I’ve done everything in my power to try to alleviate my back pain — stretching, self-massaging, hot baths, self-cracking my bones (don’t come for me), yoga — but nothing has truly given me the relief I've been looking for more than the Theragun.
And it’s
not just my back pain that irks me. It's symptoms of
tech neck from working long days at my
desk (or, more often than not, my couch), muscle soreness from
indoor bouldering 3-4 times a week, and honestly, the movement everyday life requires, like walking my dog and taking care of household chores that mandate multiple trips up and down three flights of stairs in my old sans-elevator apartment building.
What Does The Theragun Do?
Meredith Holser
The Theragun (more specifically, the Prime model) claims to provide a multitude of benefits. According to Therabody, the Theragun Prime can:
- Relieve pain and soreness
- Reduce tightness and tension
- Accelerate recovery
- Improve circulation and flexibility
All great stuff, right? After seeing and reading lots of rave reviews about this beloved percussive therapy tool, I just had to put it to the test.
Can The Theragun Help With Back Pain?
Meredith Holser
More than anything, I was concerned with two major problems – back pain and muscle soreness – I hoped the Theragun would help with. I attribute a majority of my back pain to a slight bout of scoliosis along with an unfortunate compression fracture I experienced a couple of years ago. These two reasons are likely to have exacerbated my tech neck aches, too. I’m talkin’ stiffness around my entire neck and some chronically achy traps.
Piling on my passion for indoor bouldering only adds to the discomfort: sore forearms, lats, and calves and sharp knots along my shoulder blades. The sport requires that I put my body in all sorts of odd positions, use my muscles to sustain those unnatural stances, and brace for 6-foot falls (albeit safely, on well-padded floors). Needless to say, it all takes a physical toll.
After just a week of use and 5- to 10-minute-long sessions a day, the Theragun Prime has significantly lessened that burden and provided my back and upper body muscles with some super satisfying relief.
Here’s my full review, including what I loved and everything I didn’t.
Day 1
Meredith Holser
My trial began with lots of sharp pain between my shoulder blades, which I was worried about not being able to reach with the Theragun on my own without someone else to help me. My worries instantly melted away after giving it a go, though – the patented triangular handle design (which claims to help you reach “80% of your body with multiple hand positions”) helped me quickly locate the most painful points in between my shoulder blades. Not only was I able to accurately pinpoint my discomfort, even the lowest of the 5 available speed settings delivered immediate relaxation. I was shocked at just how powerful this tool was!
I felt like a crazy woman in my apartment, groaning alone out of relief, but it felt so good. I also noticed that my back felt warmed after use, which I observed as the improved circulation the Theragun claims to encourage.
Days 2-4
Meredith Holser
My shoulder blade pain carried on into day 2, along with some insane forearm soreness from bouldering. I took the Theragun to my arms at the lowest speed and found the same instant relief I did with my shoulder blades.
I repeated a routine of running the tool along my shoulder blades, entire back, and arms for days 3 and 4, too. By day 4, I could tell that the most painful points weren’t as sore as they were before I started my Theragun trial.
Day 5
Meredith Holser
Day 5 was quite the opposite, though. I had attended a concert the night prior, and I think standing hours on hard floors reawakened every stiffness, soreness, and sharp pain I had been experiencing before. I woke up feeling geriatric as ever (I’m freakin’ 25, for crying out loud!) and knew I’d have to try out the Theragun on my screaming lower back and sore calves.
My neck felt extremely tweaked, too, likely from sleeping on it in a less-than-ideal position (tummy sleepers, unite). I went at all of these areas with the Theragun’s wide-set dampener attachment as I had the 4 days before, but turned the tool up to a higher speed. Oh, it felt like heaven! Again, I was surprised by how powerful of a punch the tool provided. It felt like a luxe massage technique, all possible by my hands.
Targeting my body more globally felt really nice at the faster setting, up until I was hitting my neck. The tool had a very heavy vibration that viciously rattled my teeth, ears, and eyes, which honestly distracted me from the relief I was looking for in the neck and traps area.
Days. 6-7
Meredith Holser
I was met with sore legs from a long bike ride and even more bouldering-induced stiffness on days 6 and 7. I found similar relief to what I experienced the week prior and was able to relax really well after a long, activity-filled weekend. I also tested out the multiple attachments the Theragun Prime came with on my neck and traps, like the thumb and cone toppers, which are sharper-shaped to hit more specific trigger points. I found these more-targeted attachments way more effective than the rounder dampener and ball, which didn't do as great a job at getting into the deep-set knots I deal with.
Theragun Review: The Results!
Meredith Holser
While I can’t claim my back pain and sore muscles are entirely gone with the help of the Theragun Prime, I can say that they’re noticeably lessened after 7 days of consistent use. I think it’s a very effective way to relieve any pains and aches you may be dealing with, especially if you have tried all other avenues of pain reduction.
It was easy and intuitive to use myself, and I really enjoyed the range of relief I got from the tool, thanks to the customizable attachments and varying speed settings. The only quirk I didn’t quite like was the intensely distracting vibration that occurred in my head when I brought it up to my upper neck and traps.
Therabody
At an original price point of $299 (it’s also HSA and FSA-friendly!), I certainly understand it can be a steep investment for some, but given that the average cost of a massage or chiropractic visit hits around $100 (sometimes more), I believe the Theragun offers comparable relief to those methods.
Plus, you can use it anytime you like, as opposed to having to wait weeks for an appointment. It definitely is not a dependable replacement for more serious structural or muscular issues (which experts can better address), but it’s certainly appropriate for tackling everyday tightness, soreness, knots, and more.
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This post has been updated.
