Some Reasons You Should Not Buy a Massage Gun: • Be careful if you are buying a massage gun for a hard-to-reach spot or place. You may need a partner to apply the massage. • A massage gun may not be helpful for disc herniation or sciatic. • We would not recommend using a massage gun on your neck or head. • We would not recommend using a massage gun for headaches. • You should not use a massage gun over a pulse (avoid arteries near the surface. • Generally, we would not use a massage gun over a bony surface (with some exceptions-e.g., top of the kneecap with quadricep tendonitis). • Would not use a massage gun over your heart. • Would be careful with a massage gun during pregnancy (not use over fetus). Generally, would not use a massage gun over bursae (small fluid-filled sacs that provide a cushion between bones and tendons and/or muscles around a joint. • Do not use a massage gun if you have a bleeding disorder or bruise easily. • Do not use a massage gun if you recently have had surgery unless you first check with your medical provider. Massage can move blood clots. • Do not use a massage gun with nerve disorders, MS, epilepsy, or other nervous system disorders unless approved by your medical provider. • Do not use a massage gun if you have open sores, your skin tears easily, or you have a skin disorder. • Do not use a massage gun over healing fracture or healing broken bone. Some Reasons You Might Want To Buy a Massage Gun: • Massage guns are incredibly easy to use. You do not have to get on the floor like you do when using a foam roller. • Many of our patients like using the massage gun better than a massage from a human. • Massage guns do not get tired and never say no to giving you a massage. • They can be used by most people (usually the whole family) and you can begin to treat an injury or overuse issue before it gets too serious. • The massage guns are a great way to warm up and mobilize your muscles before workouts and sports. • We think massage guns also work well for muscle recovery. • Works well with muscle strains, scar tissue, and tendonitis. • We honestly think it is one of the best gifts you can buy for someone. This video is part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AwnwsIh7ws Bob: Okay, we’re going to start talking about blood clots, mainly in the calves. We’re first going to talk about the causes of blood clots. Then we’ll show you how to prevent them. Brad: You bet, Bob. Blood clots, you must be careful. We have a list of causes, and we’ll go through them one at a time. The first one is if you’re bedridden for any length of time, getting too little activity, and sitting too much. All this lack of movement can contribute to and increase your risk. Next one. Bob: Sitting on a plane, train, or automobile. Brad: Yeah, again, that sedentary time where you aren’t moving as much. Obviously, a five-minute car ride is fine, but a longer duration. After an injury or surgery and we as therapists are very aware of this. We work with it a lot. Bob: It’s very common. If you take medication that causes blood clotting, your doctor needs to tell you whether that’s the case or not. Brad: They let us know as therapists if we need to know something. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor. Bob: We always keep an eye on it. Brad: Right. Being overweight or obese is another risk factor. Bob: Or one I have, is being over 60, but they can occur at any age. Brad: Sure, the older you get, the more likely you will get them. I’m still under 60. I have 48 more days. Bob: It can, again, happen to anybody. Brad: All right, some types of cancer or cancer treatment. You’ll be made aware of this. Bob: Smoking. I’m sorry, there’s nothing good about smoking. Brad: Heart failure, if your heart is not working well, circulation problem. That increases the risk. Bob: Inflammatory bowel disease or if you’ve had a personal history like you’ve had one before or family history. Brad: Genetics. If you have more than one blood clot, you should get tested. For testing, you go in, they do an ultrasound. It’s a simple test, completely pain-free and they’ll know. Bob: Okay, Brad and I are going to do three exercises that you can do in bed or in a chair. Brad, take it away. Brad: Ankle pumps. You can do this in either position. Bob: You could do it on a plane, on a train, or in an automobile. Brad: Yep. Do 10-20 of them at a time. You don’t do them consistently forever. Take a break every half hour or so. Make sure you do your ankle pumps. Not too fast, not too slow. Number two, the infamous butt squeezers. Again, lying down, boy, a therapist does this a lot of times with patients. You squeeze your buttocks together and relax. Bob: You can do it seated, too. Brad: Exactly. You can do it with your knees up or knees down if you’re lying down. Just squeeze and relax. Do 10 of those, every half hour is good. Bob: I can do them in secret because I’m sitting in a chair. Brad: The next one, simply bring your knee to your chest. One leg at a time. Bring it up and you can grab your leg and give it a gentle stretch. You don’t have to get aggressive. Alternating legs will probably be best, but you can do one leg at a time. 10 of them on a side would be fine. Every half hour, if it’s not painful. If you have any problems and it’s uncomfortable, do the best you can. We don’t want to irritate things. Bob: So, Brad, we have just a few more things to go over. One, stay hydrated. Brad: Right, get plenty of fluids. We’re talking about water. Bob: I know you don’t want to drink on a plane as far as walking to the bathroom. Brad: Yeah, that’s trips to the bathroom. Bob: Exactly, but it’s important that you do. Number two, I want you to get an aisle seat, so if you must go to the bathroom, it will be more accessible, and you can get up and walk the aisle if needed. Number three, compression socks. Brad: Right. They compress. They should be tighter on the foot and looser on the calves. They’ll be about 15 millimeters of compression. Bob: Or 30 millimeters. Brad: Yeah, they’ll give you the numbers. They should go up to right under the knee. They’re comfortable, or at least they should be. I’ve worn these ones and they’re nice. Bob: They’re tough to put on. Brad: Yeah, they’re not the most fun to put on, but if they do the job, it’s well worth it. With a little practice, you’ll get used to it. Bob: This helps reduce the risk of blood clots, right Brad? Brad: Correct, no more blood clots. Thanks! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSexHylljwM Bob: So, Brad and I are going to help you decide which is better, massage gun or massage hand? So, Brad, this was a semi-experiment. In our clinics, we used to use massage guns and the PT assistants would do massages with their hands. Brad: Right, work those muscles, their hands, or the gun? What was the consensus? Bob: So, after a few sessions, we’d ask them, what did they prefer? It was the gun believe it or not. I was surprised. Were you? Brad: Yeah, that doesn’t say much about our assistants. If you’re a professional massage person it may be different. Bob: A masseuse may do better. My favorite massage gun is the Q2 massage gun. It’s very compact and lightweight, easy to use. Alright, now we are going to name a few cons of massage guns. Okay, number one, it’s hard to apply to your back. However, so is a massage. You can’t massage your own back. Brad: You can get back there with the gun but it’s not very comfortable. You need to avoid these percussive massagers on your neck. Bob: It just pounds. The bone is right there. Brad: It’s too aggressive. I always say from shoulders on up, just avoid it. Not on the face, the head, or the neck. Bob: Or the brain. Okay, you want