The concept of percussion therapy and the use of vibration for self-care and performance increase is becoming more and more mainstream. And because it is becoming more widely accepted, there is now less of a focus on proving out the science in favor of paying attention to technique and programming.
Finding that percussive therapy can offer immediate relief from pain and soreness wasn’t the monumental discovery, but the fact that it’s more sensory than mechanical was most significant. Intense manual therapy with a focus on immediate mechanical change was the old-school way of thinking. New evidence shows that manual therapies, such as percussion, influence the nervous system and that IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) tools become better at facilitating a goal-oriented adaptation response. Therefore, percussive therapy feeds the sensory system in order to change motor output, and this chronic change over time delivers extremely beneficial results.
There are several percussive therapy tools on the market today. These tools, combined with proper technique and programming, can target specific neuromuscular responses. For example, setting the massage gun at a higher frequency and quickly passing it back and forth over the treatment area with lighter pressure can stimulate or activate the targeted tissues. This is why there is much excitement about the new attachment heads on the JAWKU V2 Muscle Blaster. The heads have been designed to provide goal-oriented outcomes.
These outcomes are changes in the affected areas that happen through mechanoreception. The connective tissue and fascia are highly innervated; loaded with sensory receptors. For this reason, Dr. Thomas Meyers refers to it as “talking fascia” and it is now considered more of a perceptual organ than a mechanical one. It’s important that this is understood, because it directs the programming variables.
By manipulating the variables, users are targeting the results they want. The variables that can be leveraged are:
Additionally, the forms and materials of the heads themselves are considered to be variables, and JAWKU has up-leveled its options with its new massage heads, especially in its Muscle Blaster V2. This includes:
For more information on JAWKU’s various Muscle Blaster massage guns and its various head options, take a look here. We will also provide information in future blogs about the benefits of the individual head types offered by JAWKU.
Muscle Blaster V2 |
Muscle Blaster Chrome |
Muscle Blaster Mini |