As percussive therapy becomes more popular, more studies are being released about its benefits and potential limitations. A 2014 study suggested that vibration therapy and massage (both of which are part of percussive therapy) are equally effective methods to prevent DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, meaning you're less likely to feel muscle pain or tightness 24 to 72 hours after an intense workout.

Tapotement, the Swedish massage technique that employs the same principle (but without the equipment), also has been shown to improve athletes' overall agility and performance with just five minutes of treatment.

Even though scientific signs seem to point in favor of these devices, it’s important to note that there’s not a lot of research on massage guns specifically, as well as the vibration and amplitude of percussive therapy they deliver.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence out there supporting the idea that massage guns do help, however. Theragun, for instance, was developed by Jason S. Wersland, a chiropractor who created the device to help with his own rehabilitation after a motorcycle accident. Wersland set out to create a massage tool that would help ease pain with its use of high frequency and amplitude. According to Wersland, since its inception, other health professionals have sworn by the Theragun. “I have dozens of physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors around the world who say this changes the way they practice,” he says.

And Daniel Giordano, a physical therapist and co-founder of Bespoke Treatments, also swears by the device and calls massage guns like the Theragun “an absolute game-changer in rehabilitation and sports performance.”