to avoid nerves and arteries. Brad: And lymph nodes. Bob: That's a good point, so that would be under the arm, in the groin. Brad: In that crease right there. Bob: Behind the knee. I wouldn’t use a massage gun on numb areas that lack sensation. Brad: So, if you’ve had a stroke and have some numbness or maybe if you have sciatica, you may have numbness. Because you need feedback, so you know you’re not doing it too aggressively. Bob: Don’t use massage guns if you’re on blood thinners. Check with your doctor. Brad: You could end up bruising and get internal bleeding that’s superficial, or ecchymosis. It's no good. Bob: Right. Don’t use a massage gun if you have an inflammatory disorder. I think of rheumatoid arthritis. You’ll probably upset it. Brad: Especially if you get it close to the joints. Even if you have the soft airhead, you can but you don’t want to irritate things when they are already irritated. Bob: I would be careful around varicose veins. Brad: Yes, it is going to be aggressive on that tissue. Bob: No we'll go over some of the pros now! Number one, Brad, it never says "no." Brad: Oh, the gun? Bob: Right! Brad: Unless you forget to charge it! Bob: Ha-ha right. Brad: Make sure you charge it, and you have the full charge. Bob: It also doesn’t get tired, if it’s charged. It can. If you give it as a gift, and again, I give it a lot, people are always happy. Brad: Right and these little ones are so cute. You can just hold it in your hand for older people, big advantage that way. Bob: Yeah, you can put it in your purse even or pocket. You can use it on multiple areas. The entire family can use it, too. Brad: Well, I wouldn’t let the three-year old’s use it. Bob: Yeah, it feels great on sore muscles, and it works well for pre-stretching. Brad: Yep. Gets the circulation going. Gets in and really works things well and it just feels good you know? Bob: And the final thing is it’s a one-time investment. Once you’ve got it paid for, it keeps giving, without cost. Brad: That’s right. I have to admit, it probably isn’t going to last 50 years, but you’ll have plenty of massage use out of it. Bob: Thanks for watching! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

When working with any painful joint our approach is to work upstream and downstream (a phrase we borrowed from Kelly Starrett – “Becoming the Supple Leopard”). What that entails is massaging a mobilizing the muscles that attach to the knee joint from above the knee and below the knee. These are the areas we want you to focus on: 1. Suprapatellar pouch a. This is the area directly above the knee. Bob had trouble in this area on both knees after doing repeated lunges. This area can get stuck or adhered down. Bob had luck taking a massage gun softer head attachment and massaging not only the pouch but also areas of attachment to the top part of the knee cap. The relief of pain was remarkable. 2. Quadricep a. Hit the entire four muscles and add in some flossing (movement of the muscles and nerves). Bending and straightening the knee while aggressively applying the massage. You can use a knee glide or fit glide. 3. Hamstring a. Focus on all three muscles. Can also bend and straighten the knee and add in some flossing. The flossing can be performed while gliding the foot on a slippery floor (garbage bag) or using a knee glide. 4. Calf a. Focus on the upper calf but not behind the knee (there is a rich supply of nerves arteries and veins in that area). Can also do flossing flex and extend the foot with your heel on the ground while applying the massage. 5. Tensor Fascia Lata massage and iliotibial band a. Cannot stretch the IT band but it could help loosen it if somewhat adhered down. 6. Hip adductors a. Inside of thigh. If tight can cause the knee to bend inward- knock-kneed. Use the following guidelines to choose the appropriate attachment: a. Big Round Head Attachment: Good for larger muscle groups like the glutes, quadriceps, or hamstrings. Allows you to cover more surface area. Moderate in aggressiveness. b. Small Round Head Attachment: Less aggressive to moderate. Great for tendonitis if used sideways. (Big & Small Round Head) c. Air-filled (Pneumatic) Attachment: Probably the least aggressive head. Great for use around bony surfaces and sensitive muscle groups. Good for relaxation. d. Bullet Head Attachment: Aggressive. We have found it to be helpful with treating trigger points or knots. e. Plastic Flat Head: Moderate. Good on IT band, Pectoralis Major (with ribs underneath), or Plantar Fascia (bottom of the foot). f. Steel Flat Head: (Can be heated up or cooled down prior to use). Moderate to Aggressive. g. Knobby Attachments: Generally, for larger muscles. More aggressive. h. Field Goal: Can be used along both sides of the spine. Also, some have recommended its use on the Achilles tendon. This video is part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in October of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIAORLNaUp0 Bob: All right, these are two of my favorite posture exercises. Brad: Posture, posture, you cannot go wrong with posture. Good posture, that is. Bob: I like these exercises because they’re easy and they can be done seated. Brad: That’s right. Bob: The first one, take your hands and put them into the claw position. Put them on the sides of your forehead with good posture, elbows together in front of your face touching each other. Then spread the elbows way apart, like a butterfly. Brad: Keep your knuckles right on your temples. Think about bringing your chest out when you come back. Bob: Shoulders back as well. Brad: Shoulder blades squeezed. Bob: I do 25 of these, Brad. Brad: Every time you do them? Bob: Yep. Brad: Wow. I can feel that on my shoulder blades. Those scapular muscles are going to town. Bob: It’s awesome. Brad: Make sure you breathe while you do this, don’t hold things tight. Bob: When you get done, you have good posture. Brad: I’m feeling very good. Bob: All right, Brad. Demonstrate my second one. Brad: All right. This is a nice one done in a chair, of course. You simply take a towel and roll it to whatever diameter you’d like. We have a thicker one, but it will probably work well for anyone. In your chair, you need a firm back chair. Put the towel vertically along the spine. Between the shoulder blades and lean back into the chair with it. I’m going to let it slide down a little bit. Bob: Then you do angels. Like angels in the snow. Brad: My wife says I’m an angel. Bob: Sure, she does. Brad: Do it slowly five to 10 times. Bob: All the way down, all the way up. Brad: I’d go down farther, but my arms hit the armrests, so that’s a limit. If this creates pain, like two months ago this would’ve hurt my left shoulder. I would simply work around the pain. Don’t make sharp pain with these exercises, a stretch is okay. Bob: You’re doing better. All right, another option. Brad: A dodgeball or a little ball that bounces. It must have flex to it though, a little give is important. Take that and use that as opposed to the towel. Bob: It’s the same thing. Brad: I like the ball because you can get to the tight spots easier. I feel like I need it down a little more than if I went up. This is going to be different for every individual, so experiment. Move it up and down, and stretch it out. Bob: You could steal one from the neighborhood kids. Brad: Have your neighbors talked to you about this one yet? Bob: Yeah, I never gave it back when they kicked it in my yard. Brad: A Christmas gift for you. Bob: All right, we do have a roll here too. Brad: You can take any kind of a roll. This is a lumbar support, and this is a bit softer. That might work better for some of you, depending on your body and your needs. Bob: More for a beginner. Brad: It does feel kind of nice. Then, do the posture exercises, you know, the wall angels again. How many times a day, Bob? Bob: Throughout the day. Brad: The more you do it, if it doesn’t bother your shoulders, go have at it. Bob: Brad, I thought we’d send some positive vibes out there. Brad: Yeah, what does that look like? Bob: We’re going to do jazz fingers to them. Thanks! Brad: Heads up! