How to Use a Massage Gun for Lower Back Pain

Have you ever wondered how to use a massage gun properly and effectively to treat pain in the lower back and buttocks? Obviously, we assume you have, but if you’re here, chances are you didn’t find the answer. So, we will do our best to bring them to you in the simplest possible way.

Here is what you will learn:

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Vibration and Percussive Therapy: Understanding the Differences

Vibration therapy has long been associated with the foam roller, another tool for the wellness industry. That idea was borrowed from the first massage gun. The first sports massagers were vibrating tools. We’ll call them vibrating jackhammers because that’s what they were.

However, the vibration therapy benefits only worked if you needed quick massage muscle to achieve relaxation and blood-flow stimulation to get you up and running.

For now, it’s important to note that different muscle massagers will serve different needs. This is crucial if you want to know how to use a massage gun properly.

Have you seen a chiropractor or a physical therapist using sports massager on patients and wondered what devices they used? We have those covered. Learn more about Physical Therapist Massage Guns and Chiropractor Massage Guns.

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What Does a Massage Gun Do To Your Body? 

So, are sports massagers really that useful? We believe the answer here is “yes.” Massage guns are really that useful.

Why do you think they’re so trendy and even endorsed by big names in the fitness industry and highly-ranked celebrities? But even if you think celebrity hype is all talk and no game, we’ve seen these sports massagers being recommended by doctors and therapists. Those guys don’t just hype.

This is what they say a massage gun will do for you:

• Prevent DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness can be tough on you, especially when you want to keep pushing in the gym. A trigger point massage with a sports massager will relieve the delayed pain and keep you strong enough for the next session.
• Improve blood flow in the muscles. A massage before workouts helps the body relax and activates muscles before a workout.
• Dispel toxic blood and liquid from the muscle when having a massage after a workout. 
• Massage guns will save you money. Compared to the cost of visiting a professional therapist, a sports massager will save you a couple hundred bucks, if not more.

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Why It’s Important To Use A Massage Gun Properly   

Like everything else, and especially proper use of electronic devices can never be emphasized enough. It’s never a good idea to assume that you know everything about a device and don’t need to pay attention to proper use.

The manufacturers know this, and that’s why most massage guns come with a well-written instruction manual.

Here are some reasons why you should use a massage gun properly:

• Effective trigger point therapy near me: When used right, a massage gun can be as effective as visiting a top massage therapist. 
• To avoid injury: It’s not unheard of for percussion massagers to cause injury, especially when used without proper care. We’ll take a look at how this can happen later in the article.
• To avoid damage to the massage gun: Sports massagers are not cheap little toys. Until recently, the price of one item was over $500. The market has been flooded with many muscle massagers, and as a result, the prices have gone down. Even so, if you want a good massage gun, you must pay at least $150. 

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How To Use A Theragun on Your Back – Technique

Have you got a Theragun Prime (or a Theragun Elite, or a Theragun mini), or are you thinking about getting one? If so, make sure to read our dedicated post on using Theragun.

Having seen why it’s important to use a muscle massager properly, we’ll now look at how to effectively use a massage gun.

Now, we’ve seen articles on the internet saying that there’s no specific way to use sports massagers and that all you have to do is fidget with the settings until something finally clicks for you. While this may be true, it may not apply to everyone.

So here’s our step-by-step on how to properly use a percussion massager after you have decided what muscle areas you want to treat.  

• Massage gun attachment.
  Select the most appropriate massage gun attachment for the muscle area you want to treat. The user manual commonly specifies the functions of each attachment.
  We will talk about massage heads later. However, we’ll recommend (if you’re a beginner) to start with the squishy ball head. It targets most body parts and is gentler than the other attachments. If you have a muscle massager from Therabody, use the Theragun soft head.
• Turn on the device.
  Most massage guns have a single-button use—most work by long-pressing the device to turn it on. The muscle massager will then start whirring at the lowest speed.
• Choose the desired intensity.
  We advise you to start with the lowest speed and gradually increase the level as you go. For a lighter massage, we recommend the first speed if you just want to relax and get the blood moving within the muscle. Now, most percussion massagers start slowly enough (we like the ones that start at about 1200 RPM), while others may start with higher percussions per minute. If you are using a Theragun Mini or a Theragun Prime, you may have to bear with a little more intensity at the start. The first RPM range there is about 1750 RPM. 
• Point the head at the muscle.
  Let the sports massager do its thing. If you’re using a high-end massage gun like a Theragun, Ekrin, or a Bob and Brad Massage Gun, you’ll immediately feel the punchy effect on your skin because of the long amplitude. If you’re using a mini massage gun, like the Ekrin Bantam, Theragun Mini, or the Bob and Brad Q2 Pro, the immediate feeling may not be punchy, but it should feel intense enough. 
• Move the head along the muscle slowly.
  Do not rush through the massage therapy. Enjoy the process of vibration therapy for pain. If you encounter an area of pain, hover around that part a little longer. Do not press the muscle massager hard on a painful area because chances are you may actually be making things worse. 
• For areas that don’t have a lot of muscles, like your wrists:
  It’s recommended that you simply brush the massage gun attachment over them. Don’t press too hard against these areas. Make it simple for effective results.
• However, you may want something a little more intense if you have bigger muscles.
  This is probably a good time to remind you that different sports massagers have different stall forces. You may want to pick a high-end gun like an Ekrin B37s, a Bob and Brad D6 Pro, or a Theragun Pro. These best percussion massagers have not only a powerful stall force but also high-amplitude as well; they are hard massagers.
  We also recommend a slightly higher intensity even as you start. This is because most sports massagers have progressive stall force and will stall easily at lower speeds. For you, try using different massage gun attachments as trigger point treatment on different body parts. Again, we will talk about massage heads later in our article.
• To avoid injuring yourself:
  It’s not recommended to use a muscle massager over bony areas. You may want to massage the joint areas, but be careful when doing this as well.
• You should use the percussion massager on a particular muscle for 1-2 minutes.
  Aim for one minute for smaller muscle groups. You may massage larger muscle groups for two minutes. More isn’t better. Be kind to your body.

