How to use a electric massager gun for back pain relief? (UK)

Before you are forced to go to the doctor because of back pain, it is likely that the pain you feel will disappear with massage using an electric gun, a product manufactured to relieve pain by stimulating nerve receptors.

If you are part of the 80% of the world's population that constantly has back discomfort, then you should have this massage gun on hand so you can continue to go about your day to day activities. Check out more details on what this massage machine can do for your health.

What types of back pain are the most common and what are their causes?

There are several reasons for back pain, some of which are associated with age and others with being overweight. The most frequent cause is the overload of tension in the tissues of the lumbar area that often paralyses people for several days or even several weeks.

These are the most common types of pain:

• Cervical or neck pain: this is one of the most frequent pains, it is concentrated in the seven cervical spines that suffer from injuries such as "whiplash", contusions, contractures and distensions, among other muscular problems that affect both ordinary people and those who work in a stressful environment, even people who play sports. Massage helps the tissues to receive a greater flow of blood until they relax.
• Back pain: this is the area of the back where injuries are least common, but not impossible. It is concentrated in the tissues that protect the 12 thoracic vertebrae and the main reasons for pain are usually direct blows to the torso, falls and extreme twists that test the vertebral resistances. Rest is usually increased because when dorsalgia appears, it is due to sudden and strong actions.
• Lower back pain: the main cause of ailments in the human body, it is concentrated in the five vertebrae of the lower back and makes it impossible for people to bend down, stand up and move without intense pain when making these movements. Poor posture when standing and walking, incorrect sports techniques and excessive physical activity all lead to lower back pain.
• Sciatica: it is often confused with lumbago, but it differs in that it is a compression of the nerves in the spinal column at the level of the lower back, which causes pain in this area, in the buttocks and in the legs up to the end of the thighs. It has the particularity that when it occurs it is usually on only one side of the legs, although it may later appear on the other side during a new episode of this injury.
• Lumbago: this is the presence of a single episode of pain in the lower back, buttocks and legs, but with two connected causes, the first being a contracture in the back that probably causes nerve pressure, which is the cause of sciatica. In these cases, to stop the pain, it is necessary to treat the initial lumbago, so that the discomfort that people experience in both the buttocks and the legs can be relieved.

What should I consider before using a massage gun to relief back pain?

Although the massage guns are a completely safe product, there are some indications that you should be clear about, such as the time and the way to apply the interchangeable heads, or some contraindications to take into account.

These are some of the contraindications you should be aware of:

• In the case of very sensitive skin, sensory tolerance must be taken into account.
• In case of high blood pressure.
• It is contraindicated in patients with venous thrombosis.
• If the person has fever, its use should be avoided.
• In case of nausea and vomiting.
• Do not use immediately after a serious injury.
• In case of fractures, only a doctor can recommend the use of the massage gun.
• In case of blood clotting disorders.
• In case of skin lesions and infections, the session should be stopped immediately.

Why is it better to use a massage gun to treat back pain instead of drugs?

Whenever the pain is constant, perhaps because of a badly healed injury, the use of a massage gun is likely to be more convenient than drugs. The advantage of trying these alternatives is that the body does not become dependent on drugs to feel good.

However, it is important to clarify that no massage should replace clinical treatment when injuries are severe and a specialist is clearly indicated, so patients should not use this product on their own at the risk of complications to the symptoms of the injury.

There are millions of people around the world who claim that massage is an alternative to drugs, many of which leave side effects on the body.

How to use an electric massage gun to relieve back pain?

Best massage heads

The use of the heads will depend on the use you make of the electric stimulation gun. This model comes with several tips that you can alternate if you want to make gentle relaxing strokes, if you are going to massage the muscles close to the spine and if you need to treat trigger points.

Read about the types of heads you can find in a massage gun:

• Large round heads: used to treat large muscles such as the back and legs, they are the best to start a session because they prepare the body for something deeper.
• Small round heads: have the same purpose of preparing the tissues, but on smaller muscle groups such as the arms and sides of the neck.
• Flat heads: these are the safest heads for people with less experience in the use of these guns, they can be used on the whole body as a relaxation therapy. It is also important to respect the times of use.
• Paddle-shaped heads: these are stimulated to stimulate the periosteum, which is the tissue that covers the bones. It is a useful head for the forearm and the tibia, when you want to treat ailments associated with plantar fasciitis, in the case of the tibia.
• Bullet-shaped heads: these are sharper and harder than the rest of the stimulators, and are used to work on trigger points that are located in deep tissues and require greater pressure.
• U-shaped heads: they are special for use on the spine due to their fork shape, this tip stimulates the tissues close to the vertebrae without touching the bones, which should not receive this type of stimulation.

Type of massage

There are several ways to use this product, and if you consult a physiotherapist, he or she will surely offer you several ideas. But in this section we will tell you in which cases you can use the electric massage gun:

• To relax the body: perhaps you are not an athlete and prefer to use the massage gun to reduce tension and stress. All it takes is gentle strokes and concentrating more pressure on hard muscle areas where there is discomfort.
• To prepare muscles: the gun is great when you want to prevent injuries in training, just take care to stimulate where you think there may be weak areas that may give way during physical activities. Avoid over-stimulation to avoid fatigue.
• For maintenance: if you felt a slight contracture in training, simply massage for 15 seconds to relieve muscle tension. Use this product only when necessary, so that the body does not become dependent.
• To treat injuries: after workouts, there are likely to be injured and very exhausted tissues. You can try gentle massages to make the fibres break down and reduce the intensity of the pain. For injuries that are more than three days old, it is best to see your sports doctor.

Time of the sessions

• A relaxing full body massage can last a maximum of five minutes.
• Each muscle should be stimulated for one minute.
• If you use pointed heads, the stimulation should only last 30 seconds.
• Stimulation before and during workouts should be brief so as not to fatigue the fibres.
• Trigger point treatment should be 15 seconds.

Regularity of sessions

• Relaxing massages can be repeated two or three times a day.
• Sports massages on the same muscle group can be done daily, so there will be a necessary rest.
• You should make a conscious use of this product to avoid bruising and further injury.
• In case of pain, it is better to suspend the session.
• If you think the injury is mild, but there is no relief with the gun, just wait three days.

What are the best alternatives to massage guns for back pain?

If you are a frequent user of back pain massagers, then here are the best products on the market that can help you find relief in a variety of ways, safely and affordably.