October 09, 2021 3 min read

MASSAGE TECHNIQUES USING THE RECOVAPRO MASSAGE GUN

Recovapro massage gun is a versatile percussive therapy tool that can adopt manual massage techniques to treat various injuries.

EFFLEURAGE OR GLIDING TECHNIQUE:

The most common massage technique administered in the direction of blood flow.

  • USES: It is beneficial for warming the tissues, reducing muscular tension, and enhancing fluid movement to reduce inflammation and swelling.
  • ATTACHMENT: The broad surface attachments, power head, flat head or round head, but preferably the round-head attachment.
  • SPEED SETTING: Levels 1 to 2.
  • EXECUTION: Effleurage strokes are slow gliding performed parallel to the direction of the muscle fibers.

SWEEPING CROSS-FIBER TECHNIQUE:

Similar to effleurage, sweeping cross-fiber is primarily a gliding stroke but with a superficial cross-fiber element.

  • USES: It can be used to encourage fluid flow, warm the soft tissues, enhance muscle pliability, and reduce muscular tension.
  • ATTACHMENT: The flat head but preferably the round-head attachment.
  • SPEED SETTING: Levels 1 to 3.
  • EXECUTION: While the stroke of effleurage is parallel to fiber direction, in the sweeping cross-fiber the stroke moves diagonally across the muscles fibers.

COMPRESSION BROADENING:

Also a gliding technique, compression broadening is applied with greater pressure to broaden individual muscle fibers.

  • USES: The technique enhances muscle elasticity and pliability with application of deep pressure perpendicular to the muscle fiber direction. Compression broadening can be used to reduce intramuscular adhesions.
  • ATTACHMENT: Preferably the round-head attachment.
  • SPEED SETTING: Levels 2 to 4, depending on patient’s tolerance.
  • EXECUTION: A hard pressure is applied to the target muscle while performing cross-fiber stroking (perpendicular to the muscle fiber direction).

DEEP LONGITUDINAL STRIPPING:

It involves a slow but deep longitudinal gliding stroke applied to muscle to promote tissue elongation and elasticity.

  • USES: It is excellent for reducing hypertonicity and increasing pliability in muscles and connective tissues. It helps encourage lengthening and elasticity in those fibers leading to a reduction in muscle tightness and increased flexibility.
  • ATTACHMENT: Power, bullet, or fork-head attachment.
  • SPEED SETTING: Levels 3 to 5, depending on patient’s tolerance.
  • EXECUTION: Deep longitudinal stripping techniques are parallel to the direction of the muscle fibers being treated covering the entire length of the tissue. It can be applied with varying levels of pressure, although it is most effective when the pressure level is moderately deep. Applying stripping techniques with a broad contact surface first is helpful to reduce tension in superficial tissues before treating deeper tissues.

STATIC COMPRESSION TECHNIQUE:

Static compression is a technique of pressing directly on soft tissue in one location without moving the treatment head.

  • USES: This technique reduces hypertonicity and deactivates myofascial trigger points in muscle tissue.
  • ATTACHMENT: Static compression can be performed with a broad-base heads via the round or flat head attachments, but the pointed heads, such as the power, fork, and bullet heads are more appropriate for the desired goals. If myofascial trigger points or regions of muscle tissue that appear hypertonic are identified, small contact applications with the bullet, power and even the fork head attachments can be used.
  • SPEED SETTING: Levels 2 to 5.
  • EXECUTION: Hold the gun with the appropriate attachment with a moderate to hard pressure until you feel the tissues relax. Pressure is held for varying lengths of time, but you can usually achieve a therapeutic response in about 8–10 seconds. The therapeutic response is a reduction in tissue tightness or the client’s report of reduced local or referred pain from pressure applied to the region.

Recovapro massage guns can deliver the massage techniques required for treatment of any injury or condition through its 5-speed and power settings and interchangeable head attachments. Combining different speed and pressure contacts via the attachments allows varied techniques that can address every grade of injury, including just pampering after a strenuous workout. Switch between 5 different speeds to experience different benefits:

  • Level 1: Mild massage, ideal for warm up and cool down to enhance blood flow
  • Level 2: Mild massage for muscle relaxation by reducing muscle tension
  • Level 3: Muscle stimulation, pain relief, break up adhesions
  • Level 4: Deep massage to break up adhesions and trigger pointing sessions
  • Level 5: Deep and hard massage to break up adhesions and trigger pointing sessions