Ever wondered exactly what some of the tools you use in rehab or workouts do?
Read on to learn about some of our favorites and why we like them so much!
RockFloss: RockFloss is a specific brand, one in which we are not affiliated or incentivized by, that is essentially a thick, latex band used with the intent to create mobility. Being a simple tool, there are other brands on the market, this just happens to be the one we most commonly use. The though behind using this band is to "mobilize" or unstick our connective tissue. Often times with load, movement, stress, activity, AND inactivity, our soft tissue can become sticky and adhere to itself. When muscles start adhering themselves to other tissue such as fascia or other muscles groups, this can cause pain and irritation. Flossing is a great way to facilitate soft tissue mobility throughout our body's. It can also create compression when applied appropriately around a joint. The joints in our body tend to like facilitated compression and stability - think about any time you've had an injury with swelling: rest, ice, COMPRESSION, and elevation. Compression encourages a dampening effect of the neuromuscular system and can help to alleviate pain. There is a wide range of uses for RockFloss, especially when creativity is applied. We don't recommend going rogue and trying these techniques on your own however, particularly if you already have an injury. So, if you have any questions or would like to learn more, just ask us!
Massage Guns: while massage guns have become fairly mainstream these days, particularly as more affordable generic brands have entered the market, have you ever thought about why these are so great and what they help to accomplish? We are here to share with you all the wonderful benefits that they can provide.
Improved mobility
Decreased pain or soreness/lactic acid build up
Increased blood flow
Possible improvements in muscle strength
Mobility: often times there is an observed effect of increased mobility following treatment with a massage gun or percussive therapy. The train of thought being that the frequency of percussion allows for a reduction in muscle stiffness allowing for an increase in muscle length, or flexibility, post use. It may also help to loosen thick fascia or connective tissue as application promotes heat, thereby increasing overall pliability of the soft tissue.
Decreased pain or soreness/lactic acid build up: pain following a workout can often be attributed to an accumulation of lactate (lactic acid) due to our bodies process of anaerobic metabolism for energy output. The metabolic byproducts of anaerobic activity includes lactate which sends a signal to our body that there is inflammation - this creates a pain response. Additionally, workouts often create micro-trauma to our tissues, which is considered good stress to the body. This is how we build bigger and stronger muscles. Despite the eustress on our musculoskeletal systems, it is still considered trauma or damage or bodies have to repair and it is this hormonal and chemical signaling that also elicits a pain response. Percussive therapy such as the massage guns help to not only generate heat and blood flow to an area thereby encouraging circulation and elimination of the metabolic waste, but they also act to control pain by what is known as the gate control theory of pain. As dictated by the gate control theory, afferent, or sensory, signals, travel from their perceived location to the spinal cord, and are interpreted in the brain. However, these signals can only travel if the "gate" is open, meaning it can only reach the spinal cord as long as another afferent signal is not interfering with it. Have you ever bumped your elbow and immediately started rubbing it before the pain set in? We inherently try to block the pain signal from reaching our brain by providing another signal, light touch, to interfere with the pain signal from reaching the brain and being perceived. Percussive therapy (and TENS units see below) work much in a similar way. When pain signals are blocked or reduced our bodies have a chance to better recover because there is overall less pain and inflammation; this is why they make such great recovery tools!
Increased blood flow: there is significant evidence to support increased blood flow with the use of percussive therapy. While the exact physiological mechanism is unclear, studies have shown increased perfusion locally, to the area of treatment, without changing heart rate. Some studies have looked at the effects on changes in local arterial diameter and pressure, speculating that it is likely with applied mechanical pressure, a slight decrease in blood flow is observed by partially obscuring the arteriole, whereby upon release a dramatic increase in blood flow is noted. Additionally, it is thought with mechanical pressure, there is a slight muscular contraction created. There is support showing that post muscle activation, there is an increase in vasodilation, or increased blood flow, observed to the contracted or worked structure. So, while the verdict is still out on the mechanism, we do know that percussive instruments are great at creating local blood flow and thus warmth to our sore and achy muscles.
Muscle strength: there is conflicting evidence on whether or not percussive therapy can facilitate an increase in muscle strength, however some studies have shown an increase in explosive muscle strength specifically and with long term use. These studies have defined explosive strength as the ability of a muscle to rapidly produce speed or force output, such as with jumping. Additionally, with longer term use of percussive therapy, there is a possible effect of increased muscle contraction which is correlated to muscle strength. Physiologically this makes sense as well, as a muscle will be stronger when it is not shortened and tight; given that we know massage guns can facilitate improvements in mobility and muscle length, it is not a far jump to assume it could play a role in muscle strength. While research is still being done on the exact effects, the potential gain is worth the consistency given all the positive benefits above!
Estim/TENS Units: First off, we'd like to clarify the difference between Estim and TENS. Estim is short for electircal stimulation and is essentially the umbrella term for electrical stimulation units that can employ difference mechansims to stimulate target tissues. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, so the target tissue as such is nerve. EMS is another type of electrical stimulation whereby the target tissue is the muscle. Typically this is used to stimulate the muscle for contraction and facilitate recruitment and strengthening. TENS is probably the most commonly used estim device as it is largely used for pain control. With TENS, the peripheral nerves are stimulated effectively inhibiting the transmission of the nerves detecting noxious, or painful, stimuli to the spinal cord and brain. It works via the gate control theory of pain as above. Typically, a higher frequency setting is more comfortable, and it is recommended to increase the intensity to a strong, but comfortable level. Pain control can be huge in recovery, as pain can cause inflammation and inhibition. Techniques to facilitate pain control, within reason and as deemed appropriate and safe, are importance parts of rehab; TENS units let you hack the system a bit! Talk to your PT if you're wondering if it may be right for you, but there are plenty of over the counter brands available. Just make sure you understand the precautions and contraindications before pursuing which is why we recommending talking to your PT first.
References:
Sams L, Langdown BL, Simons J, Vseteckova J. The Effect Of Percussive Therapy On Musculoskeletal Performance And Experiences Of Pain: A Systematic Literature Review. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2023 Apr 1;18(2):309-327. doi: 10.26603/001c.73795. PMID: 37020441; PMCID: PMC10069390.
Needs D, Blotter J, Cowan M, Fellingham G, Johnson AW, Feland JB. Effect of Localized Vibration Massage on Popliteal Blood Flow. J Clin Med. 2023 Mar 4;12(5):2047. doi: 10.3390/jcm12052047. PMID: 36902835; PMCID: PMC10003898.
Teoli D, Dua A, An J. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. [Updated 2024 Mar 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537188/
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