A Physical Therapist’s Guide To Using Massage Tools At Home
Every day, I get to see a lot of clients who frequently complain about pain in their neck, shoulders, and back and there’s no doubt how widespread it has been due to the sudden change in work dynamics as a result of a shift to work from home. Many people- including myself- don’t even have a proper work setup at home, and we’ve all been sitting and working from our coffee tables, sofas, beds, or awkward kitchen countertops.
Moreover, this switch to WFH has greatly reduced our physical activities and made us sedentary, as the daily commutes and usual gym workouts have been out of the equation for a while now. If this sedentary lifestyle plus the less demanding work activities has led to the straining of your body and muscle overuse, you can benefit from using some easy-to-use and inexpensive massage tools that will help relieve the pain and get the blood flowing in your body.
This quick guide on some at-home massage tools will help you choose the best tool according to your convenience and budget and turn into a staple in your routine.
5 At-Home Massage Tools According To Physical Therapy Expert
1. Foam Massage Ball
A massage ball is a great way to start using massage tools because it’s portable, convenient, and quite accessible to hit those troublesome trigger points. It is specially designed to dig deep into the trigger points that are taut bands in your muscles developed due to accumulated stress, leading to local pain.
This massage ball easily targets specific areas in your body. You can put your weight on the ball and roll the painful area over it while you’re on the floor, or you can use it against a wall if the pressure gets too intense.
2. Electric Massager
If you want to go for something more convenient that demands less effort than manual massage tools, an electric massage tool like a shiatsu massager can be a great investment. It comes in many cordless devices and designs and is ideal for targeting the areas in your neck and back with chronic knots to give you good pain relief and soothing heat to the troublesome areas.
3. Theragun
This tech device might be a cool addition to your massage tools if you’re looking for the best overall fit that includes all the features of other tools. It’s handheld, cordless, adjustable, and comes with different attachments with varying levels of firmness that you can choose according to your need of the hour. Theragun uses percussive therapy as a method of producing deep vibrations to provide long-lasting relief from stiffness and soreness.
4. Foam Roller
Unlike a massage ball that is best for smaller areas, a foam roller has a large surface area to specifically target larger muscle groups and distribute the forces effectively. Foam rollers come in different levels of firmness, from soft to hard, that you can choose based on your preferences. A firm foam roller would be best for the broad areas that need a deeper massage, whereas a soft roller is a great tool to start with for a quick and easy self-massage.
5. Handheld Massager
Last in the list, a handheld massager like Renpho’s is similar to theragun in terms of different attachments and adjustable design, but this one reaches further back to hard-to-reach areas, so that’s a plus point. Also, it’s quite affordable too as compared to theragun, so it can be a great choice if you don’t want to invest in something pricey for now.
Benefits of a Good Deep Tissue Massage
Now that we’ve discussed some massage tools to choose from, it’s important to dive into the subject of deep tissue massage, albeit briefly. Whether you have a hardcore workout routine or only care to hit the gym as per your schedule, stretching may not be the only solution for pain relief. Over time, repetitive slouching and forward bending may cause imbalances in your muscles or muscle groups which isn’t harmful as per se but can contribute to stress on your bones and joints.
Adding a good deep tissue massage to your routine can be of great help. It involves putting sustained and slow pressure on your deep connective tissue layers using deep strokes along the pressured areas in your body. When it hits those aching knots situated deep in your muscles, it may feel painful for a while, but it will definitely result in pain relief to a great extent.
Here are a few benefits of deep massage therapy:
- Pain relief- This one is quite obvious but the most important takeaway. By improving the blood flow and taking out all the toxins that cause pain and inflammation in your muscles, deep tissue massage promotes healing and recovery by working on chronically painful areas in your body.
- Relaxed body and mind- Your body will naturally feel inclined towards feeling better and sense the pleasure of having a really good massage after it takes away all the pain. That’s because the body releases endorphins or ‘feel good’ hormones that lower stress levels.
- Clear focus- When you feel good after a deep tissue massage, you’ll be able to focus more on the daily tasks and other activities and fulfill them more efficiently. Deep tissue massage also helps lowering blood pressure and improves your overall body health.
- Better sleep- Due to a boost in your endorphins and serotonin, you’ll be able to sleep better by incorporating a regular massage session.
In a nutshell, building a habit of having a regular massage may feel daunting to some because of laziness. But I hope this brief guide helps you consider how beneficial it can be and motivate you to adapt it to your routine.
