Massage balls and massage guns both promise relief for sore knotted tired muscles. Which is better to purchase and use, though? When you look for a massage tool, you want something that will:
- Increase blood flow
- Decrease lactic acid
- Interrupt the pain cycle in the brain
Massage Guns and Painful Muscles
Massage guns aim to increase blood flow and decrease lactic acid buildup, while also decreasing pain. If you start to research massage guns, you will probably find that they are quite expensive. One leading brand’s massage gun runs up to $600.
Also, there is a learning curve – a variety of choices means you need to know what you’re doing for the best results and to avoid injury. There are various speeds and pressures to choose from with a massage gun. Usually, a massage gun is used for 15-30 seconds on a specific area or 90 to 120 seconds on a larger group of muscles.
Also, massage guns can weigh a lot or can be unpleasantly noisy, so research is required to ensure the massage gun you might be interested in does not already have a reputation for being hard or irritating to use.
Overall, massage guns require more research, more of an initial investment, have moving parts, and require batteries or frequent recharging – and so are more at risk of malfunctioning over the long-run.
Massage Balls and Painful Muscles
On the other hand, massage balls are much less expensive; you can buy a set for around $10 depending on which kind you need. There are no settings to learn, so not a huge learning curve, and Physix Gear even provides a self-massage guide for those who are interested in learning a few techniques. (That’s right – you do not need a partner to use massage balls, so this fits into the category of self-massage!)
You are more in control of the pressure with massage balls as you align your body with the massage balls for use. Massage balls also aim to increase blood flow, decrease lactic acid buildup, and decrease pain.
Massage balls are lightweight and not cumbersome to handle. Massage balls come in different sizes, with Physix Gear’s massage balls being a smooth lacrosse rubber ball and our larger ball a spiky variety. Some areas you may prefer less pressure, and some more pressure – think about how you might use these differences to help relieve pain for plantar fasciitis, the hamstrings, quads, pectorals, biceps, or triceps.
The spiky massage balls are more for targeting specific points, while the lacrosse style massage balls are smooth and better for whole muscles. They can be used anywhere – the gym, at home, while traveling; they are extremely portable. While using massage balls, you should avoid putting too much pressure directly on joints or bones. It’s ok to crossbones if you are circularly using the massage ball to target an area, but don’t go directly along a bone to prevent damage. You can start out using your massage balls for about 30 seconds per area, or as long as you need to while the pain persists.
Massage balls provide a low investment option that does not slack on relief – plus they are easy to use, store, and take with you whenever and wherever you might need them.
Buy your lacrosse style or spiky massage balls here from Physix Gear Sports today and experience relief from muscle pain after a long day at your job, participating in sports, your regular workouts, and from other everyday activities that might leave you sore. You can try them risk-free with our 100% satisfaction guarantee! Order yours today.