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Wx-spTHHI Bob: Matthew Walker wrote the book, “Why We Sleep.” In it, he gives 12 expert tips on how to sleep. Brad: Oh, good, I know why we sleep. It’s because we’re tired. Bob: Yeah, that’s true. Brad: Anyways, I hope that’s one chapter out of the way, but these 12 tips should be helpful. Bob: This is the most important tip. He said you must stick to a schedule. That’s hard on the weekends. Brad: Right. Bob: I mean, I know. Brad: Even the strong ends. You have an event coming up, time slips away. Bob: I vary. Sometimes I’ll go as much as two hours off, but that’s rare. I still get up at like six in the morning. Brad: Yeah, you can go to bed at three in the morning and you’ll still get up at six. Bob: Right. It really helps if you stick to a schedule, your body gets used to it and you get that rhythm going. Brad: It’s probably more because of age, does he say if age affects it? Bob: Yeah, it does. Brad: It just seems like when you’re younger you can through things around and not worry about it. Bob: Right. When you’re old, it’s a problem. Exercise is great, Brad, but don’t do it too close to bedtime. Give yourself two to three hours before. I cut that close. Brad: It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise whether it’s lifting or aerobic exercise. Bob: Nope. Number three is our tip, we say get a comfortable bed. Brad: Ah, the mattress. I have a mattress that I like very much. It happens to be the SleepOvation mattress. When I go to a hotel or whatever, life changes. I wake up at night, my shoulders are sore because I'm sleeping on my shoulder. Bob: Your back is sore. Brad: My back is sore, and I just don’t sleep well. Bob: This mattress has 700 tiny mattresses, and it has airflow tunnels to keep you cool. Brad: One way or another get a mattress that you are comfortable with. Bob: This one is obvious, but you want to avoid caffeine and nicotine. What is not obvious is how long it lasts in your system. They can last like eight hours. If you have a cup of coffee in the early afternoon, it could affect how you sleep. Brad: As a matter of fact, we have a video of that by Chris the pharmacist. He looked up some scientific data on the half-life of how long it takes. Bob: Coffee, colas, certain teas, and chocolate. Brad: That’s a tough one. If I have dark chocolate in the house, I like to eat it. Bob: Number five, avoid alcoholic drinks right before bed. It does help you relax but then it robs you of REM sleep. Brad: Oh yeah, you must have the REM. Bob: It can also impair your breathing, which I know from my brother, when he comes over, he drinks. He snores a lot and normally he doesn’t. Brad: Then the whole cabin is up. Bob: Right. Watch those drinks. Number six, avoid large meals and beverages late at night. It can cause indigestion, which interferes with sleep. Brad: It also makes you fat. Bob: Yep, that’s right. Brad: So, win, win situation. Bob: You’re not going to wear it off. Number seven, there are medications that can interfere with sleep. If you must take them, see if you can take them in the morning or early afternoon. That’s just a scheduling issue. Brad: Talk to your doctor or pharmacist and you’ll get your information. Bob: Number eight. Don’t take naps after 3:00 PM. This is a problem for me because I’ll read at like seven o’clock at night and I’m nodding off. I try to stay awake because I do sleep better if I don’t take a nap late. Brad: That’s the deal. You can’t exercise because that will wake you up and you can’t read because that will put you to sleep. For some of these, you must work with your schedule, don’t you? Bob: Right. Number nine. Relax before bed. This happened to me, Brad, I was doing intense work right up until I went to bed. Brad: What were you doing? Bob: Computer work. I got in bed after and I’m still going. Brad: Yeah, things are still grinding. Bob: It was a terrible sleep. Calm down before bed. Number 10, It helps to take a hot bath before bed because after you get out of the bath, your body cools down and it gets ready for sleep. Brad: What about a hot shower? Bob: That works, too. Brad: If I take a hot bath, I might fall asleep in the bathtub. I’d be tired that time of day. Bob: Number 11, dark bedroom, cool bedroom, and gadget-free bedroom. So, no computers, no phones, and get off the blue light. Brad: Right. All those things have that blue light, and it gets your serotonin going. Bob: Right, everything is fired up. Brad: However, you can have a fan for white noise. Bob: Yes, and the temp should be 65 or less. Is that cool? Brad: Well, I get cold sometimes with the fan going on. You must position things right. Bob: Number 12. This is amazing to me how important this is, to have the right sunlight exposure. You want to have exposure to sunlight when you first wake up and when you get close to bedtime, you want to avoid lights. Brad: But you can get sunset light if you walk outside. Bob: Right, that’s fine. Avoid blue light. You can have red lights. Brad: Pretty much any light bulb, they all produce blue light. You can get those glasses to wear in the house that will filter out the blue light. Bob: My daughter wears those and it helps her a lot. Brad: You must get the good ones. They filter out the proper frequency light. Don’t get the cheap ones at the dollar store. Bob: All right, that’s it. The dirty dozen. We gave them to dirty and fast and hopefully, you’ll better the sleep. Brad: Yeah, I’m sure there’s probably two or three of those that you weren’t aware of or you’ll try and you’ll say, “Oh wow. If I knew this years ago...” Bob: Schedule! One of the important things. Thanks! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles ​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Massage guns generally have 2-5 attachments included. The types of attachment will vary between massage guns, but we will attempt to review some of the most common sets. Here are some common attachments and what we personally have used them for. The choice of massage attachments should be based on what you are trying to accomplish with the massage. Massage attachment recommendations can also vary depending on body type (thin, large, muscular, slight build, etc.) In all cases, we recommend starting at the lowest speed and working your way up. Many guns have 2-5 variable speeds. A. Big Round Head Attachment: Good for larger muscle groups like the glutes, quadriceps, or hamstrings. Allows you to cover more surface area. Moderate in aggressiveness. B. Small Round Head Attachment: Less aggressive to moderate. Great for tendonitis if used sideways. (Big & Small Round Head) C. Air-filled (Pneumatic) Attachment: Probably the least aggressive head. Great for use around bony surfaces and sensitive muscle groups. Good for relaxation. D. Bullet Head Attachment: Aggressive. We have found it to be helpful with treating trigger points or knots. E. Plastic Flat Head: Moderate. Good on IT band, Pectoralis Major (with ribs underneath), or Plantar Fascia (bottom of the foot). F. Steel Flat Head: (Can be heated up or cooled down prior to use). Moderate to Aggressive. G. Knobby Attachments: Generally, for larger muscles. More aggressive. H. Field Goal: Can be used along both sides of the spine. Also, some have recommended its use