The Effect Of Percussive Therapy On Musculoskeletal Performance And Experiences Of Pain: A Systematic Literature Review.
Lorna Sams, Ben L Langdown, Joan Simons and 1 others
PMID 37020441WHAT IT FOUND
Percussive massage guns increased flexibility in the reviewed studies, but a single treatment was not better than static stretching.
Strength and pain findings were limited and mixed, and some pain studies gave other treatments at the same time.
Key findings
01Percussive massage guns improved flexibility in the included studies, but a single treatment was not better than static stretching.
02Lower body plantar flexor strength did not change after a single treatment, and upper body strength evidence came only from a case study.
03Back pain scores improved when massage gun treatment and ergonomic advice were given together, so the gun alone could not be isolated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The 13 studies were small, used different outcome tests, and used different massage gun settings, so they could not be pooled into one reliable protocol. Most studies measured only immediate effects. Only one study reported effects 24 hours and 48 hours after treatment. No study blinded participants or therapists, and it was unclear in ten studies whether outcome assessors were blinded. 62.4% of participants were healthy active young adults, and 30.2% experienced pain, so the results may not apply to other groups. Some pain and strength findings came from case studies or combined treatments, so the massage gun alone could not be isolated. Several conference papers were excluded because full texts were unavailable.
Declared interests
The paper states the authors have no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that massage guns improve strength or reduce pain on their own. The review was based on small, mixed-quality studies, and pain results were confounded by other treatments.