The Massage Gun That Nearly Took Me Out (And I'd Still Recommend One)
- Aug 23
- 3 min read
My husband and I swear by massage guns, and at this point we’ve owned three. The first one lasted about a year of regular use before it stopped charging. The second one died after only two weeks — not exactly a glowing review but Amazon took it back through refund so no harm no foul! ♥ The RENPHO Ascend Deep Tissue Massage Gun with adjustable amplitude is the one we’re currently using, and so far it’s holding up beautifully.
This one could honestly live in a few different categories — wellness, self-care, or for-him — because between sitting a lot for work and just getting older, our muscles get tight and sore, and a massage gun has genuinely been invaluable for aches, pains, and tension headaches.
The Story I Have To Tell You
About a three months ago we had to clean out a storage unit after moving my dad into a nursing home closer to us. I have no idea what I did in there, but somehow I ended up with wicked pain in the center of one butt cheek. This is 40 I guess right? So naturally, I asked my husband to use the massage gun on it — right in the middle of the muscle. It was, without exaggeration, one of the saddest moments of my week. It hurt like nothing else.
We were on the couch watching TV with the kids at the time, and my son, who was just shy of four and a half, climbed up and laid on top of me, holding my hand and kissing my face while my husband ran this basically-torture-technique on my glute. My son kept looking up at my husband asking, “Dad, are you done? Are you done?” while I was
legitimately crying. It did help — it breaks up that deep tension, similar to how a deep tissue massage or cupping can leave you a little tender afterward. But four or five days later I caught a glimpse in the mirror and had a genuinely impressive bruise on the center of my butt cheek from where he’d worked it. (Sorry no image guys!!)
So is that a good review or a bad review? Honestly, both. It helped enormously with the tension, even if my technique (or my husband’s aim) needs work. Massage guns target deep tissue and can help break down the lactic acid your body releases when muscles are overworked, which is part of what causes that lingering soreness. If you’re someone who’s active, sits a lot, or just carries tension in your neck and shoulders the way I do, I think it’s a genuinely worthwhile investment — just maybe start on a gentler setting than we did. That being said - it was necessary... but holy crap on a stick!! Proceed with caution!
If there’s one thing you’ll learn about me, it’s that I love finding things that make life feel a little easier. Whether that’s a travel essential, a parenting hack, a cozy self-care find, or something that simply makes me think, “Why didn’t I know about this sooner?”
I’m grateful you’re here and I hope you found something helpful. Wishing you comfort, calm, and a little less overwhelm wherever life takes you.
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