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Percussion Massage At Home

Woman using personal massager on her back

Do you need a percussion massager?

Sports-related injuries can be notoriously difficult to recover from. As they are usually caused by soft tissue damage, they can take even longer to heal than broken bones.

According to the latest NHS guidelines, there are five initial recommended steps to aid healing following a sports-related injury. This is called the PRICE system and the acronym stands for protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

The point is that healing takes time and patience. If you’ve injured a part of your body that is put under extreme stress, recovery can be a frustrating process.

Can massage help?

The short answer is yes. The explanation is a little more in-depth. According to physiotherapists, massage is an excellent aid to healing soft tissue injuries. This is because it reduces pain, relieves tight muscles and increases circulation to the affected area. This action realigns the collagen fibres and helps to increase tissue elasticity.

There are several sports massage methods frequently used to assist in healing. Generally, these are deep tissue massages that result in pores in the muscle membranes opening. This allows fluids and nutrients to pass through. The process helps remove the build-up of waste products, such as lactic acid. It also encourages muscles to soak up nutrients and oxygen, thus aiding a faster recovery.

Can percussion massage help?

Yes. Percussion massage is a new form of sports injury massage that relieves soft tissue tenderness via rapid, short-duration pulses. Because it delivers directly to the afflicted area through a percussion massager tool, the massage pulses only need to be (and should only be used) in short bursts of no longer than two minutes. The WAHL Deep Tissue Cordless Percussion Massager provides up to 3,300 percussions per minute to increase blood flow to the afflicted area, accelerating the growth and repair of tissues.

Although, pain won’t be eliminated through the use of a percussion massager tool. It will, however, increase blood flow to a specific muscle group and can help reduce tension, inflammation, and tight knots experienced after a hard workout.

What is a ‘Percussion Massager’?

One of the great things about this form of therapy is the ease at which it can be carried out. You don’t need to join a gym – or seek out a physiotherapist. You can simply use a percussion massager at home to alleviate muscle pain. The handheld device applies pulses of concentrated pressure deep into your muscle tissue, working knots and tension out of the muscles while improving blood flow and quickly enhancing range of motion. When used properly, a percussion massager can shorten recovery time while relieving some of the pain, tension and soreness that comes naturally from intense workouts.

The Deep Tissue Cordless Percussion Massager features a long handle making it ideal to reach different areas of the body. It’s recommended to use on your neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back, hamstrings, calves and feet.

relaxing at home

Why is it called percussion massage?

Percussion massage should not be confused with vibration massage because the two forms are slightly different. Percussion massagers specifically hammer down on the surface of the body, sending pulses of pressure deep into the muscle tissue. Although vibration massage is similar, percussion works by mimicking the rhythmic tapping of therapists.

Would a percussion massager help me?

If you are the kind of person who likes intense workouts and physical exercise, then yes, this can help you to recover faster post-exercise. Percussion therapy can be effective at preventing the delay-onset of post-workout muscle soreness and the deep stimulation of muscles has a range of benefits, from releasing lactic acid, accelerating muscle recovery, enhancing range of motion, improving circulation and muscle responsiveness.

Are they cost-effective?

Yes. Sports massages can cost upwards of £50 per session, and if you are serious about using massage to aid your recovery, you’ll need at least one a week for several weeks. Factor in the time a massage takes too, from driving to a specialist and taking time out from your day. Conversely, the cost of a handheld device that you can apply at home every day and which has a beneficial effect in just a few seconds is far more convenient and much less expensive to use.