Aches & Pains
The human body is notoriously fragile. Even the strongest and fastest athletes have to inevitably suffer the slings and arrows of the occasional sports-related injury (which the rest of us are prone to, too). Or a surgery or series of surgeries can leave you tender and sore, making it hard to move and rehabilitate yourself. A popular and health-conscious means of dealing with this can be through massage. Several options exist for physical massages, but when shiatsu or a session with a masseuse isn't an option, there are easily accessible alternatives. Thanks to advancements in portable technology, a new market has arisen for handheld massagers, the best being the percussion massager.
What Is A Percussion Massager?
The best percussion massager is a small, motorized handheld device that looks similar to a jigsaw. It has a dense foam tip that sits on an oscillator-driven motor rotating at around 2,000 rounds per minute. It delivers quick, rapid blows to body points to induce a deep-tissue massage, striking at between thirty and forty times a second. Percussion massagers loosen stiffened muscles and promote free blood flow.
The best percussion massagers should be lightweight – which many are – and have long cords enabling free use anywhere in the room. They are often temperature-variable, speed-variable, and can come with a series of interchangeable foam heads.
What Are the Benefits of Using Percussion Massagers?
On top of ease of use, portability, and lower price compared to alternatives, using the best percussion massager can have a host of benefits.
Percussion massagers are instrumental in aiding rehabilitation following surgery or a sports injury. Multiple sessions with a massager can provide natural pain relief and promote muscle healing without having to resort to high doses of drugs. However, the best percussion massagers are not only of benefit to those who are recovering from acute injuries. They can be well-used for everyday relief, such as sore legs from walking or standing, or tenderness from sitting in a desk chair at work all day, or to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, or muscle spasms.
Percussion massagers are also safe to use, and they are easier on those who are unable to participate in physiotherapy. They can be used on just about any part of the body, making it handy for not only massaging the affected part, but the upstream muscles which may be contributing to the pain and stiffness, and they do not need to be used by a professional; they are easy to learn and use. It is, however, important to remember that even the best percussion massager's utility has limits. They should not be used to treat chronic back pain or pains due to cardiovascular diseases or pregnancy.
The best percussion massagers are cost-effective and portable. Because more and more people are traveling as a means to work, portability is a boon to those whose hectic lifestyles don't give them time to be able to stop for very long. The best percussion massagers have portable handles, adjustable heads, variable speeds, and operate quieter than massage chairs or regular portable massagers (see availability at Vigorous Innovations for a selection).