on the Achilles tendon. This video is part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys300tvxPwY Mike: Today I am doing this podcast solo, and our guest is Jordan. You may know her from our workout videos on our YouTube channel. You may have heard her in the past talking about the ketogenic diet with us. She has a Bachelor’s in exercise science, a Master’s in nutrition, and she is a certified personal trainer. Today we are going to talk about ways to boost your immune system naturally through food and supplementation so, stay tuned. Let us go into some food that we should avoid if we want to boost our immune system. Jordan: Yes, this one is going to be screaming obvious, or at least hope it is. If it is not, then you are here to learn today, but sugar. That is a huge no-no when it comes to building up our immune system. Specifically, I want to touch on and emphasize sugar-sweetened beverages, and liquid garbage, like soda and juice. Mike: I have heard it called “carbage” before. Jordan: “Carbage,” I like that. Mike: It is a super sugary carb-dense product. Jordan: It is awful, nothing good about it. Stay away from that. Sorry for all of those of you who love your beverages on the weekends, alcohol is not a great immune booster in case you are wondering. If you are coming down with a cold, do not go out with friends on a Friday night. Not a great combination there. Mike: Right. Jordan: I am not coming on here saying you should never enjoy another adult beverage again so long as you live, but I would not be doing you any favors if I did not tell you that it is not great for your immune system. You can decide from there. Mike: It is a toxin your body must filter out, so it compromises your immune system. Jordan: You are correct there. It leads to inflammation too, which is not ideal. Mike: Also, it leads to bad eating. Jordan: Yes. If you drink alcohol, it leads you to eat the other things that I am going to talk about right now like processed grains that we should stay away from. When you drink a few beers and then decide pizza is a great idea, right? Mike: Yes, back in the day. Jordan: Exactly. What do I mean by processed grains? Avoiding things like bread, pasta, crackers, and chips. I am not a fan of whole grains, too, because I get that question a lot. That would be a whole different podcast. I am not going to expand on that because I feel if I did, a half hour later I would be done talking. Mike: Sure, we could save that for another time. Jordan: Staying away from processed grain oils, too. Canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil, to name a few. These are inflammatory. Mike: That is what I have heard. It is the way they are processed. Like vegetable oil, people think it is vegetables but isn’t it one specific thing? What is it? Jordan: Yes, it does not have any vegetable present. Mike: It is not sunflower oil; I cannot remember what it is. Jordan: It is, do not quote me on it, but I think it is a combination of some of these oils I was mentioning. I cannot remember exactly. It could be a smorgasbord of stuff. Mike: Yes, they thought it was a healthy thing in the late eighties, early nineties, and now they think it is not so great for us. Jordan: Yeah, I hope we all have that message by now, but we will see. Mike & Jordan: Thanks! For foods you should eat to boost your immune system check out the article Foods That Will Boost Your Immune System Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02yRkHhijUI Mike: Today, I am doing this solo, and our guest is Jordan. You may know her from our workout videos on our YouTube channel. You may have heard her in the past talking about the ketogenic diet with us. Jordan’s background, she has a bachelor's in exercise science, a master’s in nutrition, and she’s a certified personal trainer. Today, we’re going to talk about ways to boost your immune system naturally through food and possibly supplementation. Stay tuned. The first question I have is, what foods should I eat to boost my immune system? Jordan: Food specifically, before I go on a rant about this because it’s a loaded question, what I'm going to tell you to eat to boost your immune system if you have heard me talk at all on the Bob and Brad channel, any other podcasts or videos that I have done, I’m going to sound like a broken record. A lot of nutritional advice that I would give to somebody if someone were to say, “What should I eat for a normal, healthy diet?” I’m going to say something close to similar information to boost your immune system. I’m going to talk about that but then I'm going to give you specific foods if you’re already eating a healthy diet and you want to really dial in, “What could I specifically eat that might have higher nutrients specific to the immune system?” Make sense? Mike: Yeah. I have a feeling I know what you’re going to say but our audience may not. Jordan: Do you want to answer, Mike? Mike: No, you go ahead. Jordan: I’m a big whole foods person. If you hear me talk on her about nutrition on this channel, I am not going to be the person that’s going to talk to you about counting calories and any fad crash diets. I’m a whole foods first person. Just going to start the conversation like that. The focus when you’re thinking about boosting your immune system is what should your diet be comprised of. I want to talk about fruits and vegetables and plenty of them. This seems obvious but I would not be answering the question fully if I didn’t at least say that out loud. Eat your fruit and vegetables. I’m a fan of varying your types, too. Don’t be that person that goes to the store and buys the same two vegetables and fruit every week. Mike: But that’s what I like to do. Jordan: You’re guilty? It’s important because every fruit and vegetable is going to have a different micronutrient composition and different antioxidant properties. That’s a big one to help increase your vitamin load, but I did want to talk about when it comes to fruits and vegetables, there are ones that during the winter months or when you start to feel something coming on that are loaded with vitamin C that are good ones you want to focus more on. What is the number one thing we think of when we talk about vitamin C? Mike: Oranges. Jordan: Right. That is not even a top source. It has vitamin C, but you get better bang for your buck elsewhere. Some of the top ones are going to be bell peppers, red peppers, green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, and broccoli is high. That one usually surprises people. Mike: I didn’t know about broccoli. I think broccoli is high in potassium too, isn’t it? Jordan: Yes. Tomatoes, kale, Brussel sprouts, and cantaloupe. That’s not everything that has vitamin C in it, but that’s covering at least the top ones. Of course, your citrus fruits, too. If you want to have your focus during the cold and flu months that we’re coming upon. That’s why I did this podcast now, by the way. Unfortunately, summer is closing out. Mike: I think we should say, too, that we’re both omnivores, so even though we’re talking about a lot of plants, we’re not anti-animal products. Jordan: Yes, we are. I’m going to touch on that too, Mike. That kind of covers the fruits and vegetables category, but you read my mind, Mike. The next thing I was going to say is you want to focus on quality protein sources, too. I wanted to touch on quality, and I’ll talk about how this relates to the immune system. What I mean by that is, eating good quality grass-fed beef. Yes, as Mike said, we are omnivores, so I’m sorry for my vegan readers, you may want to take my advice on what I was just talking about. Grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, wild-caught