Massage guns, a form of percussive therapy, are a popular modality often praised for their ability to provide pain relief, improve recovery, and even enhance performance. However, these purported benefits are likely overly exaggerated. It seems that massage guns can increase range of motion (ROM) and improve flexibility. If you have mobility issues, adding a massage gun to your warm-up can be helpful, although there’s no extra benefit compared to regular stretching. In addition, massage guns can temporarily reduce soreness and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), providing some relief if the pain is from stiff and sore muscles. However, these benefits peak around 20 minutes and return to baseline within one hour. The potential benefits to athletic performance are less clear, with some research showing no effect and others showing a negative effect. It’s hard to argue that percussive therapy provides no benefit. Percussive therapy “feels good,” and massage guns can be a convenient...