Sep 11, 2022
recovery
3 ways to start your day that will improve your sleep, recovery and athletic performance.
Read moreFive Ways Percussive Therapy Can Transform Your Performance
So, what is a percussion massage?
Percussion therapy uses a revolutionary handheld device to jolt target areas of the body with gentle pulses of pressure. This action softens muscle tissue in areas where we experience intense stiffness and injury. By rapidly pulsing the muscle fibres with a gentle wave of pressure, percussive therapy alleviates pain and increases blood flow to ease stiffness and soreness. This decreases post-workout muscle pain and cramps, which accelerates the body’s ability to heal and recover.
Improved performance
We’ve all had that intense training session that leaves us with an immediate sense of euphoria. It’s after the euphoria fades that the sore, tight muscles set in and we start to feel the need for rest & recovery. As the physical demand in professional and amateur sports rises every year recovery becomes increasingly vital. Percussive therapy simply speeds up recovery time meaning you’re not sore and stiff in training the next day allowing you to push harder and continuously improve on yesterday’s margins.
Powerful Pain Relief
Studies on chronic pain have showed that deep brain stimulation at frequencies of approximately 50mgHz can produce pain relief effects. The motion of percussive therapy devices is typically around 65 – 70 mgHz. The nervous system's hierarchy is programmed to pay attention to the higher frequency stimulus over the pain stimulus. This is important because the vibration and amplitude on the body of percussive therapy devices such as the MyoPro send signals to the brain faster than pain signals can travel. This high frequency vibration actually overrides pain signals and so pain is significantly decreased.
Reduced Chance of Injury
Percussive therapy devices can be used before, during or after exercise. George Crook owner of F45 Blackwall says his athletes often use it prior to warming up. The result is a much crisper warm-up, which leads to a better overall workout. "The feedback from our athletes is that they warm up a lot quicker, and feel they are getting a more thorough warm up and feel looser heading into training. As a coach, we love that," Crook says.
Improved mobility and flexibility
Your muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints, all work together to aid mobility. With the consistent use of a percussive therapy tool such as the MyoPro, the joints will be more flexible and less prone to strains and sprains. The improved blood flow circulation will result in more relaxed muscles and fascial tissue improving range of motion leaving you with the added advantages of enhanced athletic performance and improved stimulation of the body’s natural lubricants to help keep the body flexible.
Return to form after injury
Percussive therapy is used worldwide by physiotherapists as an essential tool to advance patients recovery after injury, it assists in breaking down internal scar tissue while also increasing circulation both of which speeds up healing time. Percussion therapy also relaxes thickened connective tissue, helping to break down adhesions and internal scar tissue.
