There are two ball-and-socket joints in the body. One is found in each hip and the other in each shoulder. Of the two, the shoulder joint has a greater range of movement. But it’s also the one more prone to injury and dislocation. This is because the shoulder joints’ fit into the humerus bone is much shallower compared to the hips’ fit into the femur. The shoulder’s tendons are also weaker. The shoulder joints are supported by shoulder muscles which are subjected to huge amounts of force in sports and even in daily activities. Whether it’s due to lack of flexibility, stability, or strength, muscle strains and sprains are commonplace. One of the best and more effective methods to jumpstart recovery from stiff, painful shoulders is a massage. And the best massage gun for the job is HYDRAGUN.

HYDRAGUN utilizes percussion therapy to alleviate the pain. It also helps increase blood supply to the muscles which provide it with oxygen-rich nutrients essential for healing the damage faster than rest alone will.

In part 13 of this series, we show you how to use a massage gun on the shoulders and how HYDRAGUN can help with the management of shoulder pain.

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The HYDRAGUN Massage Gun Attachment Heads

Before we go into the actual massage, let’s get to know your tool. The HYDRAGUN comes with 4 regular and 3 stainless steel attachment heads.

In general, we recommend –

• ball head – large muscle groups
• fork head – deeper penetration of medium muscle groups
• bullet head – pinpoint targeting of tight knots

The flat heads (1 regular, 2 stainless steel) are suggested for larger surface areas.

You can use your HYDRAGUN all over the body, from the neck, shoulders, torso, legs and feet.

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Using a Massage Gun on Shoulders

Shoulder muscles support and produce movements of the shoulder girdle. These muscles are grouped into:

·       Anterior axio-appendicular muscles – pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, subclavius, serratus anterior

·       Posterior axio-appendicular muscles

o   Extrinsic: trapezius, latissimus dorsi, levator scapulae, rhomboid major and rhomboid minor

o   Intrinsic: deltoid, teres major, rotator cuff muscles

After playing sports, working out, or lifting items overhead, you may feel some soreness or pain in the shoulder area. This can usually be traced to an injury in the rotator cuff, the part of the shoulder that allows us to move the arm in a circular motion.

A tendon travels under the bone (acromion) and movement sometimes causes this to be inflamed and pinched between the bones, causing pain. When the tendon is inflamed, the sac of fluid beside it (called the subacromial bursa) also gets irritated and swollen.

How does the HYDRAGUN help?

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Recommended  Massage Gun Attachment Head to Use:

We recommend using the ball or rounded steel head attachment.

However, feel free to use whatever attachment head you are most comfortable with.

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How to:

1.     Choose the attachment.

2.     Turn the HYDRAGUN on and choose the speed setting.

3.     Apply HYDRAGUN to the body.

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For warming up before exercise and between exercise:

1.     Start at the origin of the muscles. Gently float the HYDRAGUN back and forth for 10-15 seconds.

2.     Move to the insertion of the muscles and massage back and forth for another 10-15 seconds.

3.     Move across all muscle fibers, back and forth for another 10-15 seconds.

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For shoulder pain relief on rest and active recovery days:

1.     Float the HYDRAGUN across all muscle fibers, going back and forth and side to side for 2 minutes.

2.     Do some light, range-of-motion stretches after the massage. Bend over and slowly rotate the shoulders in a circular motion. This will help minimize the risk of having a “frozen shoulder”.

Massaging the shoulders will help in removing lactic acid buildup and allow you to recover faster. It also helps in reducing stiffness and increases flexibility.

When suffering from painful shoulders, refrain from lifting heavy objects and doing repetitive overhead movements. If the pain persists, see a doctor.

(See more usage and safety tips here.)

Suffering from pain in other areas? Check out the rest of our muscle recovery series.

No HYDRAGUN yet? Don’t miss out on the Future of Recovery. Get HYDRAGUN here.