Percussive Massage herapy

robinsst
robinsst Member Posts: 2
edited 27. Nov 2019, 11:02 in Chat to our Helpline Team
Hi,

I suffer with a chronic arthritic lower back and chronic sciatica.
Does anyone have experience of using Percussive Massage therapy "guns" , eg Recovapro and Theragun?

I would be interested to hear people's experiences and if possible, a Health Professional's advice based on any health studies which might have been carried out, specifically for severe chronic lower back arthritis and sciatica.

Thanks in advance, Stu.

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Stu and welcome to the Versus Arthritis forums.

    I hadn't actually heard of "percussive massage therapy" and had to look it up :shock:

    The equipment certainly isn't cheap and I really couldn't find any credible research that back up the manufacturer claims.

    Before spending any money on such an alternative type of treatment I would also want to know a lot more about it and would start with asking my doctor if they had heard of it!

    I look forward to see if any of our members have any experience or know of a source of valid research into the subject.

    Best wishes
    Brynmor
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Stu,

    I'm not a member of the Helplines team, just an ordinary forum member. I googled 'percussive massage therapy independent revuews' and found this article in The Guardian. https://tinyurl.com/y5xes2yv

    It seems to be a tool for people who do hard exercise and then need to relax muscles ie not for arthritic joints at all. I imagine you could do yourself some serious damage with it but I do think your best bet is to make an appointment with a physiotherapist. Not only should they be able to advise on it but they ought to be able to offer something that will help, gently, without harming.

    Good luck :)
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,464
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Stu, thanks for your post and a warm welcome to our online community.

    Generally, massage treatments might help with reducing pain, particularly muscle tension or muscular issues by manipulating the soft tissues in your body and improving circulation, however they may not always be effective at reducing joint pain.

    Most massage treatments are usually safe, and a trained massage therapist will always follow strict guidelines to avoid causing injury, so we usually recommend trying to see a massage therapist.

    The massage devices you mentioned seem to be more targeted at muscle recovery after exercise, rather than as a long-term pain relief treatment, and seem to be quite powerful which potentially might cause injury or aggravate some of your pain. As stickywicket said above, it’s probably best to seek some physiotherapy with a trained professional and asking for their opinion on whether these massage devices would be a good investment. You can either see a physiotherapist on the NHS, or if it’s an option for you, you could see a physiotherapist privately.

    In the meantime, we’ve got some useful information on other ways to manage pain here: https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

    I hope this helps, and my best wishes to you, Jack – Helpline Advisor