Things we're digging: DIY percussive massagers
Note: as with all things involving body and training, Craftsbury recommends that you first consult your licensed physician and healthcare team before tackling any new program, technique or recovery modality. They have the broader knowledge of physiology as well as the specific knowledge of your physical limitations or conditions that may contraindicate a given approach. Craftsbury, its staff and coaches are not medically trained and can only comment in the context of their own limited experiences.
Next up in “recovery-gear-of-the-moment” is the percussion massager or massage gun. Do these relatively expensive devices popular at the nexus of CrossFit/MMA/Joe Rogan user groups have any place for the Craftsbury campers, annual members or athletes who aren't primarily strength athletes? Extra motivated by the Covid-19 shutdown of access to the talented body workers at the Center, we worked to explore lower cost options to experiment with.
The generally handy tool user looks at the massage gun and immediately recognizes a jigsaw, the reciprocating saw used for cutting more complex shapes. That kicked off some Googling, YouTube searching and our project was launched.
What we did: We purchased the WORX WX550L 20V AXIS 2-in-1 Reciprocating Saw and Jigsaw, the consensus cheap, cordless choice for this project. Some additional research found that we could get these pre-made tips, which seemed preferable to suggestions that involved more epoxy, drilling and sports balls. So, ~$95ish dollars and ~one week of shipping later, we had the constituent parts. Throw the massage tip into the chuck, and away we go.
How does it compare to the commercial products? In terms of physical dimensions and capabilities, it's pretty close, losing mostly on weight:
Claimed Commercial specs: 2.5-3 pounds, 16-32mm of travel, up to 2400spm
Worx claimed specs: 4.2 pounds (4.4 pounds measured), 19mm of travel, 3000spm
How'd it work? Pretty dang well in our small, n=1 survey involving some super tight IT bands as we engage in the spring ritual of remembering how to run after a winter of skiing. We've been missing Gina, Chris and Kimberly, and this doesn't match their knowledgeable bodywork. However, for a person who has experimented with lots of rollers, devices and approaches to self-massage, I found this to be a worthwhile addition to the arsenal, particularly for the athlete who can’t limp off to their bodyworkers to get fixed. So far, I'd rate it as the best self-administered option I've used to tackle some of these thornier problem areas I find resistant to foam rolling.
As to the specifics of this build, battery life has been surprisingly good so far. I've consistently ran out of desire to be pummeled by a power tool before I've run out of battery (so far up to 20 minute sessions of self-massage). And I haven't found the weight and bulk of the device to be prohibitive at all in fatigue or odd positioning. I haven't found the variable angle setting of the massage tip to be beneficial so far, but it's not a nuisance either. The mechanism stays put quite nicely when locked in its stock perpendicular orientation.
Just like bodywork done by a human, I've found this to work better with a bit of massage oil of some sort. The foam of the tip can pull at body hair and skin otherwise.
But it's not all sweetness and light. This thing is a power tool, and like many power tools, it's pretty loud (~80dB according to the app on our phone). This is still below OSHA recommendations for all-day exposure, but it's definitely not your massage therapist's Enya or "Evening Meditation" playlist. You're not going to be able to do this while chilling out in front of Netflix, at least not without pegging your TV volume.
This particular saw also requires one to hold a safety catch to activate the trigger. Not a massive deal, but it's something to adjust to and requires a firmer grip than just pulling the trigger. Lastly, the absence of a hole in the blade that mounts the massage tip to the saw is a minor nuisance as it lets the blade wiggle front to back a bit - to no detriment I can see other than my desire to have it held firmly.
Even with those caveats, for roughly the price of 90 minutes of professional bodywork this project has helped ease the loss of quality massage during Covid, and could probably be done even more cheaply if one were to find a used jigsaw or a corded unit. At that price, it may be a tool to experiment with in your recovery arsenal too.