06 Jan Have you seen ads about massage guns in your social media feed 

Thinking about getting a massage gun for yourself

Before you go and get a massage gun consider who it’s not suitable for and the types of conditions that it shouldn’t be used for without consulting a doctor or physiotherapist.

1. Muscle strains/”pulled muscle” 
Muscles get strained when they’re stretched past their normal range of motion, often the result of overuse, improper use (bad form) or sudden motions that tear the muscle. Muscle strains are usually painful, the powerful hammering motion of massage guns can further damage your muscles.

2. Sprains
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments connect two bones together. Like muscle strains, sprains occur when a part of your body is stretched past its normal range of motion, often very suddenly. You might hear a “pop” in your joint when the injury occurs. You should avoid using a massage gun on torn ligaments to avoid any further damage, especially right after the injury happens.

3. Broken bones
This might seem obvious, but don’t use a massage gun near (and definitely not on) bones that are broken or healing — not even if you’ve been cleared for exercise and feel no pain. Even when your cast is off and the bone is healed, a significant force from a massage gun can cause severe pain and, in a worst-case scenario, damage your newly mended bone.

4. Chronic conditions
Some illnesses and chronic diseases also require caution when it comes to massage and massage guns. Conditions include:

Hypertension (high blood pressure),
Severe varicose veins,
Other conditions that affect your blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis, peripheral artery disease, deep vein thrombosis or arteriosclerosis,
Osteoporosis,
Muscular dystrophy or other muscle disorders
Autoimmune conditions such as lupus, scleroderma and multiple sclerosis,
Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia or gout

If you are struggling with injuries or muscle pain, before you reach out to a massage gun, reach out to your Doctor or ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 to speak to one of our Expert Physiotherapists  today.