Pressure, Vibration, and Percussion in Athletic Recovery: With Great Power ComesGreat Responsibility

Abstract

Self-applied mechanical pressure on the body is instinctively performed by several mammals, such as camels, sheep, and horses. In recent years, humans have further sophisticated this behavior due to advances in engineering. Pressure and vibration applied via skin contact are the foundation of many new electronic and mechanical devices developed by the recovery industry. Some of these devices rely on percussive motion, distinct from both massage and vibration in its amplitude, frequency, and direction of pressure. They can offer a rapid and powerful stimulus applied at the will of the user to relieve tension in muscles (1). Considering the increase in the magnitude of the mechanical power, the question is, “How much impulse do we need to speed up recovery?”