For many, massage therapy is an important part of specific medical treatment but for others, massage treatment can optimize relaxation and even contribute to mental health benefits. 

Physical benefits include:

As a result, massage guns have become the go to for professional athletes, weekend warriors and soccer Mom’s alike and are as popular as ever. Can a massage gun help you?

Here’s everything you need to know about how they can help. And what to look for in a massager gun and the features that matter most.

Massage guns are portable handheld devices that incorporate both percussion and vibration. Most popular massage guns tend to be rechargeable and and come with interchangeable massage heads.

Percussion massage guns deliver quick, repeated downward strikes that mimics popular Swedish massage technique called “tapotement”. According to Wikipedia, it is a rhythmic percussion, most frequently administered with the edge of the hand, a cupped hand or the tips of the fingers. There are five types of tapotement including Beating (closed fist lightly hitting area), Slapping (use of fingers to gently slap), Hacking (use the edge of hand on pinky finger side), Tapping (use just fingertips) and Cupping (make your hand look like a cup and gently tap area). It is primarily used to “wake up” the nervous system and also as a stimulating stroke which can release lymphatic build up in the back.

But as with everything, the quality and effectiveness of each massage gun is in the details of the feature and benefits. We have itemized the key considerations when purchasing a massage gun.

Portable vs. Professional Grade: It is worth noting that we have classified all massage guns as professional when stroke length exceeds 12 mm.

Stroke Length or Amplitude: The terms refers to how far the reciprocation extends from within the massage gun to your body. It is the length of shaft extension primarily measured in millimeters. The longer the stroke length, the deeper the massage. We consider massage guns less than 12 mm appropriate for soft tissue massage while massage guns beyond 12 mm will provide a deep tissue massage that will stimulate dense muscle such as the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. We have found most guns listed on Amazon to be 10 mm and would estimate that 5% of all guns are considered professional grade.

Stall Force: This measurements determine how much downward force in lbs. can be applied before the motor stops.

Decibels (DB) or Noise: Massage guns will make noise however some are nosier than others. Its best to avoid massage guns that are so loud that it can interrupt a conversation of the sound of your TV. Anything over 70 to 75 is considered disruptive which is the equivalent to a typical vacuum cleaner.

Balance & Vibration: In a massage gun, the center of mass and gravity refers to the location where the body’s total weight is balanced, whereas the center of mass refers to the location where the body’s total mass is directed. When the center of gravity (CG) and the center of mass are not aligned it can dramatically affect the device’s vibration, leading to increased noise and rapid edging of the components. When the center of gravity and the center of mass are aligned, it will lead to a more relaxing massage with less strain on your hands, wrist, and arms.

Revolutions per Minute or RPM vs PPM or Percussion Per Minute: Refers to how fast the motor is spinning. General professional grade RPM’s will range from 1200-3500. It take RPM divided by two to determine PPM or number of downward strikes produced by 12 v or 24 volt motors. Massage gun motors can be vary greatly.

Stall Force: This measurements determine how much downward force in lbs. can be applied before the motor stops.

Decibels or Noise: Massage guns will make noise however some are nosier than others. Its best to avoid massage guns that are so loud that it can interrupt a conversation of the sound of your TV. Anything over 70 to 75 is considered disruptive which is the equivalent to a typical vacuum cleaner.

Balance & Vibration: In a massage gun, the center of mass and gravity refers to the location where the body’s total weight is balanced, whereas the center of mass refers to the location where the body’s total mass is directed. When the center of gravity (CG) and the center of mass are not aligned it can dramatically affect the device’s vibration, leading to increased noise and rapid edging of the components. When the center of gravity and the center of mass are aligned, it will lead to a more relaxing massage with less strain on your hands, wrist, and arms.

Ergonomics & Weight: The understanding of the interaction analysis between a human and a machine applied by the Gun designer to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. Excessive weight or vibration will be detrimental to the user of the device.

Controls or Display: The controls vary greatly by massage gun. Single analog buttons, dials and full digital touchscreen displays.

Massage Heads: Interchangeable Massage heads for specific application is useful and in large parts has been addressed by the most massage gun manufactures. However, all bodies aren’t equal. Some have high-density muscles, others are less dense, and all have different demands. Unfortunately the massage gun market has in large part not considered the level of impact that various massage heads can have on the body and the level of impact needed for pre-exercise, intra-use or post exercise recovery. Most manufactures are using hard ABS plastic or cheaper foam alternatives. PlayMakar brand has developed a line of Silica rubber Massage Heads that offer progressive impact. Rubber and ABS Plastic massage heads can be used in conjunction with oils or lotions and can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher.

Battery: An essential component of a handheld device. It will determine uninterrupted operation time (autonomy) based on Amplitude and force applied. It is also a determining factor in a gun’s ergonomics, which generally have bulky batteries inside the handle, making them uncomfortable.