seafood, and quality-raised animal sources, that’s the key when it comes to some of the fatty cuts of meat. I try not to go on a side tangent here, but a lot of the toxins in animals are held in fat. Just a fun fact. We want to focus on, especially with beef and fattier cuts of beef, having those grass-fed sources and a lot of the good healthy animals sourced fats have immune-boosting properties. That’s my side tangent and how it connects to the immune system. Mike: Right and I'd say a lot of free-range or free-roaming grass-fed animals, whatever they are, are typically better and ruminant animals, meaning they graze like elk, deer, bison, cows, boars, and sheep are ruminant animals for people who don’t know. Typically, red meats are more nutrient dense than white meat. I’m not saying that they don’t have their place in your diet, but that’s my side tangent. Jordan: Correct. I like that side tangent, in how you said that because most people think I should stay away from red meat and stick with chicken breasts, and I would completely turn that upside down and say the opposite of that. I’m going to opt for grass-fed beef over chicken breast any day. I’ll eat chicken thigh over chicken breast. Mike: Are there any other foods you want to talk about that boost your immune system? Jordan: Yeah, I want to mention a couple more. One other kind of category I already mentioned is the plentiful amounts of fruits and vegetables and good quality protein, but also, we can’t have this talk without talking about healthy fats too. Some of the things I like to tell people to focus on are avocados, avocado oil, and coconut oil, which has a ton of immune-boosting properties. I sometimes will take a spoonful of coconut oil, if I'm trying to get over something. Nuts and seeds. Did I say olive oil and olives yet? Mike: You may have, I'm not sure. You can repeat it. Jordan: Hone it in, yes. Those are some of the main healthy fats that you want to be making sure that you’re getting in your diet. They play a lot of roles, the immune system being one of them. I’ll wrap up the question you asked me by talking about foods very specifically. If you’re looking to add some extra healthy nutrient-dense foods to your diet, things that you could add in that are specific to boosting your immune system. One of those would be fermented foods and if you don’t know what fermented food is, I'll give you some examples. Sauerkraut is one, the kind that you find in the refrigerator though, not the can. Mike: Yeah, it’s often called kimchi now, isn’t it? Jordan: Kimchi is a different kind of sauerkraut. It has different spices and seasonings. It’ll be called sauerkraut in the refrigerator. Kimchi too works. Kombucha, which is a fermented tea. Mike: That’s popular nowadays in most stores. Jordan: I feel like pretty much any grocery store you go into has that. You can go to a gas station now and buy kombucha. Mike: Yeah, normally by the produce section. Jordan: There you go. Otherwise, good quality, full fat plain grass-fed yogurt or kefir would be fermented food as well. We might touch a bit more; I might go into a tangent on fermented foods and gut health and all that. A couple of other random things too, ginger is powerful for the immune system. Garlic and green tea to name a couple. Mike: I like garlic but unfortunately, it gives me bad gas. Jordan: Really? Mike: I normally stay away from it now. Jordan: Like any form of garlic or talking fresh? Mike: Well, garlic and onions too. I’m in the FODMAP stuff, I bloat easily, but that’s just me. Probably from my terrible diet when I was young. Jordan: Yeah, that can have some lasting effects, for sure. Mike & Jordan: All right, thanks! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

Knots also known as trigger points are common in the muscles of the shoulder, upper back, and trapezius. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire and Amber Davies defines a trigger point as “a grumpy little spot in a taut band of muscle tissue that hurts when you press on it. With pressure it can reproduce and confirm your symptoms” (pain). There is a lot of speculation as to what causes knots. We are of the belief that poor posture plays a large role. Specifically, forward head posture, shoulders rolled inward and increased bending forward at the base of the neck and upper back. Therefore, our recommendation is to perform trigger point massage AND mobilize and correct posture. Trigger point massage can be performed with: 1. A massage cane. 2. A tennis ball or Lacrosse ball. 3. Massage gun or handheld massager. The goal of the trigger point massage is to apply continued pointed pressure to the knot which can hurt (but it should be a pleasant kind of hurt). If it hurts too much you should stop. Generally, you should aim for the pain not to exceed a 5 on a scale of 1-10. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire and Amber Davies provides these rules of self-massage: 1. Never massage a pulse - avoid areas with arteries near the surface. 2. Use a tool if possible and save your hands. 3. Use deep stroking massage. 4. Massage with short, repeated strokes from one side of the painful spot to the other. 5. Do the massage stroke slowly. 6. Do the massage in one direction for the best ergonomics. 7. Aim at not going any higher than a pain level of 5 on a scale of 1-10. 8. Limit massage to 10 to 12 strokes per trigger point. 9. Work a trigger point three to six times per day. 10. If you get no relief, you may be working in the wrong spot. Mobilization of the Upper to Mid Back Start with the tennis ball, lacrosse ball on the wall, or with a towel over the top on the floor. The goal is the mobilization of the upper back. We want you to mobilize 6 spots- all adjacent to the mid-spine (thoracic) and between the shoulder blade and spine. 30-60 seconds on each spot. (Ball in a sock) (Laying on the floor) Specific Trigger Point Therapy Then you are going to work on individual knots following the rules of the 12 rules of massage above. Work to bring the pain level of each knot down a few levels. It may take a few days or longer. You can use the massage cane, tennis ball or lacrosse ball, or handheld massager. You could also have someone else use a massage gun on you. Continue the trigger point therapy until the pain is under control. At that point, you can stop the trigger point and just continue the mobilization of the back. This video is part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q-6ip_CMZw Brad: Alright, Bob. This is for people who are interested in buying a massage gun but not sure what to buy. You want to make sure to get something that fits your needs, the price is right, and the quality is there. We’ve got 10 things to answer all this. Bob: You want it all! Brad: You’ll know more than you want to know! I’ve looked on the internet. Both you and I have. We’ve worked with many many massage guns from years ago. You can get ones from $30 to $400. What’s the difference? We are going to show you the details of this. Bob: There are some junk models. Brad: There are and then there are some good ones. Bob: Right. Brad: How do you know? I need to mention, where are you going to find this information. If you go online and look at it. You look at the details of the gun. Sometimes they give you this information and sometimes they do not. Maybe that massage gun doesn’t offer that benefit if they do not offer the information. Bob: Right. It should be offered. Brad: Right, exactly. Bob: Do you want to mention anything about the price range? Brad: Yeah, if you’re going to buy a $30-$40 gun, it’s probably going to be loud, it won’t last very long. You get what you pay for. Bob: It’s could be junk. Brad: