The Complete Guide to Percussion Therapy for Athletes

Here’s how percussive massage can boost your muscle recovery.

No matter your sport or skill level, if you’re an athlete that gives 100% and is always pushing toward your goals then you know sore muscles and stiff joints well.

And while there’s no escaping this painful reality of human physiology, there are ways to speed up muscle recovery that will get you back in action faster and performing at a higher level.

New advancements in science and technology have led to worthwhile muscle recovery tools that are accessible for athletes of every stripe.

And of these new muscle recovery tools, percussion therapy is by far one of the best available.

Percussion therapy is a form of massage that uses rapid, targeted pressure to improve circulation in your muscles and boost recovery.

Here, we’ve put together the complete guide on percussion therapy for athletes with everything you need to know about incorporating it into your training routine and daily life.

Here are the topics covered in this guide:

• What Is Percussion Therapy and Why Is It Used?

• How Does Percussion Therapy Work for Athletes?

• Where Can Percussion Therapy Be Applied on the Body?

• How Often Should Athletes Use Percussion Therapy?

• Is There Science to Back Up Percussion Therapy?

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Percussion therapy is the use of repetitive pressure to boost blood flow and relax muscle tension.

Over the past couple years, massage guns have experienced a huge surge in popularity and use among both competitive athletes and everyday active individuals.

For good reason too. Not only are there a wide variety of options available, but massage guns are simple to use and noticeably effective.

Because of their popularity, you may already be familiar with massage guns (and may even have one of your own), but you might not be as familiar with what percussion therapy is and why so many athletes use it.

So, what exactly are we talking about when we use the term percussion therapy?

Athletes use percussion therapy to improve circulation, relieve tension, and boost recovery.

Percussion therapy, also known as percussive therapy, is a form of massage that delivers rapid and targeted pressure to your body.

You can think of it in a similar fashion to music, in which a percussionist strikes or beats a musical instrument (typically drums) in a repetitive manner.

In this case, however, percussion therapy is applied to the body to improve circulation, relax muscle tension, and boost overall recovery.

"The repetitive and impactful pressure relaxes muscle tension for immediate relief and faster recovery times from one workout to the next."

It's most commonly applied by a massage gun, which is a handheld device with adjustable pressure levels and customizable head attachments to deliver various types of relief.

The head of the massage gun moves rapidly for vigorous pressure and can be directed back and forth across your various muscle groups for targeted massage.

The repetitive and impactful pressure relaxes muscle tension for immediate relief while also boosting circulation in your muscles, which in turns helps to flush metabolic waste and pump nutrient-rich blood into your limbs.

Massage guns are the most effective and popular method for percussion therapy.

As more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood is ushered into your limbs muscle soreness and swelling is reduced, leading to a decrease in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and faster recovery times from one workout to the next.

Additionally, athletes will notice an improvement in their overall flexibility and mobility, as percussion therapy helps to thin and distribute fascia fluid that thickens around muscles to relieve pressure and tightness.

And, of course, limber muscles that offer you a full range of motion, are less likely to strain or experience injury. 

Athletes use percussion therapy to relieve muscle pain and accelerate the recovery process.

If you follow any of your favorite athletes on social media, there’s a good chance you’ve seen them working a massage gun along the muscles in their arms or legs at some point.

Tune into any professional sporting event and you’re almost certain to see the players on the bench using massage guns on their key muscle groups, as well.

But those massage guns aren’t just for professional athletes.

Athletes and active individuals of any stripe and sport can benefit from incorporating percussion therapy into their muscle recovery routines.

Here’s how the percussion therapy process typically works for athletes.

Massage guns make it easy to apply targeted relief to specific muscle groups.

Turn on your massage gun and choose your desired pressure level.

If you’re just starting out, it’s best to work from low to high pressure intensity.

This will allow you to see how your body and muscles react to the pressure without accidentally overdoing it.

Gently apply the rapidly pulsating head to your desired muscle group and slowly work the massage gun along the muscle.

"If you’re just starting out, it’s best to work from low to high intensity, allowing your muscles to react without overdoing it."

Allow the massage gun to apply the percussive pressure to your muscle, taking care not to add any pressure of your own by pushing downward with the massage gun.

Move the massage gun back and forth, up and down, across the muscle. If you come across a particularly tense or tight spot, you can focus extra attention on the area.

