Basics & Benefits of a Massage Gun

We’ve all been there. You enjoyed a challenging workout that felt great at the time and by all accounts was completely beneficial, but is painful in recovery. Whether you’re just starting your journey toward fitness or you are a seasoned enthusiast, workout recovery can be a challenge. 

We all have our favorite tried-and-true recovery techniques. From workout supplements to cool showers, compression garments, and plain old hydration, you know what works for you. However, there are other options that may help your muscles recover even quicker, like the Archon Fitness massage gun. 

Massage Gun Basics 

A massage gun is exactly what it sounds like – a handheld personal massaging tool that looks and sounds like an electric drill. Not unlike the drill in your toolbox, most massage guns come with various tools and accessories to utilize in workout recovery and muscle pain. 

Our top-quality Archon Fitness Massage Gun comes with four different kinds of massage gun heads suitable for targeting different muscle groups. The silicone handle makes gripping easy, even after an intense workout. 

Portable, cordless, and rechargeable, you can count on four to six hours of battery life once the massager is fully charged. A sleek carrying case makes traveling with your massage gun easy and convenient.  

The moderately-priced Archon Fitness Massage Gun is the latest and greatest in recovery tools. You don’t want to be without this tool in your recovery arsenal! 

Massage Guns Work 

Massage guns work by stimulating blood flow to the muscle group in question. This in turn moves good nutrients into the muscle and removes blood that could have pooled and caused swelling. If used right after a workout, massage guns can help remove metabolites that can sometimes cause burning muscles. 

Some models can pound away at aching muscles at a rate of 2,500 times a minute. Within only a few minutes, a massage gun can work the tense knots out of a large muscle group, loosen tissue, increase blood flow, and ease soreness.  

Described as a “muscle jackhammer,” modern versions of the massage gun provide a more percussive massage and a deeper, more intense stimulation of the muscle group. 

Percussive Therapy

Massage guns use percussive therapy. Defined as accelerated bursts of pressure into the body’s tissue, percussive therapy is a relatively new sports therapy and is considered a breakthrough treatment for soft tissue pain. This percussive, jackhammer-like movement can release muscle knots and reach a deep layer of muscle and tissue. 

By providing short, rapid, and concentrated pulses deep into your body’s tissues, percussive massage can accelerate tissue growth and repair. Percussive massage also heavily increases blood flow to painful areas, relieving pain and increasing your range of motion. 

You can also count on a gentle stretch of the muscles, improving responsiveness and performance. 

Some studies have shown percussive massage causes contractions up to 30 times more powerful than normal voluntary contractions. This increase in contractions can lead to muscle strength and improved muscle recovery. 

Percussive stimulation has also been proven to improve muscle tone and balance and cause an increase in blood circulation, reducing muscle fatigue and soreness. Percussive therapy can reduce post-workout pain and stiffness. 

Although they can often achieve the same type of result, percussive therapy is different from vibration therapy. Vibration therapy provides a constant stimulus. Because of that constant stimulus, the body can get accustomed to it quickly. Typically, there is no increase or decrease in vibration either, so with enough vibration over time, the nervous system doesn’t react. 

On the other hand, percussive therapy has a frequency of 22-40 hertz, which means you’ll experience a pounding of the muscle tissue between 22-40 times per second. When you ramp up and then slow down the percussion, it keeps that tissue stimulated because it doesn’t have an opportunity to get accustomed to the sensation of it. 