Maybe that’s all you want; you only want it to last for a couple of weeks. But yeah, that’s pretty low. But you don’t have to spend $400. Bob: Right, the high range. Brad: If you’re buying a massage gun for deep massage, you’re going to use it for muscles to get that tightness out, you want to make sure you’re getting a reciprocating massage gun. Here we have 4 of them that we represent and these all work very well. The head of the massage gun has to reciprocate in and out. How far it reciprocates is important to know. We are going to get into that in just a little bit. So, following up on that, how far it travels, I call it the travel. A lot of times it’s called amplitude, a little more technical term. Just think, if you have a tape measure and you can measure how far it goes in and out from one extreme to the other. For all of them that we recommend, I think you have to have at least 5 millimeters. Ours have 8-10 millimeters and we are coming out with one that has 16. That’s a lot. Bob: Wow, 16. Brad: That’s for people with large, bulky muscles. You really want to get in deep. Most people won’t need that much. Again, 8-10mm is a good distance and you should be able to see that easily in the description of the massage gun. Let’s go to the next point. The next important point is the head. You should get at least 4 heads. A round one, you really need to have. In a smaller one, the bullet head really gets into specific parts and it’s really aggressive. There’s a flat one that has a smooth, plastic surface. Bob: It glides on clothing. Brad: Yes, very helpful. There is the fork head. They can be helpful but it’s not a priority at all for us. The one that really is nice that a lot of guns do not have is the air cushion head. The reason this is so important and useful is that when you’re working a muscle and you want to get close to the bone where the tendon is on the muscle, you don’t have to worry. If you hit with a hard plastic one, and you hit the bone, it hurts. You’re safe with the air cushion one. The air cushion one costs more I believe; that’s why they don’t have them in their sets, but it’s worth the extra money in our opinion. And we use it all the time. Bob: I concur. Brad: The next one is right up my alley. This is a little electric motor. It’s a DC motor. I used to repair motors way back in the day. If it’s brushless, it’ll say brushless, DC motor. What that means is that there are no carbon brushes. Carbon brushes are an old DC motor. They’ve been around forever but they’re inferior to the brushless. The brushless will last longer, they’re quieter. They are more efficient. Everything is better about them. If it does not say brushless in the description, it probably isn’t. So, look for that, it’s definitely a valuable asset. The next point is the noise level. How noisy are they? That’s important because you want to keep them quiet especially if you’re watching TV or you have children around or parents or whatever. 55 decibels is a good quiet level. If you have less than that, that’s good. They almost always put this in the description. If there’s nothing in there about noise, it’s probably a noisy one. Bob: I didn’t think that was a big deal until I heard one that was bad. Oh, my goodness! Brad: If you get a loud one, you’ll know it! You don’t really want to use it. They probably won’t last near as long either. They are loud because their quality is not good. Another important aspect is the quality of the battery. So, there are two things you can look at. One, how long it takes for the battery to charge? Typically, it’s 3-3 ½ hours and that’s pretty typical. That’s what we have on ours. It’s not a big deal if it takes longer to charge because you can always charge it overnight. Bob: Right. Brad: Usually the better batteries take less time. Then, the battery life. How long does it last? Now, this is where you have to be careful because they’ll put it lasts for 6 hours. Now, does that mean you’re using it for 6 hours, or is it just sitting here without any load on it? A load means you’re pushing into it. They usually put non-loaded time or battery life, which is pretty useless. It’s the loaded time, which you have to search for to find it. Ours lasts from 1 ½ to 3 hours of loaded, while you’re pushing on it. Bob: Aren’t these like the Tesla battery? Brad: It very well could be. I didn’t look that detailed into the battery composition. The physical size of the gun, you want to be aware of. You’ll see the mini one, that’s really nice to hold in your hand. Not as much travel, not as much power. Bob: It does have fairly good power for a mini though. Brad: This is kind of the average size, the C2. Brad: This one is the bigger size. It’s bigger and more powerful. If you’re young and you really want it in, you may want to go with this big one, the X6. There is a bigger one coming out than this one even. We’ll probably have that one out by Christmas. Bob: The blaster. Brad: All the competition has similar models. The weight isn’t a big factor. Bob: You can put the mini in your pocket or your purse. Brad: That is the nice one for the minis. The minis are a lot stronger than you would think, at least the Q2 mini is. It lasts just as long as well. We would’ve never accepted that if it wasn’t top-of-the-line. We love it. The next point is something known as stall force. In other words, how much force it takes to stall the motor out? This is really important particularly if you want to get deep into your muscles. We have gotten these brands new, and you can push and you can stop them with your hand. None of ours can you stop with your hand. And we aren’t weak. There are measurements for that. If you can find the measurements anywhere from 13 milligrams is what that is, and the X6 has 20 milligrams of stall force and that is more than adequate we feel to sell them. Brad: RPM, you’ll see anywhere from 1500-3000 RPM. They are variable and that is more than adequate for the average person. Keep those points in mind, particularly the stall force. The last one is not a real big deal but if you’ve got a good quality gun it will have a timer inside. Ours are all set for 10 minutes. They actually turn off. It’s a protective mechanism for the gun. Bob: So, it doesn’t overheat. Brad: But they’ll turn right back on, you can keep going. If it does actually overheat, there’s a thermal mechanism in there as well. That’s going to turn it off. You may not be able to turn it back on until it cools down enough. It’s one of those things that you are not going to find very easily. Ours have good thermal protection as well. Bob: We like our guns. Brad: We really do, it’s a fun thing to brag about 😊 Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBmRHDPYRD4 Brad: Today we are fortunate to have Chris the pharmacist with us to cover statins for high cholesterol which helps prevent strokes and heart attacks. We are going to go into the side effects and the safe uses of these drugs. It’s very common, including Atorvastatin. This is going to give you all the information about statins. Things that if you are starting them or if someone you know is starting them and you want all the information you can find out about this and you forgot to ask the doctor or the pharmacist or you just didn’t have enough time because life is busy. This will fill you in! So, statins are for high cholesterol. What are these drugs and what are they doing for us? Chris: Well, basically when people come into the doctor; whether they’ve had a heart attack or a stroke or maybe they’ve just had some routine lab work. They see repeated lab work where the cholesterol levels start creeping up. Brad: So, they get the blood sample, and they measured your LDLs? Chris: