Why using a massage gun leads to quicker fat loss and improved weight loss
Vibro-percussion therapy treatments (delivered by handheld massage guns) are an incredibly efficient and affordable way to improve results from fat reduction treatments. Long used by chiropractors and physical therapists for muscles and joints, the technology has now been adopted by body contouring industry trendsetters. In this article, learn all about this exciting new body contouring treatment as we discuss massage guns and vibro-percussion technology, tell you what massage guns can do and what they cannot do, show you why using a massage gun leads to quicker fat loss and improved weight loss and show you how to get started with massage gun treatments in your body contouring business or practice.
But first…
Who are we and why listen to us?
Experienced Industry Experts
We are Kay, an RN/Attorney and Shannon, an Esthetician, faculty at the Body Contouring Academy.
We’re longtime med spa owners/operators turned teachers/mentors.
Back in 2006, at the very dawn of non-invasive aesthetics, we opened our first medspa in San Antonio, Texas. We’ve owned and operated medspas ever since.
Our most recent medspa opened in 2015, reached seven figures within a year, and still operates at seven figures today. And now we’ve transitioned to helping others do the same.
We’ve authored med spa reference books; host a podcast focused on building and growing successful aesthetics businesses; and serve as the faculty of multiple online body contouring certification courses.
Now that that’s out of the way…let’s dive in!
What is a massage gun?
Massage guns utilize vibro-percussion technology
- A massage gun is a small handheld device that produces rapid and repetitive vibrations via intermittent mechanical pressure, utilizing two non-invasive technologies: vibration technology and percussion technology.
- We refer to it as vibro-percussion therapy.
Massage guns used by Chiropractors, Physical Therapists
- Massage guns are best known and well-studied for aiding sore muscles and healing connective tissue. They have been used for many years by chiropractors and physical therapists.
Massage guns deliver diverse benefits and now used by a broader range of professionals
- Massage guns are capable of providing many other diverse benefits, such as relaxation, pain relief, loosening tight muscles, increasing lymphatic flow, accelerating the healing process, facilitating quicker fat loss and improving weight loss.
- More recently, fitness, beauty and body contouring professionals have adopted the therapeutic use of massage guns for optimizing fat reduction and ✅ weight loss.
Massage guns
✔ Are super affordable (cost as little as $25).
✔ Come with a variety of applicators which can be interchanged based on the body area being treated, the intended use and the desired benefits.
✔ You can buy one - or - keep one in each of your treatment rooms. That’s what we do!
Looking for a good massage gun?
Take a look at this massage gun and its applicators.
It’s like the ones we’ve used.
#ad We are amazon associates, so if you click on a link that is a qualified purchase, we may earn a small fee. It comes as no extra cost to you and we only recommend products based on our experience and/or use.
Massage Guns: Vibration Technology + Percussion Technology
(Vibro-percussion)
The diverse benefits of massage guns are derived from the combination of the two non-invasive technologies: vibration and percussion. Let’s break each of these technologies down.
Vibration Technology:
Whole Body Vibration Therapy (WBVT) vs Local Vibration Therapy
Vibration technology
- Can be applied systemically to benefit the entire body, as with whole body vibration therapy (WBVT),
And/or
- Can be delivered to benefit a targeted area, which is known as local vibration therapy (LVT).
Massage guns utilize local vibration therapy (LVT), but let’s take a look at both kinds of vibration technology.
Whole Body Vibration Therapy (WBVT)
- Whole Body Vibration Technology (WBVT) machines produce intense, rapid and repetitive vibrations which move (1) up-and-down; (2) side-to-side and (3) back and forth, stimulate the entire body - the muscle, bone, circulatory, respiratory, lymphatic and cognitive systems…all in a positive way…producing multiple benefits.
- The vibrations produced by WBVT work by producing intense muscle contractions throughout the entire body and deliver many benefits including improved lymphatic function, cellulite reduction, weight loss and counteracting the aging process.
⇨ Whole Body Vibration Therapy (WBVT) is essential to operating a successful body contouring business. We have TWO vibration therapy platforms at our medspa!
Want to learn more about Vibration Therapy and get certified?
Get the details of our online Whole Body Vibration Therapy certification course!
Local Vibration Therapy (LVT)
- Local Vibration Technology machines produce rapid and repetitive vibrations affecting a localized (targeted) area of the body.
- Depending on the particular device, the vibrations may include one or more of the following motions: (1) up-and-down; (2) side-to-side and/or (3) back and forth.
- When used for fat reduction and weight loss, the localized vibrations produced by LVT work by
(1) increasing blood flow to the area to assist in metabolism and
(2) to increase lymphatic flow in the area so as to improve the elimination of excess fluids, toxins, fat and other debris from the body.
Local Vibration Therapy (LVT) is an essential tool for any provider performing fat reduction treatments or supporting patient’s weight loss goals.
