Should you Use a Massage Gun for Lower Back Pain?

Lower back pain is an issue which plagues so many of us due to busy non-stop lives, as well as long hours sitting at desks or rushing around without regular breaks. The severity of back pain can vary massively from mild to severe, but anybody with back pain knows that finding solutions to ease your troubles is often very difficult.

Often, people look for tools which can help them manage lower back pain. One such tool is massage guns; but should you really use a massage gun to deal with lower back pain?

A key point our specialists would like to make is that a massage gun is for personal use away from therapy sessions, used as an adjunct to therapy and rehabilitation, and we wouldn’t use them within our clinic.

Massage guns can be used at home by anybody to provide regular relief, and they can also be used in professional physiotherapy sessions as part of a wider treatment plan. Usually, massage guns are used to warm up before a workout, cool down after, ease tension, increase range of motion and flexibility, reduce muscle soreness, and to treat minor cramps and spasms.

If you’re considering buying a massage gun yourself, we’d recommend that you invest in a high quality one, ideally with variable speed settings. It’s also important to find a massage gun which isn’t too heavy, and has good grip comfort, so that it’s convenient to use. Getting a high quality massage gun might mean investing in a slightly more expensive model, but if it works better then it’s definitely worth it.

Massage guns can be effective for treating lower back pain, especially when used correctly. A massage gun provides what is often referred to as percussive therapy, because it delivers repeated pulses of pressure into targeted muscles and tissues.

Not only does this relieve muscle tension, but it also promotes blood flow, which improves healing and reduces soreness. Another great benefit of using a massage gun for lower back pain is that it stimulates the release of ‘feel good’ hormones. Serotonin and dopamine can increase mood and focus, as well creating pain relief. So even if you’re not seeing major physical results from the use of a massage gun, the chances are that this therapeutic process will still provide you with some relief.

Massage guns help with lower back pain because they can be used to target very localised areas of concern. As an example, back pain is often caused by a trapped or compressed nerve, due to nearby muscles being inflamed. This is called sciatica, and can be eased by massaging inflamed areas to reduce swelling (it is important not to use the massage gun directly on the nerve roots, as this could cause further issues).

The use of massage guns is usually most beneficial for treating back pain when used alongside other techniques and methods of pain relief. Massage guns might be used as part of a lower back massage treatment, or at home in between sessions, to manage pain in the long term.

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To use a massage gun for lower back pain, you firstly want to make sure you’re already in a relaxed state. This ensures a therapeutic experience which relieves stress as well as pain. Start using your massage gun at a lower speed setting, and gradually increase, ensuring not to reach a speed which puts you at any discomfort. This is because sore or strained muscles can be very sensitive and painful, so it’s best to ease into the massage to avoid pain.

Naturally, it might be difficult to reach the lower back by yourself, and even if you can, it’s going to be difficult to perform an effective massage on this area of your own body. If you can, ask somebody for help, making sure to properly guide them and communicate certain areas of pain or discomfort. This will hopefully facilitate effective pain relief if done correctly.

• Whether doing the massage yourself or having somebody else do it for you, use smooth motions in different directions.
  

• Try a variety of options and see what feels best and most comfortable to you. You can start with up and down motions, and add some side-to-side/circular ones.
  

• Make sure not to massage directly on the spine, and don’t put too much pressure on whilst using the gun.
  

The best way to deal with lower back pain, especially if it’s persistent, is to seek professional assistance. A professional massage therapist will be able to assess your individual struggles, look for the roots, and things which may be making it worse.

The Injury Mechanics team aims to work based on your personal goals, using an evidence-based approach to ensuring actual change in your day-to-day life.

It might be beneficial to use a massage gun in between your sports massage appointments to manage pain and keep it at a minimum. At Injury Mechanics, this would be established as part of your treatment program with one of our professionals; but remember, we wouldn’t use a massage gun within our clinic, and would only advise these in a home setting.

Get in contact with us to deal with back pain in the long term.

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