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It’s Not Just for Workout Recovery 

• Injury Rehabilitation: We all know that massage is an effective tool in workout recovery. Massage guns are also an important and effective way to aid in injury rehabilitation and recovery. Improved circulation to muscle groups aids in increased flexibility and healing time.
• Breaks Down Scar Tissue: Massage guns can be used for post-surgery scar tissue. Because massage guns provide a deep tissue massage, that same deep tissue stimulation helps break down the collagen fibers that comprise most scar tissue. This fiber breakdown will help alleviate pain and restriction. 
• Enhance Range of Motion: Your muscles, tendons, tissue, ligaments, and joints all work together to aid in your mobility and range of motion. Use your massage gun to relax muscles and improve blood circulation so that they can work in conjunction with each other to improve your body’s range of motion. 
• Not Just for the Cool-Down: Because massage guns stimulate blood flow, they can also be very effective in warm-ups. Targeting a specific muscle group like the calf or thigh for seven to 10 minutes can help prep those muscles for intense activity. While some may prefer aerobic warm-up, targeting a core group of muscles with a massage gun may be a timesaver. 
• Wellness: Massage guns can also be useful in treating fibromyalgia, digestive disorders, sciatica, soft tissue inflammation, and stress-related insomnia.

Are There Risks? 

• Don’t Overdo It: It’s human nature to think if it feels good, then more is undoubtedly going to be better. When using a massage gun, that’s not always the case. A word to the wise: more doesn’t always mean better! 

Don’t overuse your massage gun. Spend a handful of minutes on specific muscle groups. Then, give those muscles a break. 

• Be careful around unusually painful areas: Unlike your masseuse, the machine can’t tell the difference between standard, everyday soreness, and injury. So, use the massage gun to complement your favorite recovery techniques – not as a complete replacement. Use caution around bony areas.

Should You Try a Massage Gun? 

Even if you aren’t a fitness enthusiast, a trainer, a professional athlete, or an avid exerciser, if you lead an active lifestyle and experience muscle soreness, stiffness, or tension knots, a massage gun could help. 

Specifically, massage guns can aid in easing the following conditions: 

• Shin splints 
• Chronic pain 
• Carpal tunnel syndrome 
• Muscle soreness and stiffness
• TMJ
• Sciatica 

For those in rehabilitative therapy, percussive massage can speed the healing process of injured muscles due to trauma, surgery, or disease. Percussive massage may even strengthen the muscles of patients unable to participate in physical therapy, like stroke or accident victims or even dementia patients.  

If you have any of the following injuries or conditions, we recommend speaking with a doctor before using a massage gun. These conditions include: 

• Muscle strain: Although it’s unlikely you’d think to use a massage gun on a muscle strain or “pulled muscle,” this is one condition that wouldn’t be conducive to percussive therapy. Muscle strains should be treated using the PRICE method (protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation) and treatment by a doctor if necessary. 
• Inflammation: If you have been diagnosed with any of the -itis conditions (tendonitis, fasciitis, bursitis) you should use a massage gun cautiously and discontinue use if you don’t experience relief. Percussive therapy isn’t necessarily the first choice in inflammation treatment or recovery.  

Those who have been diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) or are pregnant should consult a doctor before using a massage gun and follow their doctor’s advice. 

The bottom line: if you think a massage gun would be beneficial and you don’t have any conditions or concerns that may warrant a doctor’s clearance, give it a try. Our Archon products have a less than 1% return rate, so we are confident you’ll experience relief. 

If you have questions about our Archon Massage Gun, we want to hear from you. Let’s start a conversation about how best to use it, what our experience has been, and what techniques may speed your recovery and bring you relief. 

Conversations with your trusted medical professional regarding any injury you may have and treatment you are interested in trying is always advised. This blog post does not replace medical care. 

The Archon Difference 

Archon is way more than an online retailer for workout equipment. We are a fitness company staffed by a team of passionate professionals dedicated to healthier bodies and healthy minds. 

We provide only the highest quality equipment, abundant selection, and free shipping on almost all items. When you purchase a piece of workout equipment from us, our relationship is just beginning. Ideally, we start a dialogue. 

We want you to know how to effectively and safely use the equipment so you see the results you’re expecting. Communicate with one of our trainers about the equipment you’ve purchased, and let us design a workout for you that will help you meet your fitness goals. 

We are here for you. We want you to succeed. Whether you’re just beginning your journey toward fitness or you are well on your way to healthier living, you are important to us. Check out our website and start your relationship with Archon – TODAY.