Therapy guns

redvision

Do they work for deep tissue injuries?

And recommendations? Are the cheaper ones effective or is it the usual case of getting what you pay for?

First.Aspect

I don't see how they can work at all. Spend your cash on a tennis ball, that sort of thing. Basically there's nothing better than body weight on the right spot. It is amazing what you can achieve with a rolled up towel as well (and I don't mean hyperspace travel).

wobblebob

I know a number people that have bought one from cheap no name Chinese Amazon specials to top of the range models. There is one thing they all have in common, they all end up in a drawer/cupboard/shelf unused

webboo

wobblebob said:

I know a number people that have bought one from cheap no name Chinese Amazon specials to top of the range models. There is one thing they all have in common, they all end up in a drawer/cupboard/shelf unused

This.
The problem is that for a lot of muscles you need someone else to use the gun on you. So you might as well get them to massage you.

thegreatdivide

webboo said:

wobblebob said:

I know a number people that have bought one from cheap no name Chinese Amazon specials to top of the range models. There is one thing they all have in common, they all end up in a drawer/cupboard/shelf unused

This.
The problem is that for a lot of muscles you need someone else to use the gun on you. So you might as well get them to massage you.

You can buy smaller guns that are fine for massaging your legs. I was given one by a friend (who’s a professional physio) so I can sit on my bed at night, watch TV and give my quads, glutes and hamstrings a good battering when required.

redvision

Thanks for the replies.

First.Aspect said:

I don't see how they can work at all. Spend your cash on a tennis ball, that sort of thing. Basically there's nothing better than body weight on the right spot. It is amazing what you can achieve with a rolled up towel as well (and I don't mean hyperspace travel).

Tried. Tennis balls and foam roller are good for massaging muscles but not deep tissue or for reducing inflammation.

Tried a home ultrasound handheld device but didn't make a difference, which is why I thought of the therapy gun and wondered if that may help.

First.Aspect

redvision said:

Thanks for the replies.

First.Aspect said:

I don't see how they can work at all. Spend your cash on a tennis ball, that sort of thing. Basically there's nothing better than body weight on the right spot. It is amazing what you can achieve with a rolled up towel as well (and I don't mean hyperspace travel).

Tried. Tennis balls and foam roller are good for massaging muscles but not deep tissue or for reducing inflammation.

Tried a home ultrasound handheld device but didn't make a difference, which is why I thought of the therapy gun and wondered if that may help.

Ultrasound treatment is either snake oil or good under limited circumstances for breaking up scar tissue. I'm going to say the former.

No massage is good for reducing inflammation.

Foam roller is not for deep tissue massage. It is good for getting a largeish area looser, before you go for the jugular with something a bit more focussed.

Lacrosse balls are good (or the massage balls inspired by them). And you can twirl fabric into a knot for more focussed massage.

Either way, hitting it relatively gently at 60 Hz isn't going to help.

Dare we ask where the problem is? You can actually get some good ideas by searching on youtube for the offending body part - you will get loads of hits for crazy American practitioners doing things they probably couldn't get a licence to do here because it risks paralysis or something like that. But they have a waiver for you to sign.

redvision

Yeah I know, just trying everything. Turned in to a complete nightmare - groin tear then they find hip issues on both sides.

I've had treatment for over a year but so far everything has failed and now having more spells where the constant dull ache increases to a much more severe and debilitating pain, which is apparently due to inflammation.

Really didn't want to have the surgical treatment they suggested but exhausted pretty much every alternative now

Anyway, won't go down the therapy gun route as sounds like they aren't particularly well thought of or likely to help.

First.Aspect

I feel your frustration. I've had proformas pain for about 3 years.

Massage therapists will tell you that the idea is to do things like stimulate blood flow and breathing up accretions, at the cost of some short term tissue damage.

I have no idea if that's true, but getting into a trouble zone and digging around isn't going to do any long term damage, and might just help.

Fwiw the most effective massage I ever had was trigger point. Basically it's a normal massage with some sadism at the end in particular spots. Could be worth a shot.

redvision

First.Aspect said:

I feel your frustration. I've had proformas pain for about 3 years.

Massage therapists will tell you that the idea is to do things like stimulate blood flow and breathing up accretions, at the cost of some short term tissue damage.

I have no idea if that's true, but getting into a trouble zone and digging around isn't going to do any long term damage, and might just help.

Fwiw the most effective massage I ever had was trigger point. Basically it's a normal massage with some sadism at the end in particular spots. Could be worth a shot.

Thanks. Might try the trigger point. Anything to provide some pain relief is worth a shot!