How to Use a Massage Gun: A Hinge Health Guide

When your muscles are sore and you’re looking for instant relief, you have a range of options, from ice packs and hot water bottles to foam rollers and massage guns. “All of these techniques have the same goal — to relieve muscle tension and improve mobility and circulation,” says Jillian Aeder, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “Massage guns go a bit further because they provide a different level of stimulation to muscles that you can’t get with foam rolling, stretching, or ice or heat.”

In recent years, massage guns have grown in popularity as a type of do-it-yourself massage to ease sore muscles and work out any knots. This can be beneficial if soreness is keeping you from staying active. With relief, you can get back to all the activities you enjoy.

Read on to learn more about massage guns, their benefits, and how to use them to relieve muscle soreness. 

What Is a Massage Gun?

A massage gun is a handheld device that uses percussive therapy, which relies on repetitive pressure and vibrations to boost circulation, stimulate muscles, relieve tension, and improve range of motion. Massage guns can be used all over the body to target specific areas of muscle pain, including pain in the back, legs, and neck. (Note: You shouldn’t use a massage gun directly on the front or sides of the neck or over the bones of the cervical spine, but you can use it on supporting neck muscles, including the traps, rhomboids, and levator scapula, to help ease neck pain.)

Massage guns can offer on-the-spot relief similar to what you might expect during a traditional massage, but the key difference is that a massage gun provides rapid, repeated pressure that a massage therapist usually can’t mimic. 

Massage guns often come with a range of different attachments, or heads, to help treat different parts of the body. For instance, you may use a larger head on tight hamstrings in your legs, while a smaller or more angled head may be better for the smaller muscles in your sore shoulders. 

You can use a massage gun whenever you need relief, but people often use them before or after exercise. “Before a workout, stimulating a muscle with a massage gun can help with muscle activation during exercise, which can improve performance,” says Dr. Aeder. “After exercise, a massage gun can help relieve muscle tension and boost circulation.”

How to Use a Massage Gun: A Physical Therapist’s Guide

You can use a massage gun every day but there are some things to keep in mind to make sure you’re doing so safely, says Dr. Aeder. Here are a few things to consider:

Watch the clock. Dr. Aeder recommends using a massage gun for no more than 10 to 20 seconds in one specific area and up to two minutes or so to work across an entire muscle. “You can move the massage gun around a muscle until you hit all the spots, but I wouldn’t keep it in the exact same spot for more than 20 seconds,” says Dr. Aeder. “Total time will vary depending on the muscle’s size, so you may need to do it closer to two minutes on large muscles like the quads or hamstrings, but only a minute on the triceps or biceps. After a certain point, a massage gun stops being helpful.” 

Massage only on muscle. No matter what part of the body you’re working, avoid massaging over bone, like the spine or the kneecap. If you’re not sure what areas to target, work with a physical therapist to get guidance on using a massage gun properly. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

Listen to your body. The level of pressure and the type of massage head you use can vary day to day, depending on how you feel. “With larger muscles, you may want to use a higher level on the massage gun or apply a little more pressure,” points out Dr. Aeder. “But if, on another day, you’re experiencing more soreness in an area, you may not be able to tolerate as much pressure or you may need to use a lower setting. Adapt to what your body needs in the moment.” 

Try different massage gun heads. In order to figure out what feels best to you when using a massage gun, try out different attachments to see which ones provide you with the most comfortable relief. “For larger muscle groups, I would use a larger head, but for smaller muscle groups or more sensitive areas, I would use a smaller head,” advises Dr. Aeder. “If you're treating a more specific area, having more control with a smaller head can be helpful and also improve safety with its use.”

Manage frequency. While you can use a massage gun daily, Dr. Aeder recommends limiting use to two to three times per day. That should give you enough relief to help you stay active and ease sore muscles with movement throughout the day.  

When Not to Use a Massage Gun

If you have an acute injury, like a sprain or strain, avoid using a massage gun on that area until it’s healed otherwise you may exacerbate the injury, cause more pain, and prolong recovery, says Dr. Aeder. “A massage gun is not a healing agent, it's an adjunct to therapy for pain relief, recovery, or muscle performance,” she adds. “You don't want to use a massage gun on torn muscles, ligaments, or tendons, or on new injuries. And you want to make sure that those injuries have healed before you use a massage gun.”