What will be derived from the combination of electric drill and fascia ball? The answer is the fascia gun. Not only can this novelty be found next to the foam roller at the gym, but also in the physical therapist's toolbox, or in your favorite trainer's circle of friends. But what is the effect of this fascia gun with a price ranging from nearly 700 to more than 4,000 yuan? Who is it suitable for?

First, let's take a look at how the fascia gun works. A battery-powered motor attached to the rubber or foam tip vibrates rapidly at a rate of about 40 vibrations per second, a process also known as shock therapy. After the tip of the gun touches the body, it produces a smooth but strong impact and acts on the muscles.

A professional physical therapist told us: "This impact can unclog the connective tissue or nodules within the fascia, making the fascia around the muscle more supple, thereby relieving muscle stiffness." He often uses the fascia gun to help athletes. relax.

Fascial guns may also affect the nervous system. The physiotherapist further explained: "When you massage a muscle, the muscle doesn't really relax right away. The sensory neurons in the tendon feel an increase in tendon tension upon contact with the shock, and your brain then picks up the signal. And work on it, which in turn tells the muscle to relax."

To date, scientific research has not discussed the fascia gun in detail. But a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that, within 72 hours after exercise, participants who received 5 minutes of vibration therapy or 15 minutes of massage were significantly better than those who had not received any physical therapy or massage. Feel less soreness. In the first 24 hours, relaxation with a vibrating device resulted in faster recovery than relaxation with a massage.

"The fascia gun is especially useful for those who regularly train at a high intensity, not only to improve recovery speed, but also to relax the fascia prior to training, thereby improving mobility," says the physical therapist. For those who train for events The fascia gun is ideal for athletes of 100,000,000, and it can help athletes relieve muscle tension and prevent overuse injuries and potential nodules and local pain caused by muscle tension. He adds: "Standard foam rollers can't reach deep into the muscle or local tissue, and your hands will never be as fast as a motor tip."

If you have access to a fascia gun, or are considering getting one, here are some tips to know ahead of time:

Avoid physical danger areas

When using the fascia gun, focus on relaxing the muscles and avoid large vascular structures, including veins in the neck, underside of the upper arm, groin, and skeletal areas such as the spine. Women also need to avoid breast tissue to avoid excessive vibration.

Select the lowest gear speed

"I've found that the first speed is good enough to relax most areas of the body and relieve pain," says the physio. Increase the speed one notch. But instead of increasing the impact strength of the fascia gun, it's better to spend more time on one area. He added: "Especially when your muscles are sore, don't over-shock the muscles, and a little less of them will loosen them up better."

Adjust the target

Want to unwind before your warm-up? Physical therapists recommend that you use the tip of a wide ball to gently press an area from top to bottom or bottom to top for 3 to 5 seconds. It is also possible to activate the tissue by lightening the force without compromising training performance. Want a full body massage after training? Then switch to a narrow tip and use a quick 10-minute upper and lower body massage, focusing on key areas such as the glutes, hamstrings, forearms, and between the shoulder blades. If you want to relieve pressure on a more problematic area like the upper calf, use the narrow tip to massage the area for 10 to 30 seconds, pausing if you feel uncomfortable.

Don't want to spend money on this fancy relaxation device? The physiotherapist advises: "We can actually use a fascia ball or golf ball instead, which can apply the required force to key areas for a fraction of the cost of a fascia gun."