How to Use a Percussion Massage Gun for Back Pain Relief
Sponsored Content: This video contains paid product placement. Thank you to iReliev for sponsoring this video and providing Doctor Jo with a free Percussive Massager to use. If you purchase products from these links/ads, Doctor Jo will earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Percussive Massage Therapy using a massage gun (aka percussion massager) for back pain relief uses fast, soft pulses over a short amount of time to get deep down into the muscle fibers.
The continuous taps help muscles relax and heal. A massage gun works great on back pain, but make sure to be aware of the precautions before beginning. Focusing on areas like the latissimus and erector spinae muscles is a good place to start.
Like a traditional massage, a percussion massager helps to reduce inflammation and increasing circulation. It can help relax tight muscles, break up scar tissue and adhesions, and minimize muscle soreness and tension. Some studies have found percussive therapy to be as effective as massage in preventing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).
In this video, I’m using the iReliev Wireless Percussion Massager. In addition to being wireless, the unit is very quiet, and it comes with four different head attachments to target various areas. It also includes a nice carrying case to keep everything organized and in one place.
In this video, I teamed up with Dr. Jen, a pelvic floor physical therapist who also happens to be pregnant! She'll show you her top 5 exercises to help relieve low back pain when you are pregnant by mobilizing and stabilizing the pelvis.
Pickleball back pain is a common injury among people of all ages from this popular sport. The stretches & exercises in this video will help strengthen, relieve pain, and loosen up the muscles around the back and hip area to help relieve back pain from Pickleball.
The lower back can be a hard area to stretch depending on what is causing the pain. My favorite exercise for this area is a pelvic tilt. It’s a great exercise as well as a stretch for the low back, hips, and pelvis.
Cracking your back can feel great, and it can help relieve back tension and back pain when it's done correctly. But it's very important to have a proper diagnosis because sometimes you should not crack your back at all. So always get cleared by your doctor or physical therapist before trying.
Low back pain can make it difficult to perform everyday activities. Here are three of my favorite lower back pain relief exercises that can help strengthen the muscles to help reduce pain.
Stretches & exercises are a great way to help relieve back pain. But with nearly 1,000 videos on the Ask Doctor Jo YouTube Channel, it can be hard to find the best one for you. So for 2025, here are some of my favorite Back Pain Relief Videos that actually work!
A rhomboid stretch is great for the rhomboid muscles because they tend to get overworked and tight easily. Many rhomboid stretches require someone to get in an uncomfortable position or down on the floor. This simple modified rhomboid stretch can be done sitting in a chair or on the couch.
Getting Back Pain Relief can be a daily challenge, whether the back pain occurs in the morning after waking up or at the end of a long day. This guided, real-time back stretching routine is designed to help relieve back pain, back stiffness, and improve back flexibility, whether you are starting or ending your day (or anywhere in between).
Therapeutic Yoga can help relieve back pain by incorporating physical therapy & yoga. Trudy, a fellow PT & registered yoga teacher, stops by to show me stretches & exercises for back pain relief.
