Frequently Asked Questions

Safety and use

Is red light therapy safe?

Is red light therapy safe?

 

Red light therapy is considered to be safe. Similar to sunlight, photons of light give you energy and improve your well-being. 

Red light therapy has been used since 1967 and has become more widespread since the ‘90s with advances in LED technology.

Thousands of clinical studies support the safety and effectiveness of red light therapy, including by organizations like NASA.

In 2018, the FDA even added certain classes of red light therapy devices as ‘exempt’ due to the inherent safety of the technology.

Safety

Q
Is massage gun safe?
A

Massage guns are very useful tools to help relax muscles and reduce pain, but they can cause serious injuries if used incorrectly. In this article, we ignore the sales talk and look at the research on massage guns to explain how you can use them safely for best effect.

You can use a massage gun over large muscles, for example the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, back muscles, biceps, triceps, and muscles in the forearms. 

Usage case depends on your goals:

  • For recovery proposes it is currently recommended to use low frequencies (2 400 percussions per minute or lower) for 2 to 5 minutes per muscle group.

  • To improve flexibility the research suggests short duration treatments (maximum of 2 minutes per muscle group) at a high frequency (more than 2 400 percussions per minute).

  • It is not recommended that you use a massage gun shortly (less than 5 min) before a strength activity (especially an explosive one) because it may harm your performance.

But also use your common sense. For instance, if you have very large muscles, you may benefit from the upper treatment limits mentioned above. However, if you are a smaller person and don't have very large muscles, it is likely best to start with the lower limits.

Apply it at a “comfortably uncomfortable” intensity (about 4 to 6 out of 10 on a pain scale). 

How often to use a massage gun? Leave at least 48 hours between treatments. Your body needs time to recover after a massage gun session.