Can You Use a Massage Gun on Stomach? The Dos and Don’ts from the Physical Therapist

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 massage gun topic is the use of massage guns on the stomach.

Should you use your massage gun on your stomach? We don’t think so, but you should know all the important 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.

Why Trust Our Advice and Some Disclaimer

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.

Can You Use a Massage Gun on Stomach?

The internet is full of articles and videos featuring people massaging their abdomens with massage guns. In fact, there are even loads of articles that say using a massage gun on your 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.

Potential Benefits of Using Percussion Massager on Stomach

For most people, a big benefit of using massage guns is improving recovery and reducing muscle soreness. So, doesn’t it make sense to use a massage gun on your 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 massage your belly. Safety should always be your top priority if you decide to try it. Be sure to check out the How to Use a Massage Gun on Stomach section 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.

Muscle Soreness

Although it’s not highly recommended, using a massage gun over your abdomen can help reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery after exercise. A low-amplitude massage gun on a low setting is ideal here, and in many cases, we recommend opting for traditional hand massage instead.

Can a Massage Gun Help You Lose Weight?

There are plenty of stories and videos talking about the benefits of massage guns for weight loss, but can a massage gun help you lose belly fat? This is a common question that we get, so it’s important to cover it here.

While many people believe you can use a massage gun on stomach 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 your abdomen with your favorite massage gun.

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 plan ^​2​. These vital rules of weight loss science can be difficult 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 important 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 greatly affect weight loss.

When Not to Use a Massage Gun on Stomach or Abdomen

While there are 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 your stomach.

Pregnancy

Using a massage gun directly on your stomach while pregnant is especially dangerous. This is because the vibration from the percussions – and the percussions themselves – 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?

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.

Is Using Theragun on the Stomach a Good Idea?

Because Therabody is the leading massage gun brand, many people choose their devices named Theraguns 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 major consideration when using Theragun on the stomach compared to other devices is their high amplitude. This means that while they rev slower than many other devices, the strokes in each percussion are higher than in most of the competition. 

While high amplitude is great for many different uses, it’s definitely not a great feature for abdominal massage. This is because the long strokes create hard-hitting punches, which many people will consider uncomfortable or even painful. Extra deep hits may also translate to irritation of 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, at least opt for a softer attachment, such as the Dampener or even the Supersoft head, to be on the safe side.

Want to try Anyway? Use a Low-Amplitude Percussive Massage Gun

One great option for those looking to try an abdominal massage is the Ekrin 365. We like this device because it feels slightly vibrational thanks to its fast-revving (verified at 3200 RPM by us), but it is also powerful enough to give clearly defined hits when needed.

The Ekrin 365 is also very compact and ergonomic, with 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 to make it versatile for many body areas (40 lbs) 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.

How to Use a Massage Gun on Stomach – Safety First

If you’re absolutely set on using your massage gun on your stomach, there are a few guidelines you can follow to get the best results and help avoid injury:

• Be gentle:
  This means using your massage gun in a faster, more vibrational setting with very light pressure over your abdomen. If it hurts, change your approach or stop what you’re doing.
• Avoid nerves:
  A sensitive area in your upper abdomen is directly below your sternum, known as your solar plexus ​3​. Do not move your massage gun over this area, as this could cause serious discomfort or nerve complications.
• Use a soft attachment:
  Make sure that any attachment you use is soft and has round edges. Hard plastic or abrupt edges could cause major irritation if your hand-held massager hits your abdomen awkwardly.

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. 

FAQ from Readers

Massage Gun on Stomach – Bottom Line

To reiterate, using a massage gun on the 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.

If you have more questions about using a massage gun on the stomach, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist.

Take care!