Even if you’re enjoying the relaxing effect of the massage gun, be sure to limit the duration of your percussion therapy to no more than 2 minutes per muscle group.

Percussion therapy can be used for both warming-up your muscles prior to activity and cooling-down post-activity to improve recovery.

Percussion therapy is typically used post-activity but can be used for warming up, as well.

Massage guns are a great way to target certain muscle groups prior to physical activity, prepping them for movement and decreasing your chances of injury.

When it comes to recovery post-activity, the targeted pressure of massage gun reduces muscle soreness by forcing muscle fibers to release lactic acid buildup from your workout.

In other words, that dreaded muscle pain and stiffness that sets in a day or two after pushing your body won’t be as bad and won’t stick around for as long.

Not only does percussion therapy help alleviate the muscle soreness from your workout but it better prepares you for your next one faster and will allow you to perform at a higher level.

Percussion therapy should only be used to target muscles and tendons.

Massage guns are the most widely used form of percussion therapy.

And because of their convenient handheld designs, it’s easy to target nearly any area of your body with these devices.

However, just because you can target nearly any area on your body, doesn’t mean you should.

"Massage guns often come with a variety intensity levels and head attachments to match treatment areas and adjust to your needs."

While massage guns are often compared to foam rollers because of their ability to administer self-massage, massage guns can reach deeper to release tension within the layers of muscle and fascia.

For this reason, it’s important that you only apply percussion therapy to muscles and tendons, while avoiding bones, joints, and your spine.

If you work your massage gun over bones or bony areas, you’ll likely experience kick-back from the massage gun and may feel pain in the area.

Massage guns can penetrate deep into muscle to release tension.

Likewise, do not use your massage gun over sensitive areas, vital organs, open wounds, injured areas, and areas that are already experiencing swelling.

Also, keep in mind that massage guns often come with a variety of head attachments to apply different forms of pressure on different parts of your body.

So, be sure to choose a head attachment and pressure level that best meets your needs and always start with a low intensity before working your way up.

Match your percussion therapy use to meet your training routine and goals.

Once you’ve tried percussion therapy for the first time and felt the positive effects, the natural next question most athletes have is how often they can use their massage guns.

How often you should use percussion therapy will boil down to your level of physical activity, training goals, personal preferences, and so on.

In general, however, athletes should cap their massage gun use at 2 to 3 times a day with treatment durations that do not exceed 2 minutes per muscle group.

Percussion therapy is easy to use and provides noticeable relief in short durations.

Some athletes may choose to use their massage gun only on training days, whether to warm up, recover afterwards, or both.

While other athletes choose to incorporate percussion therapy on a consistent basis, using it on both active and rest days to help keep their muscles loose.

Whenever you’re experiencing muscle tension or stiffness from activity or throughout your everyday routine, treatment from a massage gun is an effective way to provide quick relief and improve your range of motion.

So, whether you’re looking to recover from a rigorous workout or simply to decompress and relax after a long and stressful day, percussion therapy is a great tool for all sorts of athletes and active individuals.

Percussion therapy is a science-backed method for muscle recovery.

For starters, it’s important to note that there isn’t a silver bullet currently available today that solves the problem of muscle pain, soreness, and stiffness.

When you physically exert your body, whether training hard, practicing hard, or competing hard, it’s going to take a toll.

So, of course, utilizing percussion therapy won’t magically melt away your muscle soreness.

"Because this recovery process in the body is well-established and massage guns improve the conditions under which it occurs, percussion therapy is considered a science-backed method for muscle recovery."

But the massage guns available today from high-quality brands are designed, tested, and scientifically backed to boost circulation, improve your range of motion, and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

These percussive therapy devices provide concentrated pressure through rapid pulses that thump in a consistent and targeted manner to simulate the muscle.

Inflammation, swelling, and soreness (etc.) occurs when fluid and metabolic waste builds up in your muscles and tissue.

And the targeted pressure of massage guns helps to relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, and force muscle fibers into releasing lactic acid buildup.

So, while your body naturally maintains a complex system of recovery that includes rest, rehydration, nutrition, repair, and resynthesis, percussion therapy gives a boost to the important aspect of reducing inflammation.

Because this recovery process in the body is well-established and because high-quality massage guns are widely accepted to improve the conditions under which it occurs, percussion therapy is considered a science-backed method for muscle recovery.

For a look at other great muscle recovery tools you can add to your recovery toolkit, check out our top picks for 2025.

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