In physical therapy, we often have patients use various massage tools in our office, and recommend that these tools be used outside of the office as well. These tools are often inexpensive, and they can work wonders for tight areas like trigger points. However, we also want our patients to know their limitations.
Massage tools like massage guns, foam rollers, and Thera-Canes can relieve muscle soreness, enhance recovery, and improve mobility. However, their effectiveness sometimes provides temporary relief without addressing chronic pain or severe injuries, which require professional care.
To help you make informed choices, we’ll explore the science behind self massage, the benefits and limitations of these tools, and practical tips for safe use.
Why massage tools can be great
Self-massage tools offer a convenient way to manage tightness, soreness, and general muscle tension—especially between physical therapy sessions. Tools like foam rollers, massage balls, and percussion guns can:
- Help increase blood flow
- Reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
- Support mobility by relaxing overactive muscle groups
- Generally be very enjoyable!
When used consistently, these tools can complement your physical recovery, whether you’re dealing with an injury or just normal day-to-day stiffness. They are also great at specifically managing trigger points in muscle tissues at home.
They promote body awareness, improve flexibility, and empower you to take an active role in your own care. For many patients, this translates to better performance in daily movement or exercise, and fewer flare-ups of recurring discomfort.
The problem with relying on self massage tools
As we mentioned above, massage tools can be excellent for relieving pain temporarily, or relieving recurring trigger points with regular use. The problem with massage tools is that they don’t address any of the underlying causes of pain or dysfunction. If you’re only rolling out tight muscles without considering how they became tight in the first place, you may become caught in a loop – only ever achieving temporary relief.
Does self massage work? (What the science has to say
Research on self-massage tools shows some clear short-term benefits. Studies have found that foam rolling and percussion therapy can temporarily reduce muscle soreness, increase range of motion, and improve perceived recovery.
- A 2019 Meta Analysis found that “pre-rolling seems to be and effective strategy for short-term improvements in flexibility without decreasing muscle performance,” but later says that, “care should be taken by athletes and coaches, particularly when considering the potential harmful side effects…”
- A 2023 systematic review found that percussive therapy through use of massage guns “can help improve acute muscle strength, explosive muscle strength and flexibility, and reduce experiences of musculoskeletal pain.”
In other words, these tools also appear to help with circulation and neuromuscular relaxation, making them popular among athletes and rehab professionals alike.
However, the evidence also supports what many clinicians already know: the effects are usually short-lived unless paired with a more comprehensive approach. Most studies focus on immediate outcomes—like soreness reduction or flexibility gains within minutes or hours—not long-term pain resolution or injury prevention. In other words, self-massage can be a valuable tool, but it shouldn’t be your only one.
How to make up for this deficiency
To get the most out of self-massage tools, it’s important to pair them with strategies that address the why behind your pain or tightness. Muscle tension is often a symptom of deeper issues—like poor movement patterns, mobility restrictions, or strength imbalances—that massage alone won’t fix.
The reality is that many of us don’t know what’s causing our pain, so we continue to live with it and/or relieve the pain without any real resolution.
Do you know:
- Is your pain being caused by weakness around a particular joint?
- Do you have a specific mobility restriction that’s causing you to engage in a compensatory movement pattern?
- Are there postural issues at play? If so, which ones?
The best suggestion, therefore, would be to utilize massage tools for pain relief in addition to doing whatever you’ve got to do to sort out your individual pain and/or stiffness:
- Seek out professional opinions if you’re unsure what’s causing your symptoms
- Follow through on any recommendations your physical therapist or healthcare provider gives you
- Make time for regular strength training and mobility work, not just passive recovery
- Stay consistent with corrective exercises or home exercise programs you’ve been given
- Commit to a long-term physical practice—whether that’s walking, lifting, yoga, or sports
- Pay attention to how your body responds and adjust your routine as needed over time
Massage tools are a part of the toolkit, NOT the whole toolkit!
Massage tools can be part of your toolkit, but they shouldn’t be the whole toolkit. They are great for relieving sore muscle pain, getting immediate relief from aches and pains, and targeting specific areas better than traditional stretching (in some cases).
However, where recovery is concerned, long-term progress comes from taking an active role in your health and movement.
This is just as true after you’ve achieved some relief:
- Continue to engage in general mobility work, as well as any specific mobility work that’s unique to your particular physiology.
- Implement and/or continue any basic general resistance training you’re doing, with the goal being to work the entire body at least twice per week.
- Implement and/or continue any basic general cardiovascular exercise you’re doing, in the modality of your choice, with the goal of achieving at least 75 minutes per week.
Massage tools are actually very helpful
It may seem like we’re downplaying the efficacy of massage tools in this article. As evidenced by some of our other work, you can hopefully see that we’re actually big fans:
- Foam Rollers vs Massage Guns
- Stretching vs Foam Rolling
- Benefits of Massage Guns
- Benefits of Foam Rolling
What we’re not fans of is using these tools to cover for physical issues that would otherwise require some type of treatment or lifestyle modification to fix.
If you’ve got any specific questions about how massage tools can fit into a recovery program tailored to your needs, get in touch with us for a free consultation!
