue areas like your muscles because that is the best way to use a massage gun
05:24Not against any bony prominences
05:25The bob and brad massage guns that I have at home came with the following five popular attachments
05:30In descending order of intensity the fork the bullet the ball the flat round and the air cushion
05:37Here's a look at the different attachments and what I like using them for the fork attachment is is best for large tight muscles
05:44Deep tissue and general recovery
05:46It's a very popular attachment that comes with nearly every massage gun
05:50And while it looks like it's very useful around the spine
05:52I just recommend that you don't use it there because it's very likely that you'll hit against a spinous process
05:57Which is not comfortable at all the bullet attachment is best for large tight muscles and deep tissue and even targeting trigger points
06:05It's a single point head and it's very useful for that trigger point
06:09Massage and loosening those tough muscle knots. It's a great attachment
06:13And it's one of my go-to attachments for sure with any massage gun
06:17The flat round attachment is best for medium to large muscle groups and it's excellent for reducing muscle soreness
06:22I like this attachment because it's great for gliding across smooth surfaces
06:26Especially if you're using this massage gun over clothing the ball attachment is great as a general use attachment
06:32But also really helpful for sensitive muscle groups because it allows you to scale that intensity of your massage with a simple tilting motion
06:40This attachment is really useful for providing cross friction massage at the elbow or even at the knee
06:45Where soft tissue is limited my favorite attachment is the air cushion or the padded round attachment
06:51Because it's best for sensitive areas with bony prominences like the shoulder or the elbow or the knee
06:57And this thing uses a small air cushion to modify your gun's percussive power
07:02Which is great because you can still get a very powerful and effective massage
07:06But it's going to feel a lot more comfortable especially if you're working in an area
07:10Like the knee or the wrist or even the elbow or upper shoulders
07:14It's a great comfortable massage and the padding has a little give to it
07:18You know most people don't realize this with physical therapy and even treatment with a massage gun
07:23But those treatments should not increase your pain especially after you're done using it
07:27It's normal to feel a little soreness or discomfort while you're using a massage gun at first
07:32Especially if it's the first time you've used it
07:34But don't go full force with it right away
07:36Because you could end up causing an injury or just bruising that area making for an even longer recovery
07:42And that's especially true around areas where there's less soft tissue
07:45So you want to avoid placing the massage gun directly on bone
07:49Or areas that are uncomfortable like that because it's not going to help to heal
07:52And it could lead to bruising or other injury
07:55And this may sound really simple as well
07:56But you don't want to use a massage gun directly over an open wound or a surgical spot
08:01Because you could damage the tissue and you don't want to do that either
08:04Hey, I hope you found this video to be helpful
08:06Enjoy your new massage gun and be sure to give this video a like
08:09And to subscribe to the channel for more helpful videos
08:11Thanks for watching. I'll see you in the next video
Be the first to comment