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Massage guns are more popular than ever before, and their users are getting more creative every day. While creativity is great, it can lead to some controversial ideas. One heavily debated topic is the use of massage guns on stomach.
Should you use your massage gun on your stomach?
We don’t think so, but you should know all the critical facts to weigh your options accordingly and make the safest choice possible.
In this article, we’ll break down the potential benefits and risks of using a massage gun on your stomach, explain how to use your massage gun around your stomach safely, and hopefully make our stance clear in the debate on the massage gun on the stomach.
Let’s dive in.
Here at Massage Gun Advice, we review all of the latest massage gun devices, stay up-to-date with the most current research, and give our honest recommendations based on the best evidence available.
Rest assured that this article is written by a licensed physiotherapist, Dr. Alex Stone, DPT. This article has not been reviewed by a medical doctor. Please consult your trusted healthcare professional before using any advice in this article.
The internet is full of articles and videos featuring people using a massage gun on stomach. In fact, there are even loads of articles that say using a massage gun on stomach is not only safe but beneficial for many different reasons.
Our stance at Massage Gun Advice is a little more reserved. We generally recommend avoiding your abdominal area altogether.
This is because your abdomen contains several of your vital organs (including your stomach), which can be sensitive to extreme pressure and vibration.
For most people, a significant benefit of using massage guns is improving recovery and reducing muscle soreness.
So, doesn’t it make sense to use a massage gun on stomach to help reduce abdominal muscle soreness and improve recovery?
In theory, yes. However, getting an effective percussion massage on your abdominal muscles would be very challenging – or impossible – without simultaneously adding some serious percussion to your internal organs.
Don’t do it unless you have a good reason to use a massage on belly. Safety should always be your top priority if you decide to try it. Be sure to check out the section on using massage gun on stomach below for more details.
So, are there any benefits of a massage gun on the stomach? Yes, there are a few potential benefits of using a massage gun over your abdomen that are worth considering.
Although it’s not highly recommended, using a massage gun on abdomen can help reduce abdomen muscle pain and improve recovery after exercise.
Many people use massage guns to relax or wind down at the end of the day. Spending a minute running a massage gun on abdomen with a soft attachment (and maybe even some heat!) could be an effective way to relax abdominal muscles now and then.
Many types of massage are used on the abdomen to improve digestion and “passing things along”1.
While there’s no research on this idea, if you know that you benefit from traditional massage for digestion, then using a softer massage gun for stomach, on a low setting, could be an easy tool to stimulate the digestive process for some people.
There are plenty of stories and videos talking about the benefits of massage guns for weight loss, but can you use a massage gun for belly fat?
This is a common question that we get, so it’s crucial to cover it here.
While many people believe you can use a massage gun on belly fat to break up fat deposits, no scientific evidence supports this. This means that even if you’re struggling with your weight, you won’t see much benefit from hammering away at with your favorite massage gun on stomach fat.
No matter how you slice it, a healthy diet, exercise, and keeping your body in a calorie deficit will be the pillars of an effective weight loss plan2. These vital rules of weight loss science can be challenging to follow, but they will work much better than any product you can buy in a store.
However, massage guns may have indirect uses in your weight loss journey. This is because they play an essential role in recovery.
The faster you recover from exercise, the more often you can get quality exercise. More exercise means a more active metabolism, which can significantly affect weight loss.
While there are a few instances of benefits of a massage gun on the stomach, there are some examples of when to definitely not use a massage gun on stomach.
Using a massage gun on your stomach, directly, while pregnant is especially dangerous. This is because the vibration from the percussion – and the percussion itself – can be potentially harmful to the healthy growth of a developing baby.
TIP: Want to know more? Check out our guide: Can You Use A Massage Gun While Pregnant?
Some digestive issues can respond poorly to vibration and percussion.
One example is Crohn’s disease, a condition that causes excessive inflammation in the digestive tract.
Remember: If you’re unsure about the safety of any potential massage gun use, be sure to talk to your doctor before trying anything that could be risky.
Because Therabody Theragun is the leading massage gun brand, many people choose their devices for various needs. It’s important to remember that Theraguns are massage guns like any other brand, so all of the same rules apply here.
One primary consideration when using Theragun stomach, is their high amplitude. This means that while they rev slower than many other devices, the intensity in each percussion is higher than in most of the competition.
While high amplitude is excellent for many uses, it’s definitely not a great feature for a massage Theragun abdomen. The long strokes create hard-hitting punches, which many people consider uncomfortable or painful.
Extra-deep hits may also irritate internal organs, which we definitely don’t think is a good idea.
If you feel like you need to try using a Theragun on your stomach anyway, to be on the safe side, at least opt for a softer attachment, such as the Dampener or even the Supersoft head.
Read More:
For more information on Theraguns, be sure to check out our in-hand reviews, which offer detailed specs, numerous photos, and comparisons with other massage guns:
One excellent option for those looking to try an abdominal muscle ache is the Ekrin 365. We like this device because it feels slightly vibrational thanks to its fast-revving (we verified it at 3200 RPM), but it is also powerful enough to give clearly defined hits when needed.
The Ekrin 365 is also very compact and ergonomic. It has great attachments, including one of the softest ball heads we’ve seen in a massage gun. This might be a nice option if you are trying an abdominal massage.
It also has a high enough stall force (40 lbs) to be versatile for many body areas and easy to hold for users of all sizes.
Read More: Check out our in-depth Ekrin 365 review for more information and real photos to explore this massage gun further.
If you’re absolutely set on using your massage gun on stomach, there are a few guidelines you can follow to get the best results and help avoid injury:
Remember: As with any new or potentially risky self-care technique, we recommend using your best judgment and consulting a licensed healthcare professional with any questions or concerns that you may have.
Unfortunately, no.
While massage guns can be used to help relieve muscle tension and improve circulation, there is no evidence that you can use a massage gun for belly fat to break up fat cells.
In general, movement helps improve regularity and relieve constipation. For this reason, massage guns have the potential to be used for constipation.
However, these devices may have the opposite effect if you have a digestive disease, causing an upset stomach and worsening digestive problems.
You can use a massage gun on your lower abdomen to address problems like muscle tension.
However, we don’t recommend this use because the lower abdomen can be a sensitive area containing vital organs that don’t handle percussion very well.
To reiterate, using a massage gun on stomach probably isn’t the best idea for most people.
Although there are some viable uses and devices, such as the Ekrin 365, that have the potential to get the job done safely, the risks ultimately outweigh the potential benefits.
Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist if you have more questions about using a massage gun on the stomach.
Take care!
Here's a quick rundown of all the tweaks and edits we've made to this article to keep it accurate and up-to-date!
Current version.
September 18, 2023 Some small linking changes. (Author: Greg)
April 21, 2023 Minor editorial changes. (Author: Greg)
Published on:
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Written by:
Dr. Alex Stone, DPT, CSCS
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