Are you all stressed up with the busy schedule and need some time to relax? Want to soothe your muscles so that they can recharge themselves to make more efforts in the coming week? Don’t want to face the stress of work pressure regularly? If yes, then a good handheld massager is all you need. The best part about this type of massager is the ease to treat your muscles in whatever way you want.
Although you can visit a therapist for a massage, just remember that it would disturb your entire budgeting since one massaging session is quite costly, especially when you have limited money to spend. What you should be doing is to get a handheld massager that you can use anywhere you want. It will turn out to be your lifetime investment if you use it carefully.
So, here is everything you need to know to come up with the right handheld massager for yourself:
Section1: Are Handheld Massagers Effective?
From their very nature, handheld massagers are expected to be true to their claims. But, before investing your money to any of them, it’s important to mention that handheld massagers are completely different from professional massagers. Therefore, you cannot expect to have the same results. While handheld massagers can work incredibly well at home, they are nowhere closer to professional ones, which are aimed at treating every single muscle of the body.
With a handheld massager, you will feel two changes in your body:
- Mechanical Response: It produces real physical effect in the body. Either applied with hand or through an electrical massager, pressure is responsible to stimulate blood circulation, thereby ensuring proper delivery of nutrients and oxygen. Mechanical features of the handheld massager improve functioning of tissues that lead to reduction in stress and relax the muscles.
- Relaxation Response: Since the nervous system of your body needs to be relaxed, you should take a proper massage to comfort them. This effort will help the body to release serotonin, which is a chemical that affects thoughts and emotions to make the person happy.
Other than that, here are the effects of massaging:
- Treat Common Fibromyalgia Symptoms: To cure headaches, numbness, muscle pain, irritable bowel movements, tingling of feet & hands, restless legs and numbness, nothing can turn out to be as effective as massaging. You can try different massage types to reduce muscle pain, bodily discomfort and relief.
- Freshness and Relaxation of Mood: Massage is capable of controlling your cortisol level that leads to the increase in feel-good chemicals or hormones i.e. dopamine and serotonin.
- Increase in Flexibility and Agility: It is necessary to improve flexibility of the muscles. With the help of handheld massagers, you will be able to maintain body’s agility followed by improving performance of ligaments and tendons, muscles, and connective tissues.
Section2: Types & Techniques of Handheld Massager
Techniques
While searching for a good handheld and back massager, you have to figure out which massaging type would work for your body. Although there are chair pads, massage chairs, or massage cushions, handheld massagers always have an edge over all because of their portability and ease of handling. All you need to do is to choose a massaging technique from the following:
- Kneading: The massage head attachments will push the muscles against the skin and bone structure to intensify the feel of massage. It works best for pain relief, tight muscles and improves muscle flexibility.
- Tapping: It stimulates striking and pounding actions with the help of massage heads. The attachments used to strike the body repeatedly, thereby increasing local temperature and muscle’s electricity by stimulating blood flow.
- Percussion: A hand massager is effective to stimulate rapid movement from the wrist that differs from one model to the other. Percussion massage is beneficial for both the muscle reflexes and skin. It improves blood circulation followed by relaxing the muscles. It has proved to be the best massage technique for the body.
Types
When it comes to choosing the right type of massager for hand, pay attention of its attachment head as it explains what kind of massage you will be getting:
- Kneading Massage Head: This head attachment is used for deep-tissue massages. While you will find this massage head with different names, just be sure that all offer the same benefits. It has a somewhat narrow point, that pushes harder and tightens the muscles with low resistance. As the head reaches deeper, your massage experience will be thorough and relaxing.
- Wide Massage Head: This massage head is intended to provide a soothing massage. It is not recommended for deep tissue massages but is ideal for smooth surfaces that need a comfortable touch.
- Roller Head: This roller head is designed to provide a firm massage. With multiple small bits on the attachment head, you will be rest assured of improving blood circulation, thereby making itself ideal for day-to-day massages. It doesn’t provide a deep-tissue massaging experience but is enough to relax them.
- Scraper Head: The scraper head is ideal to rejuvenate the skin. It removes dead cells from the skin and make it look younger and fresh. Since it stimulates blood circulation, the skin will be able to get more nutrients and look younger.
- Scalp Massage Head: There are some models having scalp massage heads,such as:head scalp massager. They are effective to bring more blood and nutrients to the scalp, thereby keeping it nourished and healthy.
Section3: Features to Consider Buying Handheld Massager
- Adjustable Speed: A good massage for hand enables the users to adjust speed as per their requirements. You are in control of personalizing the massage settings to make your experience satisfactory.
- Attachment Heads: This feature is responsible to describe the way you will be using the hand and back massager. Some massagers offer multiple attachment nods or heads that produce different massage therapies. The types of attachment heads are mentioned above.
- Portability: The level of portability can be determined by the availability of power cord.
- High Portability: They are cordless and work on batteries. These massagers offer maximum portability and can be used anywhere you want.
- Medium Portability: They have long power cords- usually of 14 feet- that enable users to move at a certain distance from the power outlet.
- Low Portability: These are provided with short power cords- usually of 3 to 4 feet- that do not let the users to freely move anywhere closer to the power outlet. They have to stay at one place or use an extension cord to increase their portability.
- Design: When it comes to the design of a hand massager, you have the following options:
- Elongated Massagers- Their slim body can reach at narrow areas and is quite easy to handle. There is only one massage head due to which, you might have to spend more time on massaging large areas.
- Short Massagers: They are provided with a comfortable handle that makes holding easy. Though, you might face a hard time reaching at some spots because it has not that much length.
- Wide Massagers: Although they use a single wide massage nod, you don’t feel any discomfort or lacking in the massaging experience. These units have tuned out to be quite effective at large areas.
Section4: Handheld Massager FAQ
Q:What should be expected from massage?
Massage has proven incredible benefits on numerous systems of the body. From the musculoskeletal, lymphatic, cardiovascular and central nervous system, it has benefits for all. You will feel physical as well as psychological benefits of massaging, even without the help of a professional therapist. All you need is the right tool or technique to use.
Q:Is it necessary to have a heat function in the handheld massager?
Basically, it depends on the type of results you want from the massager. It doesn’t necessarily have to be there. However, if you have to get of rid stress, then go for this heating feature.
Q:For how long should a hand massager be used?
In the beginning, you should keep it slow and increase gradually. You can use it daily or many times in a week, in whatever way you want. Remember to keep the sessions shorter initially and see how your body responds. If everything is good, then increase the duration as well.
Q:Which style of the handheld massager is effective:
It depends on your massage needs and where do you want to use it. If you want a whole body massage, then a pillow style massager should be the choice. Other styles usually differ in terms of how they are designed and used.
Q:Are there any physical advantages of massage?
Yes, your body can get rid of muscle pain, stress, anxiety, muscle tightening, etc. It helps the body to produce endorphins, which are the natural painkillers in the body. They strengthen the body to fight against diseases or bacteria attacking them. Your immune system and cardiovascular health will improve with massaging.
Section5: Wrap Up
Now that you are familiar with the efficiency and functioning of a massager for hand and back, it’s time to make a smart move and search for an appropriate handheld massager that can perform all the required duties as you want.