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When to Use a Percussion Massager    

So when will you need to use a massage gun? Is there a specific time to use a percussion massager? Well, here are times you may need to use a sports massager:

1. Massage before workout:
   Even though many people in the fitness industry have touted these sports massagers as recovery tools, you can use them before a workout session. This ensures that you’re not only getting blood to flow well within your body, but it also prepares your muscles for the workout – activates the “fight-or-flight system that prepares your body for activity. For better results, aim for the parts you’re going to train. For instance, if you’re going to do a bench press, make sure you massage the pecs. Aim for the belly of the muscle. Massage the target muscle for about 30 seconds. Don’t overdo it!
2. During your workout session:
   You can use a massage gun between sets. This may happen when you feel tension within the muscle group you’re working out. In this case, instead of opting for a stretch, use your massage gun. However, do not get too excited about this – 15 seconds is enough. What you’re aiming for is to excite the muscle. 
3. Soreness after workout:
   Your body is in a heightened condition, and the best thing you can do is to get it relaxed (massage after workout). That’s where a massage gun comes in for body tension release. Target the tensed muscles and massage for about 1-2 minutes. Again, it’s important to aim for the belly of the muscle and avoid joints and bony areas. It’s recommended that you do not massage your muscles straight away. Let your body rest for a few hours, and then get to work. Use different massage gun attachments for different doby parts for better results. 
4. After a long day in the office when you have accumulated tension in your neck and shoulders:
   We have talked about sports massagers aiding in relaxing your body, and this is when you need them. Sometimes, you just need to relax after an eventful day. Take about 10 minutes using a massage gun on your body. Do not go too intense, and don’t spend more than a minute on a particular muscle group.

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How Often Should You Use a Percussion Massager?  

This section should be similar to the last section on “When to use a Percussion Massager.” However, we’ll mention one or two things that may be important as you explore how to use a percussion massager.

Percussion massagers are exciting recovery tools, and we actually think that as long as you enjoy having them, you won’t be limited by anything. Use them as often as necessary. 

However, don’t get too excited and go overboard with it. Here’s a summary of how often you should use them and how.

• Muscle Activation (massage before workout):
  When you need to get the body ready for a workout or an activity. Don’t do it for over 30 seconds.
• Muscle Reactivation:
  Use a sports massager during exercises when muscle spasms hit or fatigue threatens to derail your workout. The maximum duration is 15 seconds.
• Recovery and relieving pain (massage after workout):
  After exercises, a massage gun will aid the recovery process. You can also use it as natural pain relief. Here, it works as a temporary pain reliever recovery tool. Use it for 1-2minutes.
  Be careful not to hit nerves or go too hard on painful areas. Hot and cold therapy is another super useful aspect of some percussion massagers. Heated massages are crucial in relieving pain. The Bob and Brad massage guns now come with a hot and cold therapy attachment. Other brands may have a heated massage gun with a special ceramic head for this function. 

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How Long to Use a Percussion Massager?

Maximum for two minutes! but why?

The sports massager is an effective tool for alleviating muscle tension and promoting relaxation. It is recommended that the device be used on each muscle group for a maximum of two minutes. Exceeding this duration may lead to bruising or other potential injuries.

Another limitation is that massage guns are equipped with rechargeable batteries. When used over a long period, the batteries may overheat. This overheating may cause discomfort while using them.

However, the geniuses who manufacture these devices figured this out and built a shut-off system into them. Most devices will automatically shut off after about 10 minutes of continuous use.

However, because 10 minutes may sometimes not be enough, better devices can be restarted immediately, or in some brands, they shut off after 20 minutes.

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FAQs

Here are some questions answered for you. We have addressed massage gun attachments in this section.

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Summary

So now, we hope you have all the answers to your questions about properly using a massage gun. These trendy relaxation tools have created quite a stir in the fitness industry, and it doesn’t look like they’re going away anytime soon. Learning how to use a percussion massager properly is important.

However, do not neglect other good training and recovery principles, like healthy eating, proper technique, and enough sleep.