What You Need to Know About Percussive and Vibration Therapy
When looking for tips and tricks to help you recover from exercise, you may be presented with handheld devices that claim to help improve your recovery rates. Some of these devices claim to offer vibration treatment on specific points on your body. Other devices seem to work in a more percussive manner.
Regardless of the device, both are aimed to help your body heal faster. You may be wondering what the difference between vibration and percussive treatment may be. If this is the case, then keep reading. We will talk about percussive and vibration therapy and how the two differ.
Percussive Therapy
Percussive therapy focuses on applying force to specific parts of your body. However, it does not do so by vibrating. It does so by mimicking the motions of a massage therapist pressing on your muscles with force repeatedly. This allows such therapy to reach deep into the muscles and much deeper than vibration therapy can offer.
It also facilitates efficient recovery by improving blood flow and oxygen to the treated area. It eliminates the buildup of lactic acid to relax the muscles. It also helps hydrate soft-tissue deep within the muscle to improve range of motion. Also, because a percussive device is not in constant contact with the body, it does not cause continuous stimulation.
Vibration Therapy
Vibration therapy, on the other hand, vibrates a specific part of the body. A handheld device is placed on a particular muscle, and the device vibrates left and right on that area. Some devices even allow for whole-body vibration, wherein you stand on a vibrating platform. That said, whether it be a localized or whole-body treatment, vibration therapy generally helps alleviate stress and support blood flow. It does so by stimulating the muscle to contract and relax without control from your end, which can soothe pain and provide a pleasant experience.
Which one is better?
It may seem like percussive therapy is better than vibration therapy, but they both have a part to play. Which one you pick will depend on your needs. For example, if you want a device that will help you enjoy a massage-like experience, vibration therapy is a great choice. Many people say vibration therapy has helped them relax and recover quickly from any pain or injuries.
On the other hand, if you want something to tackle deeper parts of the muscles to immensely speed up recovery, percussive therapy is the way to go. It goes 60% deeper into the muscles than vibration therapy, reducing pain and promoting healing.
Conclusion
Now that you know how each type of treatment works and what you can expect out of them, you can decide which device is perfect for your needs. If you cannot choose which device to pick, then purchase one that offers various forms of therapy. For example, you can pick up a massage gun that can provide the soothing effects of vibration therapy while still providing targeted percussive therapy.
Just make sure that the massage gun you work with is built with quality to ensure it can give you long-lasting treatment without any annoyances or headaches.
Gravity is a provider of percussive therapy massage guns, offering features such as long-lasting batteries, quiet motors, and ergonomic multi-grip to offer the best experience possible. If you are looking for the best massage guns in Canada, check out our products.