I’m not much of a review writer, so this is my first.
Why start now, you ask?
Because I finally found a massager that did something all other (non-percussive) massage products couldn’t.
Let me give you some background on myself first.
I am a dad and husband first and foremost, but an avid cyclist most of the time. I average over 100 miles a week with an average speed of around 18-20mph.
Over the last 2-3 years, my calves have started to get very tight and sore (and that’s very capital V). I’ve had other leg problems over the years, pulled muscles, shin splints, and even a dislocated patella, so I figured calf strain was just part of riding a bike… or age: I am 45 years old.
Seeking relief, I tried many different therapies including hot baths, manual massage, rollers/devices, and a regular electric (not percussive) massager. Although the electric massager felt good, it couldn’t undo the knots in my calves.
I ran into a friend of mine who is a semi-professional bodybuilder (and on and off wrestler) and talked to him about the strain on my calves.
He told me he hadn’t had that particular problem, but maybe all the swimming he did made the knots go away.
He said that the calves should be flexible as this was equivalent (he used the word equivalent) to relieve back pain.
He suggested regular weekly massages (and maybe some swimming), which sounded like a great idea, but at $60 each and three kids to feed it was a highly unlikely solution.
I know there are dedicated foot and calf machines but the reach on them is limited and the ones I found didn’t go high enough on my calves…and I’m only 5’8″. limitations, they run in the neighborhood of $300 dollars or more.
My first introduction to percussion massage was in a Brookstone catalog, percussion massage… interesting concept.
I did a little homework on percussion massage and found a lot to read about, but calves and percussion massagers were never talked about much. Some of the websites even had videos, but none of them showed the massager targeting the calves.
Reading reviews on Amazon and other massage forums, it was clear that the Thumper massagers came out ahead in almost every category as the best for the money.
It got to the point where it hurt just to walk around the house, so in a last-ditch effort to avoid going to the doctor or some kind of sports physical, I bought the Thumper Sport.
To sum it up, it’s amazing.
I’ve had it for about a month now and I must admit that the first few days of use didn’t seem to produce lasting results, but it felt good.
After about a week I noticed a noticeable difference in the flexibility (and pain level) of my calves and after about two weeks of using this percussion massager every day, the pain in my lower legs stopped for complete and my calves became flexible again.
It’s still hard to believe that after years of pain and loss of mobility (he couldn’t point his toes down), all he needed was a percussive massage.
The Thumper massager is amazing and I will continue to use it. Forget the regular massager…a total waste of money.
I use my Sport religiously, every 2 days for about 10 minutes on my feet, calves, thighs, back, and even the palms of my hands.