Massage gun has recently become an internet celebrity product. Some people say that this thing is the "black technology" of the fitness circle, and some people regard it as a massage artifact of "Where to beat where". It not only relaxes and relieves pressure, but also once labeled "Athlete Standard" and "Weight Loss". The "Miracle Effect" label of "must-have for beautiful legs". Is the massage gun really so amazing?

The massage gun has been popular in the domestic and foreign markets in the past two years. Some people say that it is a must-have item for sports and fitness, and some people think that it is a massager that "massage wherever it hurts". The massage gun can not only relax, but also relieve muscle soreness and help you recover as soon as possible after exercise. It is even labeled as "standard equipment for athletes" and "legs for weight loss". Is the massage gun really so magical?

This thing that looks very similar to the electric drill used for decoration is the product that everyone is discussing: massage gun. There are many different brands of massage guns on the market. For example, I have two models in front of me, all of which are regular sizes. The prices of these two models are both around a few hundred yuan, and they are equipped with multiple plugs in front of me. They are still a bit heavy in my hand, about 1kg.

So, how hot is the massage gun now?

Let's look at this chart first. This is a search index trend graph of an e-commerce platform with "massage gun" as the keyword. We saw that before April and May 2019, the search volume of massage gun was almost zero, but entering June and July 2019, the search enthusiasm of netizens was high, using "massage gun" as the key word and The search volume of surrounding derivative words has surged, and the popularity will continue until 2020. During the period from March to April this year, the search index reached a small peak of 3943, and then in July this year, the search index reached 3311. Since then, the search popularity with the keyword "massage gun" has remained constant. Within the interval.

In addition to the search index, it is absolutely indispensable on the hot list. The transaction records of many e-commerce platforms show that the sales of some well-known brands are often more than 100,000. Looking at those popular video platforms, there are many evaluation programs for massage guns. Under the strong recommendation of the merchants, the massage guns seem to be omnipotent. The hundreds of thousands of likes on the video also show that there are indeed a lot of Most people are quite interested in the massage gun, and many users who watch the live broadcast decisively place an order to buy it.

lose weight? relax? The merchant “labels” the massage gun

The massage gun is "rightly popular", what exactly does it do? Merchants generally put these three labels on the massage gun. The first is "relax muscles and relieve fatigue"; the second can "relax the cervical spine and cure diseases"; the third "massage gun" can also be the so-called "weight loss." Shape, burn fat". With the influx of a large number of manufacturers into this market, the positioning of the massage gun being packaged by the merchants as a "massage, healing, and shaping artifact" has quickly established itself. Is the massage gun really so amazing?

Vibration hammering instead of manual massage has a certain relaxing effect

Since it is a massage gun, we must first know what a massage is. Simply put, the massage is the white membrane that wraps the muscles of the human body. But persistent fatigue and tension can cause massagel spasm, which is what we often call fasciitis. The patient is usually very painful, and the massage gun can help improve this symptom.

The amplitude of different frequencies is generally about 1 to 1.6 cm, and its up and down movement amplitude is 1 cm, and then this force is transmitted down. Generally it is the level of muscles, and our hands control its strength.

The massage gun not only acts on the massage, but also on the surrounding soft tissues such as human muscles.

Chen Wenhua, member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, Chairman of the Rehabilitation Committee of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine: This vibration can promote the recovery of muscles and surrounding soft tissues, or eliminate fatigue, which indirectly affects our (human) tissues Some fixes.

Member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology 　 Director of the Department of Bone and Joint Rehabilitation of the Institute of Sports Medicine of the State General Administration of Sports 　 Zhikun Lou: Massage (just) can relax our muscles and massage tissue, which is one of the (methods) we often choose.

Expert verification: It has a certain effect on relaxing muscles

As experts say, the massage gun can help improve the pain symptoms of patients with fasciitis, and the vibration frequency is stable, which can promote the recovery of muscles and soft tissues. That is, the first label "relax muscles and relieve fatigue" was established, and the massage gun does have a certain effect in this respect. The second label "Relieve the cervical spine and cure disease", can the massage gun do it?