Percussion Therapy
- Percussion Technology is a non-invasive technology that involves application of pulses of pressure to the body.
- Percussion therapy can be applied manually - or - via the use of a percussive device like a massage gun; manual application and devices can both be used to help improve a variety of issues. For example,
- Respiratory therapists use manual percussion (and manual vibration) to help break up and eliminate thick fluids from the lungs.
- Massage therapists use manual percussion to aid in the recovery of muscle soreness.
- Body contouring professionals use percussion technology (massage guns) to derive these benefits:
- Percussion stimulates blood flow to the treated area enhancing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients, and stimulating metabolism.
- Percussion also stimulates lymphatic flow in the treated area removing wastes, such as fats, toxins and excess fluids.
- Both actions lead to quicker and better fat loss.
But…does a massage gun break down fat on its own?
Can a massage gun break down fat?
The short answer is NO. There is no reliable evidence that shows massage guns can break down fat cells on their own. However…
Using a massage gun does lead to quicker fat loss and improved weight loss by
- Assisting the body in eliminating the fat and debris left behind from a fat reduction treatment; and
- Encouraging the burning and elimination of fat cells in the treated area when the patient is in a calorie-deficit state, i.e. weight loss diet.
Why using a massage gun leads to quicker fat loss and improved weight loss
I
Quicker and better fat loss
- A massage gun is a must-have tool if you are performing fat reduction treatments like cryotherapy, cavitation, lipo laser, etc.
- Using a massage gun following a fat reduction treatment leads to quicker fat loss…and better fat loss.
- Research has shown that massage guns increase circulation in and around the treated area.
- An increase in both blood circulation and lymphatic circulation ensures fat released during the treatment is eliminated efficiently from the body.
➣ So that you see how significant this is, let’s do a quick review of how non-invasive fat reduction technologies work.
How non-invasive fat reduction technology works
- Non-invasive fat reduction treatments damage or kill fat cells, but do not remove the fat cells from the body.
- The patient’s body, specifically the lymphatic system, must eliminate the fat, debris, excess fluids and toxins released by our treatments.
- Most patients need our assistance because of the increased burden on the lymphatic system caused by the fat reduction treatments.
- So body contouring professionals should provide lymphatic booster treatments (like a massage gun) to assist them.
PRO TIP: Lymphatic boosters are treatments that assist in the elimination of the fat and debris left behind from fat reduction treatments.
Using a massage gun leads to quicker fat loss due to its circulatory and lymphatic enhancing actions
- A massage gun is a lymphatic booster…and every fat reduction protocol needs lymphatic boosters.
⇨ Anxious to learn how to do the massage gun treatments? We’ll tell you how in the next section.
II
Improves skin tone and appearance
- Treatments with a massage gun increase blood flow to the treated area.
- The improved blood flow brings nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and results in an increase in collagen and elastin production for better skin tone and appearance.
III
A massage gun leads to quicker fat loss and improved weight loss in a problem area, i.e. spot reduce (great for home use)
- You already know that massage guns do not break down fat on their own. And they can’t lead to weight loss on their own either.
- But what massage guns can do is help direct the location where the weight will come off, i.e. it can aid in spot reduction.
- Caution! In order for this to be possible, the body must be in a calorie deficit…so her body has the need to use the fat to burn for energy
PRO TIP: As a professional, it’s unlikely you’ll be treating weight loss patients for spot reduction with a massage gun. But it’s a great tool for weight loss patients to use at home to assist with weight loss spot reduction.
How to use a massage gun for quicker (and better) fat loss
Here are some basics you’ll need to get started.
When to use
- As a lymphatic booster treatment, administer to the treatment area immediately following each fat reduction treatment in a series.
Applicator Selection
- Depending on the treatment area, use the Air Compression applicator or the Mushroom shape applicator (see images above).
Treatment Technique
- Set on a low speed and/or low power setting.
- Use gentle one-way strokes toward the lymph node(s) in the treated area.
- Apply minimal pressure, relying on the vibrations and pulsating pressure alone.
Treatment Time
- This is meant as a very short duration treatment.
- Use for no more than 1-2 minutes.
What to avoid
- Avoid treating over bone and joints.
- Do not treat over a contracted muscle.
- Treatment should not cause pain or discomfort (though it may ‘tickle’).
Final Thoughts
You can see why a massage gun leads to quicker fat loss.
- And why adding a massage gun (or two or more) to your practice or business is an easy way to deliver the ultimate fat reduction results.
- Its role as a quick (two minute) lymphatic booster that you can perform immediately after treatment is unrivaled by any other technology or treatment.
- And it's so inexpensive and easy to learn and incorporate in your treatment protocols.
Want to learn more about growing a business with non-invasive body contouring?
Get the tactics, proven techniques, protocols and trade secrets that we’ve developed over the years in our med spas right here.