What You Need to Know About Theragun Percussion Therapy

Whether you’re looking to improve performance and recovery, or just minimize the impact of a sedentary desk job, Theragun Percussive Therapy delivers excellent outcomes. The go-to brand of high-level athletes and elite trainers, it applies a percussive force to reach deep into sore muscles and damaged tissue, achieving all of the benefits of a deep-tissue massage but in a highly targeted manner.

At Optimum Human, we’re proud to offer Theragun therapy as part of our holistic approach to optimizing human performance.

How Theragun Therapy Works

Theragun therapy percusses the skin at a depth of 16mm and a speed of 2400 cycles a minute, reaching deep muscle knots and managing tissue soreness. This extreme speed is designed to override the brain’s pain signals, ensuring the treatment is comfortable while being effective.

The percussive nature of the Theragun device stimulates muscle fibers, bringing heat and blood flow – and therefore oxygenation – into sore muscles, and promoting the removal of waste products such as lactic acid.

Multiple attachments are available to treat difficult areas or manage specific knots or problems.

The Benefits of Theragun Percussion Therapy

Theragun Percussion Therapy delivers numerous benefits, including:

• Relief from deep tissue pain. Aches, pains, and knots are common among athletes and computer workers alike. The Theragun penetrates deeply into the muscle to break down knots and lactic acid build-up, promoting recovery and improving range of motion.
• Reduction of overall tension and stress. A light application of the Theragun to the major muscle groups can relieve general tension in the neck and shoulders or lumbar region. This downregulates the nervous system, inducing a sense of calm and relaxation.
• Faster pre-training warm-up. Using the Theragun prior to a workout helps move blood through your muscles and increase your range of motion. This can improve performance, mobility, and endurance while reducing the likelihood of injury.
• Improved post-workout recovery. Theragun treatment decreases lactic acid and promotes blood flow, speeding up recovery time and minimizing soreness and stiffness from DOMS.
• Improved sleep quality. By reducing muscle tension and stiffness, and improving anxiety and stress levels, Theragun treatment can improve sleep quality – promoting better training recovery and performance readiness.

Theragun percussive therapy is most effective when used in combination with other warm-up and recovery techniques such as stretching, foam rolling, and physiotherapy. It should not be used to treat injuries.

What to Expect During a Theragun Percussion Therapy Session

A Theragun Percussion Therapy session is quick, comfortable, and simple. Depending on your individual profile and needs, the Theragun will be applied either to the major muscle groups for all-over recovery and stress relief or to specific problem areas. Each area will usually be treated for between 2-5 minutes, with knots and problem areas individually treated for about 30 seconds under increased pressure. You may also be asked to stretch between treatments of different muscle groups.

To ensure treatment is effective, wear comfortable clothes that allow the therapy to reach the muscle groups you want to be treated, and inform your therapist about any sprains, strains, inflammation, or other injuries. Pregnant women should consult their doctor before trying Theragun Percussion Therapy, although since the treatment is localized any risk is low.

People usually report feeling a sense of wellbeing and euphoria after a Theragun session and sleep well. Some people may experience some mild soreness the following day.

Theragun Therapy can be used as often as 2-3 times a day as part of your everyday warm-up and recovery regimen.

For more information about Theragun Therapy and how it can be incorporated into a personalized training regimen to help you maximize your performance in the gym and beyond, talk to the team at Optimum Human today.