It is contraindicated and cannot be easily used for cervical spine massage

The cervical spine is where many important blood vessels, nerves, and spinal cord of the human body gather, and the bones and joints in this part are tightly arranged, and the muscles are weak. Once injured, it is difficult to recover. In the experiment, experts repeatedly emphasized that using a massage gun to massage the cervical spine, non-professionals, is likely to "snip off the front."

Lou Zhikun, director of the Department of Bone and Joint Rehabilitation at the Institute of Sports Medicine of the General Administration of Sport of China, member of the "Source News" expert database of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology: There is a bone in the middle of this part of the spine. We call it the spinous process. Avoid this part. So I usually choose to use a double plug (massage gun) to relax on both sides of the spinous process. Some people have scoliosis, and the vertebral body or surrounding tissues are diseased. When we hit or beat it, it may also induce its disease or aggravate its damage.

In addition, there are carotid sinuses commonly known as "death points" on both sides of the human neck, where there are baroreceptors. If the massage gun is used for high-frequency vibration to hit the massage, it is particularly important to keep the frequency stable. In the experiment, experts also demonstrated the serious consequences that can occur when the frequency of the massage gun is unbalanced.

This time is the most terrible for the human body, that is, the body and the massage gun operator are in a stable part, but its frequency and amplitude have changed, and the output frequency is unstable, just like a hammer hit. One hammer is shallow and one hammer, like this, is more prone to damage.

Chen Wenhua, a member of the Chinese Association of Science and Technology "Source News" expert database, commented: “When some doctors are not proficient in clinical practice, if he uses too much technique, the patient will be affected all of a sudden. This drop in blood pressure will cause fainting. Do not directly massage the cervical spine with a massage gun. Doctors need to be careful when using it, let alone ordinary users."

Expert verification: hitting the cervical and lumbar spine may bring serious consequences

Part of the cervical spine tendons and veins are scattered and complicated. Once the technique is deviated, it may cause irreversible consequences. It seems that the second label "Relieves Cervical Spine, Treats Diseases", this is something that the massage gun can't do, and it's also very dangerous. Don't try it arbitrarily. Continue to verify the third label, can the massage gun really "weight loss and shape, burn fat"?

Experiments show that high-frequency vibration massage does not help weight loss and shape

Can high-frequency vibration beats achieve weight loss and shape? Experts designed two sets of simple controlled experiments. The experiment first measured the bilateral calf circumference of two volunteers. Subsequently, the first volunteer did aerobic exercise for half an hour, and then massaged his right calf with a massage gun for 3 minutes. The second volunteer did not do any exercise, and one hour later, his right leg was massaged with a massage gun for 3 minutes.

There is no change in circumference, and the expected weight loss effect has not been achieved. We need to further verify it, or have further scientific research data to support it.

It is impossible to achieve weight loss through its vibration. massage guns say about weight loss. There are many related websites on the Internet, which are similar to those of fat-removing machines and vibrators, including massage, which cannot lose weight. There is no basis in terms of kinematics and metabolic mechanism.

Proper muscle relaxation, weight loss and treatment of diseases are just "legends"

Through our reporter’s investigations and comparative experiments, it has been concluded that the massage gun can properly massage and relax the large muscles of the human body, that is, the fleshy places, but it must not be believed in the treatment of cervical spondylosis. As for weight loss The form is purely a commercial gimmick.

Finally, I would like to remind you that even if it is to massage muscles, experts also suggest that it should not be used on the elbows, knees and other prominent bones, as well as the cervical spine and other dense blood vessels and nerves; the elderly, children, pregnant women and other specific groups should avoid using it. . At the same time, use the massage gun to relax the muscles for a long time. It is appropriate to take 3 to 5 minutes for one part. In addition, it is recommended that you use it strictly under the guidance of a doctor for special groups.