Knees Hurt After Exercise? Try These 3 Best Knee Massagers For Relief

22 Aug

Knee pain after exercise is a common source of frustration for people with active lifestyles who want to keep active. It is tempting to try to ‘push through’ knee pain, but pain is a sign that something isn’t right.

Knee pain can stem from acute injuries from impact, twisting, overuse injuries as well from poor biomechanics. It is important to address knee pain with both targeted recovery tools, rest and addressing things like posture, movement patterns and even nutrition to get to the root cause.

For targeted recovery from knee pain, tools like massage guns and knee massagers and massage guns can help to address tight musculature that may be contributing and help with reducing pain associated with injury.

Using a massage gun around the knee itself can be difficult, so it is better to use a specifically designed knee massager to help with recovery. In this article, we offer a handful of the best knee massagers to help with knee pain and recover faster to remain active and get back to your sport, game, training and pain free movement.

Best Knee Massagers – Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Therabody RecoveryTherm Knee Massager

Best Value: Hydragun HeatPulse Knee Massager

Best Budget: Goldmille Cordless Knee Massager

What Does a Knee Massager Do?

A knee massager provides varying levels of treatment benefit for knee pain, with the primary functions of a knee massager being, heated therapy, percussion and massage release and/or infrared light therapy, depending on the quality of the knee massager.

Temperature Therapy

The concept of temperature therapy, whether it's the application of heat or cold, has long been recognized as a valuable tool for muscle recovery. It operates on a simple yet effective principle: heat promotes increased blood flow and metabolic processes, expediting the body's natural healing and recovery mechanisms while reducing pain. Conversely, cold therapy restricts blood flow and curbs inflammation, leading to a similar pain reduction effect.

When you combine these two modalities, often referred to as contrast therapy, you unlock a proven method for diminishing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), aiding in general athletic recovery, and managing chronic pain.

Most knee massagers are designed to provide mainly heat to the knee and surrounding tissues to promote blood flow and speed up healing, although some also offer cold functions.

Percussion and Massage Therapy

Percussion massagers have garnered substantial support in scientific research, particularly for reducing DOMS and preparing the body for physical activity. Most knee massagers are designed to fit a varied leg or knee size with some variation of adjustable soft strap or clip to wrap snug around the knee and hold it in place.

A knee massager will have a number of different modes which, depending on the quality and price of the massager will incorporate percussion massage with thermotherapy, creating a versatile solution for various muscle-related needs.

Infrared Light Therapy

While the cheaper knee massagers generally don’t offer this feature, some of the higher quality knee massagers feature infrared light therapy. Infrared light therapy, more accurately known as Far Infrared Radiation (FIR), is recognized for its ability to stimulate cells and body tissues.

Knee massagers that incorporates infrared light functions that are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the knee sleeve are providing the biggest range of healing properties possible in a knee massager, although you should be prepared to pay a higher price for these.

Best Knee Massagers of 2023

Best Overall: Therabody RecoveryTherm Knee Massager

Price: $319USD

Functions: Heat, Cold, Massage, Percussion, Infrared Light

Warranty: 1 year

Comfort: 5/5

The Therabody RecoveryTherm Knee Massager is by far the most advanced and high quality knee massager out there. This knee massager really does blow the other brands out of the water with its functionality, although you should be prepared to pay the premium price it comes with.

The Therabody RecoveryTherm Knee Massager is $319, but combines all of the key treatment modalities to maximise its treatment potential and effectiveness for treating knee pain, including heat, cold, massage, percussion and infrared light.

This is really an all-in-one knee recovery system, with three built in treatment programs that allow you to apply it and press a button to receive the ultimate knee pain relief. The power of far infrared light, woven into the fabric of our design.

It is fitted with Germanium fabric that naturally emits far infrared light is used to help regulate temperature, increase circulation, and enhance the body’s natural healing process.

The Therabody RecoveryTherm Knee Massager has a battery life of 60 minutes in cold mode, 90 minutes in hot mode and 30 minutes in contrast mode. It comes with a soft case, removable battery and a 1 year warranty. If you have the budget, this is the one!

Best Value: Hydragun HeatPulse Knee Massager

Price: $199AUD

Functions: Heat, Massage, Percussion

Warranty: 1.5 years

Comfort: 4.5/5

At less than half the price of the Therabody equivalent, the Hydragun HeatPulse Knee Massager is the best value knee massager. The Hydragun HeatPulse is slightly less functional than the Therabody knee massager, offering only heat, massage and percussion, but is also only $199.

The Hydragun HeatPulse is a super comfortable ightweight anti-fray Silkro™ fabric for a snug and customized fit on any knee, that I have found to be handy after a long run to minimise knee pain and also fantastic for using on long flights to reduce the amount of knee pain and stiffness I get in my knees.

The Hydragun knee massager has 5 heat settings and can heat between 40-60C, and has 3 different speed settings. The Hydragun knee massager comes with the HeatPulse Knee Massager (comprising custom-fit sleeve and detachable control pod), 1 extension strap (for using HeatPulse on the shoulders), and a USB-C charging cable. This is also the best and most compact knee massager to travel with, packing down super tight and lightweight.

Best Budget: Goldmille Cordless Knee Massager

Price: $79AUD

Functions: Heat, Massage, Percussion

Warranty: 1 year

Comfort: 3.8/5

For the best budget knee massager, the Goldmille Cordless Knee Massager on Amazon is the most suitable option. This knee massager is only $79 and still offers decent functionality, however maybe not as quality in the comfort and material realm.

This is a perfect combination of heat therapy and vibration massage on a budget for addressing knee pain and offers 3 different temperature settings, with a built-in thermal protection module to avoid overheating.

This knee massager on Amazon is a cheap tool to provide improved joint flexibility and circulation, reduce pain, stiffness and swelling in the knee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Knee massagers help in relieving pain, reducing swelling, and improving circulation in the knee area after physical activity.
They typically use techniques like heat therapy, percussion, and massage release, or infrared light therapy to alleviate discomfort and improve knee function.
Look for features like adjustable intensity levels, heat therapy options, and specific massage modes tailored to knee relief.
They can be beneficial in managing symptoms of arthritis by reducing stiffness and improving mobility.
Generally, they are safe, but individuals with certain medical conditions should consult a healthcare professional before use.
Usage time varies by device; it's important to follow the manufacturer's guidelines and listen to your body's response.
While helpful, they should not replace medical treatment for knee-related issues and injuries.
Regular use can contribute to better knee health by enhancing circulation and reducing tension.
Improper use can lead to discomfort or bruising, so it's important to use them correctly.
Using a knee massager post-exercise can be more beneficial for recovery and pain relief.

Conclusion on Best Knee Massager

Knee massagers are a crucial tool if you are someone who suffers from knee pain, and can be used as an effective at-home tool to compliment treatment from other practitioners like physiotherapists, chiropractors and exercise physiologists who will provide corrective movement patterns to address the root cause of the knee pain.

The combination of heated therapy, massage and percussion, as well as infrared light therapy in some cases, a quality knee massager could be a game-changer for your knee pain. While knee massagers can offer effective pain relief, it is still important to assess an existing injury with a qualified professional to ensure a knee massager is a suitable tool to use for your specific injury.