With the holidays around the corner, a lot of people may be receiving at-home massagers such as hypervolts, theraguns, hydraguns…there are dozens of companies and most work very well. BUT, please please please be careful and follow the instructions.I get it, it’s the holidays and you are excited about your new present. That annoying Sciatic pain or stiff neck is stopping you from using the other new presents like the Hoverboard or restricting you from REALLY getting into the new Karaoke machine dance contest. But remember the following tips.
FIRST TIP!!! Only use the massager for 5-10 minutes at a time and continuously move it around. Keeping it on one specific area 2-inch-square area (even if that is the ONLY spot that hurts) could cause damage to the muscle tissue and cause a small problem to become a larger issue. Try to use the device on the entire length of the muscle that is tight. So for a forearm tightness for example, the device should be used from the elbow down to the wrist on the entire length of the muscle.
SECOND TIP!!! After the 5-10 minutes of use, *****STRETCH THE MUSCLE*****. It is vital to now stretch the muscle to try to restore it to it’s proper length and function. Using the device has now activated the muscle and brought more blood flow to the area (which is a good thing). But if you don’t stretch the muscle, now all of that new fresh blood flow will just sit in the injured area and bring more swelling and inflammation to the area (which is a bad thing).
THIRD TIP!!! Ice the area after you stretch it. Ice will help decrease the swelling and allow for better healing. Give the area time to recover and heal.
Enjoy the Holidays! Don’t get too stressed! Life is short. Maximize yours to the fullest!
These at-home massagers work well, but if you don’t get a lot of relief, you may need hands-on soft tissue treatment by a certified Active Release Technique Specialist to get to the root cause of the problem. If you have any questions or would like more info, feel free to call me at (973) 477-3470.
