Is a Theragun worth it?

September 29, 2020 7:33 AM

I have tight muscles and fascia. Should I get a Theragun - and which model?

So I have super tight muscles and fascia. I already foam roll/release/stretch and get regular massages which helps a bit, but I’m curious about how useful a Theragun would be in increasing muscle pliability.

I’ve looked at tonnes of reviews and they seem great. But... are they $AUD900 great? If you personally have used one, how much of an impact did it have on muscle tightness? Any impact on fascia? If you have used different models, is there *that* much of a difference between a Pro model and a (much cheaper) mini? Is Theragun brand vastly superior to other massagers one the market?

I’d prefer to hear from people who’ve used a Theragun, or other percussive massage gun, personally. Asking about Theragun specifically because that’s what seems to be available readily where I am in Australia.

posted by t0astie to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

FWIW my trainer has a car buffer (essentially an orbital sander, but probably slightly less powerful) that she uses with us instead of a Theragun and honestly, it feels great, works the knots out, and is going to run you significantly less money-wise. She got hers at a big home improvement store here in the US but I'm sure there is an AUS equivalent.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:55 AM on September 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

FWIW, Wirecutter's Car Buffer vs Theragun.
posted by Comrade_robot at 8:13 AM on September 29, 2020 [9 favorites]

As far as I know, there haven't been any controlled studies looking at the effects of massage guns since the theragun was invented, so I would take any claims about one model being "proven" better than another with a grain of salt.

The effect massage guns have on your tissue seems to be mostly neuromuscular - in other words, it doesn't physically work out muscles or knots or tightness in your fascia the way you would knead bread dough (it takes 2000 lbs of force to deform your fascia 1%). Your nervous system, on the other hand, LOVES all the input and tools like massage, foam rolling, theraguns, etc. can help relax muscle tone temporarily and relieve pain. They also increase blood flow to the area. Basically, all these tools work because they feel good and you should use them if they make you feel good, but they're not going to secretly lengthen your muscles or resolve longstanding issues - so get the cheapest one you can.
posted by autolykos at 8:22 AM on September 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: I’m not going to threadsit beyond this, but I’m really interested in responses with actual first-hand experience of using a Theragun or other percussive device. (As opposed to oscillating or vibrating.) I understand how they work, have read a tonne of media coverage, and seen the various hacks and alternatives. Thanks! (I do love the car buffer but that won’t work for my issues sadly.)
posted by t0astie at 8:32 AM on September 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

Mod note: One deleted. OP is asking for responses from those who specifically have first-hand experience with Theragun + other percussive devices. Please see their note above.
posted by travelingthyme (staff) at 8:51 AM on September 29, 2020

Best answer: We've got a Theragun knockoff that was a sixth of the price, and it's been one of the best parts of working from home, because I can noodle at e-mails with it pounding away at the wretched tight spots I have from hunching.

(The first one that we got from Amazon had a battery issue after four months, but the manufacturer shipped replacement out with no muss, no fuss, including a replacement for the replacement when the first got stolen off our doorstep.)
posted by joyceanmachine at 8:58 AM on September 29, 2020 [7 favorites]

Best answer: We went for the real deal; I’m not strong enough to help my hubby’s aches. Between that and some specialized stretching he’s in better shape.

I have it used on me at the lowest setting for endometrial pain in my thigh, or an occasional shoulder or back twinge, which helps.

I’ve seen them on display at Ducks Sporting Goods; maybe you can get a demo
posted by tilde at 9:50 AM on September 29, 2020

Best answer: I have a basic $30 percussive massager like this. It feels pretty powerful, and using it on my back has good effects that I'll still feel days later. That said, I've never tried any of the expensive ones, so I can't say whether they're worth the premium. (Also, at some point - after more than a year of using it with no trouble - I started sometimes feeling like I'd been beat up for a day or so after using it. This might be due to some other health issues I have, or to using it for too long at a time. But it does make me wonder - if the premium devices do provide an even stronger massage - how healthy that would actually be.)

Anyway, if you get a chance to demo both an expensive device and a cheapie, that would be ideal.

I'll also recommend those cheap "shiatsu" massage pillows - surprisingly effective in my experience.
posted by trig at 10:00 AM on September 29, 2020

Best answer: We got a Theragun knockoff that had good reviews. I absolutely love this thing, especially with all the different attachments. It's doing a great job of relieving a lot of the tightness and knots from all the work-from-home sitting we've been doing, and works really well on my husband's legs when he's gone overboard on working out.
posted by erst at 11:31 AM on September 29, 2020

Best answer: Asking about Theragun specifically because that’s what seems to be available readily where I am in Australia.

Hyperice products are also available in Australia. I have the Hypervolt and it is excellent - powerful and quite quiet. I have tried the knockoffs and they are too weak to make much of an impact.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:06 PM on September 29, 2020

Best answer: My roommate got a MobilityGun v2 a few months ago on recommendation by her PT and I started using it to see if it would help my tight quads, IT bands, glutes, etc. I have been pleasantly surprised, it definitely loosens things up. My own PT noticed a reduction in tension/adhesions after I started using it.

We had a couple Hypervolts at my office (tech startup life) and people loooooved them.
posted by radioamy at 8:39 PM on September 29, 2020

Response by poster: Update: I got a Theragun. Can’t believe I agonized over it, it has been GREAT and has helped me finally, finally, unlock my calves and quads, as well as my tight piriformis. Picked Theragun in the end for power, plus adjustable angle handle thing, which has been pretty helpful on shoulders.
posted by t0astie at 3:32 PM on March 19, 2021 [2 favorites]