Yes, they do a whole lipid panel, so you are going to see your LDL, your HDL, your apolipoprotein A, and your triglycerides. Brad: And the doctor looks at this and decides whether you’re a candidate or not for a statin? Chris: Yes, they look at them very scientifically to determine if you are a candidate for drug A, B, or C. Brad: So, statins is actually a broad term for how many drugs? Chris: It is a class of drugs, and there are several. The first one that came out was lovastatin, and then they had simvastatin, both of which are made by Merck Pharmaceuticals. Then atorvastatin hit the market. That’s the largest-selling drug of the last 25 years, atorvastatin. Brad: In the United States or worldwide? Chris: As far as I know the United States. It’s like 94 billion in sales. Brad: Wow. That’s all people being treated for cholesterol issues? Which then creates problems with your vessels, and your heart. Chris: Yes. It’s going to protect them, it’s cardioprotective. Basically, it’s an insurance policy to protect you against stroke or heart attack. Brad: So, your arteries don’t clog up. Chris: Exactly. Some people, just to make it overly simple, it’s not like taking Drano, but it’s going to help keep your arteries clear. It works in a variety of different things, and we’ll pick on atorvastatin first. I would say it’s probably the most versatile. Rosuvastatin, Crestor, is probably the most potent. Brad: So, this is a specific drug that a doctor may prescribe? Chris: Yes, they are going to make some very specific choices as to what needs to be done because not only do statins help to reduce cholesterol, but they are also a natural anti-inflammatory, which is one of the added benefits of it for why it helps to keep those arteries clear. Let’s say it’s a bad scenario where you had a heart attack or a stroke and you were in the ER. They will probably plop you on a high-dose statin because they want to maximize the anti-inflammatory of it and more importantly the lipid profile aspects of it. To try and make sure that we don’t have this event occur again. It’s a very touchy time for patients when they are in a crisis situation. As we all know, heart disease is the number one killer for all of us and so when we use drugs like statin or atorvastatin in this particular case, we want to do that to keep them alive and well. These are pretty much, unless we have better science, these are drugs we will probably place on the rest of our life kind of thing. Brad: If this is a problem with the arteries being clogged, is it that very directed to our diet, and can’t we change our diet? Chris: Dietary changes are going to be absolutely massive in this whole healing effort. Let’s say you are just a patient that got your doctor saw a trend that your triglycerides and cholesterol were raising over time, or you were an acute patient that had a heart attack or stroke. Statins are going to be part of that mix. More importantly than any drug we could put in your body, the foundation of health is going to be eating well and exercising. At some point, there’s going to be a cardiac rehab portion of that equation to teach you to get into better lifestyle habits to stay healthy but the most important is nutrition. The problem with cholesterol is it’s a genetic problem. You can drink cholesterol by the gallon. It’s a big greasy molecule that you don’t generally absorb too much. Your body is generally making too much cholesterol in most cases. So, statins block an enzyme, HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor, that’s what statins are. Brad: Ha-ha, thank you. Chris: It’s a mouthful. It blocks that particular enzyme and there’s a big series of steps that goes on to make cholesterol, but it blocks it at that point. That’s why it helps to keep those arteries and vessels clear of cholesterol and plaque. What we want to do, and what all these statins do from one varying degree to another, is not only do they help to lower your cholesterol but they generally bring up your HDL, your good high-density lipoprotein, which is your good cholesterol. Brad: So, if you have this, either you’ve had a stroke or a heart attack, you survived, you’re going to probably be on this medication. Or you see that rise and it’s a preventative thing, so you don’t have a stroke or heart attack. Chris: Exactly. It’s like buying car insurance. You hope you don’t have an accident. Brad: So, you’re going to change your diet, you’re going to get more exercise, and the doctor’s probably going to suggest this as well. Chris: Yes. Brad: I’m the kind of person who says, I don’t want to take these meds. Maybe I can just do it with exercise and diet. Is this a possibility? Chris: It is a possibility. Let’s say you’re the patient that your doctor follows every year and you’re a good faithful patient, and they keep looking at your bloodwork and they see it creeping up and up, and then it might be time to say, “Okay, Brad, I see that your cholesterol levels are now in the medium 200’s. You’re sitting around 250, I think it’s about time we start to make a change so we can lower your risk for cardiovascular events.” You’re like, “Yeah, I’ve gotten off my exercise program, and I've been eating out a little more than I should.” You can definitely make a decision. I am going to start walking, running, or biking; do more yard work. You have to find a reason to be more active. Swim, it doesn’t matter. You need to do something. You have to move that body at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days out of the week. You’re talking about 150 minutes a week you want to dedicate to that. However, you still have to put the right food in the machine too to make sure that you aren’t overdoing it. The doctor may say they like your plan and you can try to do these lifestyle changes and dietary changes and then revisit them in about 6 months. Then they’ll reach out and if you see the trend going in the right direction, God love you. We are going to keep you off of drugs. But not a lot of us get that lucky and there’s a genetic disposition kicking out too much cholesterol. Particularly the LDL and maybe our HDL isn’t as high as we need it to be because that’s kind of your scrubber. That’s the one that helps to keep plaque from building up. These drugs actually raise your HDL which helps as another protection like the anti-inflammatory effects. There are a lot of good things that happen for patients that are important to realize. If you’re resistant to taking medication; a lot of people go “gosh, statins, I’ve heard so many negative things about statins.” The incidents of side effects on statins, for the most part, is about 1%. So, 99 people tolerate these drugs unbelievably well. One person has a problem when we are talking about 100 people. Those side effects can range from a variety of different things. Doctors are watching these things very closely. They are watching your liver function. In three months, they are going to take a blood test to see that it’s doing its job and make sure your body is processing it properly. They are going to be looking at your renal functioning. Let’s say you’re someone who's got some kidney problems or something or there’s a genetic issue or a variety of different reasons. Brad: That’s just a blood test? Chris: Yeah. Your doctors will take care of all those things. All the things they don’t tell you about all the lab work. Now, with smartphones you can see all your lab work, it’s pretty slick. It’s nice to be informed. I really would tell you to get informed about your numbers. That’s something that you and your doctor can work with to make informed choices to see what the best course is for you. Not all statins are created equal. We