Although many of the muscle massage gun may look the same, the truth is that you only appreciate the differences when you use them and have them in hand. And although they are very similar, it takes 10 seconds using both simultaneously to clearly appreciate the differences.
These are the points that I am going to assess for each of the 3 massage guns that I have included in the comparison, and I detail them in order of importance.
Percussion depth
Without a doubt I consider that it is the fundamental aspect. The main mission is to be able to apply a percussion massage and not a slight vibration. By percussion depth I mean the amplitude of travel of the attached accessory. The greater that amplitude, the better the massage we receive.
Speed and regulation
After the depth of percussion, the second important aspect that we must look at in a massage gun is the striking speed and its regulation.
First you have to take into account minimum speed and maximum speed. And besides that, the possibilities of regulation between said fork.
The reason is simple. Large muscle groups will need higher speeds, and ailments in smaller muscles will need to be treated with greater care. It is not the same massage that you should receive in a fatigued quadriceps as in an overloaded soleus. In the same way, if you want a back massage, you probably want a more intense massage that is perfectly noticeable.
Heads or accessories
Beyond the massage gun, we must take into account what we are going to use to receive that massage. How many does it include, the shape they have, the material with which they are made …
These accessories are just as important as the gun itself. It is of little use to have a powerful gun if what we use to give the massage is not adequate.
Noise
It may seem silly, but you have to remember that normally you will apply this percussion massage when you are relaxing at home and surely surrounded by your family. And let’s face it, your partner has enough with your absence during the hours that you are training that in addition, when you are back, he has to be watching television with a deafening buzz in the background.
Overall build quality
When the price range is so wide, the quality of the finish of the product will be too. Obviously we cannot expect the same touch and presentation
Ease of use
This is already a more subjective point because it is possible that what is comfortable for one, is not comfortable for another.
However, I want to remind you that massage guns are intended for you to apply the relaxation or discharge massage, so ergonomics is very important.
Actually, these products are designed so that you can massage practically the entire body yourself, so the weight has to be well distributed and be sufficient so that it does not vibrate excessively.
It cannot be a light device because with each percussion it would become unbalanced in the hand. But it can’t be too heavy either, since in more complicated positions it can tire our arm quickly.
Well, once we are clear about what I should (and should) value in a product of this type, we go one by one with the massage guns chosen for this comparison.
It all depends on the type of discomfort or injury you have. The hands of a good experienced physiotherapist are irreplaceable. Neither by massage therapy, nor by electrical therapy (Compex) or anything like that.
If you have a serious injury or a significant overload, forget about devices and go to a professional. That professional will then use different tools (which can even be a massage gun), but there is a knowledge behind what they are doing. I emphasize, if it is a serious and repetitive annoyance, go to a professional.
But the day-to-day and post-workout discharge is something totally different. Unless you are a professional you will not have a physio at your disposal after each workout. If what you want is to simply relieve your muscles after daily training then the massage gun is a great ally .
The massage gun has the same principle of operation as a discharge roller (also known as a foam roller).
With the roller we use the myofascial self-liberation technique. This technique can help relieve tension, inflammation and pain in the muscles and increase the range of motion of the joints.
The massage gun will do the same service, but more quickly and comfortably. When I do race training it is quite common that I end up with the loaded solos. Probably my deplorable racing technique has something to do with it, but the fact is that it is quite common for me to end up with tension in the area.