Sore muscles: we’ve all been there. However, nobody knows muscle soreness like those who engage in regular physical fitness. Muscle group overuse, one wrong move or lift, or engaging in strenuous activity can all contribute to muscle soreness.

Working the muscles isn’t a bad thing, but when your tissues are experiencing pain, stiffness, swelling, or weakness, this signals it’s time to give your muscles the ample recovery they deserve.

Percussion therapy serves as one method for quicker muscle restoration. Here’s how it can help:

Boosts Local Blood Flow

Proper blood circulation matters, especially when it comes to muscle recovery and general tissue repair. Without appropriate blood flow, healing can be significantly delayed.

This is where percussion therapy comes in. The vibrations and “pounding” effect brought by a percussion therapy gun can help stimulate blood flow to the targeted muscle group, including muscle tissue which may naturally lack sufficient blood circulation.

By increasing blood flow to the appropriate area, percussion therapy can help support oxygen and nutrient delivery, improve metabolic byproduct removal, and encourage inflammation to subside faster. This can result in speedier muscle relief and repair overall.

Relaxes Contracted Muscle Tissue

The regular movements and stimulation occurring during workouts naturally cause muscle tissue to contract or tighten.

Normally, the muscle tissue returns to a relaxed state after working out. When it doesn’t, this can create an impression of stiffness and heaviness. The resulting impact is dealing with sore, less flexible muscle tissue, which can linger for several days.

Percussion therapy can help relax these tense tissues through the stimulation of increased blood flow and sensory receptors in the body.

Encourages Fluid Movement

Sometimes after working out, the body can hold onto excess fluids. These fluids often come in the form of fluid around your cells, water inside your muscle cells, and lymph fluid.

The buildup of these fluids isn’t uncommon after engaging in physical activity, but it can be uncomfortable. Think muscle pain, tension, and soreness. The longer these fluids are held onto, the more uncomfortable and long-lasting the post-workout symptoms may be.

To eliminate the buildup of these fluids, percussion therapy’s rapid tapping method can help push them out. As a result, reduced pain and improved range of motion are often quickly experienced by the user.

May Temporarily Change How the Brain Perceives Pain

Not only can percussion therapy bring physical relief to a tense muscle group, but it can also give the perception of pain relief as well.

By stimulating the affected muscle tissue, percussion therapy gives the body’s nervous system a different signal to focus on.

So, instead of solely paying attention to the soreness and tightness of the muscle tissue, the user’s brain places some emphasis on the vibrations and soothing signals produced by the percussion instrument, bringing fast relief.

Looking to manage achy muscles or want to reduce your odds of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)? Post-workout percussion therapy can be an empowering recovery tool to consider.

Recovery Lab is just a quick dial away. Contact our recovery team today to set up your first percussion therapy session.