picked on atorvastatin because it’s probably the most versatile of the bunch, but let’s say you need a little bit more HDL developed. Maybe rosuvastatin is a better choice. Here’s one of the reasons we are going to talk about it is grapefruit. Brad: My favorite fruit. I am convinced; I don’t care what the research says but I know I eat grapefruit every day from November till April and during the season. I've been doing it for almost 10 years and since I’ve been doing it, I’ve never had a cold. I start to have one, scratchy throat but it never gets bad. I don’t know if it’s because of the grapefruit but I love it and I think it’s good for me. I’m not going to stop just because a doctor says I need statins. Chris: You know what, that’s okay. Actually, with grapefruit, we say stay away from it with lovastatin, atorvastatin, and simvastatin. All the other ones, Fluvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pravastatin it's okay. Brad: So, I can still enjoy my grapefruit? Chris: Yes. That’s not off the table for people and some physicians and studies support even it’s the timing of eating grapefruit with your statin. I would tell you that the reason that we are so concerned with the interactions between grapefruit with statins, is it's going to increase your risk for muscle problems, myopathies. Brad: So, that’s muscle pain? Chris: Muscle pain and weakness. Rhabdomyolysis is the worst-case scenario. That can actually be fatal. Brad: So, that’s a side effect or a possible side effect? Chris: it could be a possible side effect of combining statins with grapefruit. Or even statins in and of themselves can cause it in very rare circumstances. But it’s a big deal. Basically, what it causes is programmed muscle cell death. What happens is muscle cells die off and then they ooze into your body and then it has to get metabolized out so it goes to your kidney and can cause acute renal failure. It’s a big deal. It’s very rare but when you come to your doctor or pharmacist, they say hey, watch out for unusual muscle pains or weakness. It’s not common but it is one thing to be a little stiff or sore if you’re raking your leaves or you’re shoveling your driveway, then you’ll have some muscle pain because you haven’t done that motion for a while. But if it comes out of the left field and you’re just achy and weak and don’t understand what’s going on, that’s the time when you really want to talk to your doctor. They are going to take a quick blood test and make sure it’s not overworking the liver. You heard me say that these are kind of rest of your life alternatives. There are things you can take besides that if you can’t tolerate statins. For the most part, usually just switching the statin from a different form to a different one because they have different metabolic pathways in your liver so that’s why grapefruit is tolerable with some but not others. We want to make sure that you don’t “just man up and take it” thinking you’ll be better in a couple of days. If it’s not getting better, you’re going to know, and you want to speak up. Talk to your doctor. It’s rare but serious. It’s a big deal. The reality of it is, when we try to take care of our hearts, it starts with the foundation. Sleep, exercise, and diet. Those are the 3 pillars that we always talk about. You want to make sure you’re getting your rest because that’s recovery. You want to make sure that you are eating well, even if you have to take these statins, even if you’ve had a heart attack, even if you’ve had a stroke, we need to find ways to do these things that our bodies will allow you to be able to do, so we can live the best way we can. Brad: And did we talk about how many people in the US are on statins? Chris: I don’t have a straight stat but there are millions of patients who are taking these things. Atorvastatin is by far and away the number one statin that is being prescribed. Rosuvastatin is used quite regularly. Brad: Typically, what age do we see this more? Chris: You’ll see it as young as in the 30s if there’s a genetic disposition towards cardiovascular disease. If you have heart disease in your family, doctors are excellent at screening for this now. When you go in for a physical these days, they usually have you fill out a 10-minute survey and they look at that very critically to see what your cardiovascular risk assessment is. They actually do that at a younger age now and they are finding they are getting some excellent results. They are starting early statin therapy or getting a better lifestyle earlier. We need you to exercise more and eat better. If you want to stay off these drugs, we need to start there. That’s your foundation. That’s critical. We hopefully can keep you off the medications but sometimes we can’t. So, if we can’t we are going to try and make sure you get the best choice. The big thing is, don’t be shy. Talk to your doctor. Have a good open dialogue. Your doctor just wants to help. They are there for you to help you live a better life. They aren’t just trying to collect a paycheck. They are beyond that. But sometimes things don’t work out of the gate so that conversation is absolutely critical. You can live the best way that you possibly can. Brad: That’s the other thing. The information in this video may give you information to come up with good questions that are direct to the point and help make things more efficient because a lot of time the doctor doesn’t have a lot of time with each patient. Chris: They don’t. I guarantee you every doctor on the planet would tell you they wish they could spend way more time with their patients. It’s their job, their drive, and the things that are driving the bus for them in this world are forcing them to make the best possible decisions and often time in 15-30 minutes. Sometimes that’s hard. There’s a lot to talk about. Especially if you’re coming in for your first visit post-heart attack or post-stroke, there’s a lot to discuss. The other thing too is an appointment. Always write your questions down before you see your doctor. I think that’s something that will help. I have these side effects; I’m either tired or dizzy. I feel achy. Make sure you write those down so they can address them one by one. That’ll help you to streamline the conversation too. Brad: So many times, you’ll go in and you come back and say, I forgot to ask this question. A lot of people aren’t aware of particularly if it’s a medication problem, when you go to the pharmacist, ask your pharmacist your questions. I always think Chris could be a really good doctor. Chris: Ha-ha Brad: You’ve got everything for it, there’s no doubt about it. But the pharmacist has a lot of information that can be helpful too. Chris: Yes, use your local pharmacist. They can answer those questions quickly and easily and steer you in the right direction. They are going to point you in the right direction guys. We are often timing an untapped resource. Feel free to use us. Go to your neighborhood pharmacy. Strike up a conversation and develop a relationship. Those relationships are going to help you to live a better life so you can be a better version of yourself. Brad: How long have you been at your store? Chris: 16 years. Brad: 16 years at the same store and you probably know people just from work. Chris: I know one or two people. I know their kids; I know their grandkids now. I've been doing it for about 26 years. It’s nice. Brad: Very good. I hope this makes you feel better about statins now. We’re going to go get something good to eat now. Chris: Sounds like a good plan to me. Have a good day guys, thank you. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. 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