Do you suffer from tight, sore muscles that prevent you from fully achieving your goals? Back pain can make daily tasks more challenging and stressful. There are several ways a sore lower back can make your life difficult, including morning stiffness or difficulty exercising. While there are other therapy options, if you’re looking for a permanent solution for your lower back pain, your best bet is learning how to use massage gun on lower back
If you’re a dedicated athlete, workout at home or are simply prone to back discomfort, a massage gun will help you relax tight muscles and we’re here to help.
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The VYBE Pro is perfect to iron out muscle knots before or after a workout sesh and helps to get immediate pain relief. Good things do come in small and affordable packages!
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How to Properly Use a Massage Gun on Your Lower Back
There are quite a few things you can do to improve your massage gun’s effectiveness. If possible, try to relax your muscles before using a massage gun. While your aching lower back may make you naturally stiff, being tense adds to strain, making it more laborious for the gun to be effective.
Here’s how to use massage gun on lower back:
Start by using the muscle massager on its lowest setting. “Mode” and “Strength” are your two options to regulate speed. You can either reduce the pulse frequency or increase it using Mode. If you find the lower speeds to be ineffective, gradually move to the higher ones.
We recommend using a massage gun for mild back pains; it’s best to avoid using one if you have chronic pain. A massage gun will serve you well in case of frequent backache that stems from regular domestic duties or from sitting for extended periods.
Needless to say, reaching your lower back yourself isn’t always easy; you may need assistance from others. If you’re using the massage gun yourself, don’t go overboard with strenuous twisting motions since this may cause chronic pain.
Place the massage gun on your lower back. Massage the muscular bulk on either side of the lower back from top to bottom and vice versa. Hold the massage gun tightly; if it feels comfortable, add some flexion and extension.
When massaging the muscles around your spine, add some side-to-side motion as you approach the quadratus lumborum (QL) muscles, which are underneath multiple layers of tissue. You can also continue massaging down your body, such as your glutes and thighs.
Massage these muscles for five to 10 minutes; this has therapeutic benefits that affect the deep-seated muscular fibers.
Massage therapy for lower back pain is best advised for:
- Short-term pain relief
- Muscle relaxation
- Enhancing blood and lymph flow
- Relieving pain-related stress
- Overcoming muscle soreness
- Helping with quick bursts of pressure
Selecting The Right Massage Heads
There are many massage gun heads to choose from, and each of them is unique in terms of the muscle(s) it targets and how it works.
These are the ideal massage gun heads for lower back pain:
Fork Attachment Heads
This is a common attachment that is standard for almost all massage guns. Since it covers more sore muscle areas than other attachments, you may use it on larger muscle groups like quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Bullet Head Attachment
A pointed head attachment can be quite beneficial when dealing with a particularly painful spot. It’s a must-have if you want to remove muscular knots. These attachments are ideal for the leg and back muscles, as long as you keep them away from your spine.
Flat Head Attachment
Flathead massage gun attachments are perfect for targeting the giant muscles in your lower back. Since the massage will be firm, start on a low setting and then proceed to a higher one. It’s also an excellent head to use before and after exercises, as it helps with tightness and injury prevention.
Roundhead Ball Attachment
You can choose between two round ball head attachments types: big and small. While the larger one is ideal for bigger muscles, the smaller one allows for a more precise massage of soft tissue areas.
Things To Consider When Buying a Massage Gun
Do you wish to buy a lower back massage gun but don’t know where to start? Here are some things to consider before buying a massage gun:
Size
Examine the dimensions of each massage gun; will it offer the coverage you require? Is it too big to carry around? Consider where and how you’ll need to use the device to make an informed decision.
Weight
Weight may be a decisive factor, depending on the type of massage gun. If you massage your back using a gun massager, you’ll obviously need to hold the gun in place with your own hand, and you’ll struggle to do this for a longer time if the equipment is too heavy.
You can easily find the weight of the massage gun in the manufacturer’s product description, so make sure to take that into account.
Ease Of Use
Don’t just consider how well you can hold and apply pressure using a massage gun on your own, but also how quickly you can switch between the various speeds as you target different portions of your body.
Smart App
Some massage guns include Bluetooth connectivity and come with applications that allow you to regulate speed, customize settings, and choose different programs depending on what you plan to achieve.
Power and Speed
The intensity of your massage depends on the gun’s speed and power. Generally, the more the wattage, the more capable a gun is in providing deep tissue massage. Higher wattage also affects torque, which helps the device’s nozzle penetrate the muscles deeper and faster.
Go for a higher wattage massage gun if you’re a professional athlete who works out every day. On the other hand, if you want something a bit more delicate, a softer percussion massager with moderate degrees of power intensity will be a good choice.
Vibration And Percussion
This is sometimes known as amplitude. It controls how deep the massage gun penetrates your skin. The pounding and vibration are significantly stronger when the amplitude is high. Even if the RPM isn’t high but the amplitude is, you’ll get a lot deeper muscle penetration.
Where Not to Use a Massage Gun
Massage guns are safe to use for muscular discomfort and as a fitness-enhancing tool. Avoid using massage guns on your neck as you’ll be at risk of carotid dissection.
Here are some areas and situations to avoid using a massage gun:
- Bony regions
- Bruises or open wounds
- If you’re suffering from excruciating discomfort
- Consult your doctor before using if you have arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, or any musculoskeletal ailment
We recommend consulting physical therapists if you have chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, muscular dystrophy, severe varicose veins, or autoimmune diseases.
Top Massage Guns
In terms of value, you can’t get much better than the VYBE Flex. It offers unparalleled performance and strong battery life at an affordable price point. That said, our top pick for a premium massage gun is the Theragun Elite — this is the one to get if money is not an option. Our favorite all around is the Ekrin B37.
Bottom Line
There are numerous massage tools that claim to be the best pain reliever for lower back pain, yet most of them only conceal the problem rather than alleviate it completely. Yes, they may give temporary comfort but chances are that they may aggravate an underlying problem.
Learning how to use a massage gun on your lower back is probably your best bet to curing lower back pain and discomfort successfully.
