One of the “weapons” that our therapists have in their arsenal is the Theragun. Shaped like an electric drill, the Theragun is a tool that takes aim at muscle tension, zaps knots, and blasts through scar tissue. At the tip of the Theragun is one of several specialized heads that target your muscles with strong percussion. There are small tips that pinpoint trigger spots, and broad tips for larger areas like your back.
Wherever you’ve got pain, the Theragun delivers powerful percussion to relax your muscles and increase blood flow to the area. The vibrations stimulate your nerves enough that they stop sending signals for pain. Translation? You don’t hurt so much. If you smash your finger, you may immediately shake your hand around, stimulating your hand in a way that isn’t painful in hopes that you feel the shaking instead of the awful pain of a smashed finger. Likewise, when you have muscle pain, the Theragun is there to shake things up and get your nerves busy sending signals for something other than pain.
Additionally, your muscles have a casing around them called myofascial tissue. Sometimes this tissue can get tight and inflexible, kinked, or overlapped onto itself. This can lead to widespread muscle pain. Loosening this tissue and making it flexible again can increase flexibility and relieve pain. This release is an important part of recovery. The Theragun is a useful tool to work on trigger points that create myofascial release.
Lastly, it just feels nice and relaxing. Who wouldn’t want some percussive vibrations on their sore muscles? There may be some of us who might not. A Theragun is not the right tool for those who have injuries that are too recent. It also may not be the right option for patients who have certain conditions above the shoulders or who have had certain operations. Getting evaluated by a licensed therapist will help you to know if this therapy is right for you. If it is, you will soon be on your way to a more relaxed, flexible, and pain free you.
Post Written By: Tom Farnsworth, PT
