Founder & chiropractor - Dr. Jason Wersland

A Business Built On Relieving Pain: A Q&A with Theragun Founder, Dr Jason Wersland

Athletes, fitness professionals and fitness enthusiasts are increasingly interested in their recovery. Fitness culture has shifted to focus on recovery as much as activity and this trend has driven the growth of recovery tools like foam rollers, massage balls and handheld massage tools. One recovery tool continually gaining momentum is Theragun, the percussive massage therapy device that relieves muscle pain and helps your body move. Invented as a solution after a motorcycle accident left founder and creator Dr Jason Wersland in constant pain, the device is now being used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts around the world looking for pain relief and recovery. We sat down with Jason to talk about: 

  • The inspiration for Theragun
  • What’s driving the recovery trend
  • How big the market is for recovery 
  • The recent rebrand from Theragun to Therabody 

Tell me about the inspiration for Theragun?

When I first created Theragun, it was completely selfish — I invented it to treat myself in 2008. I was the first patient using this product to address my pain and then my rehab needs and eventually in my daily routine, from waking up to working out.  I eventually took the Theragun to my clinic and started using it on my patients. I was able to see some drastic changes and the effect this new modality had on the everyday person.  It grew inside my office and became a requested treatment by nearly every patient.  In 2012, I started using Theragun on athletes and discovered its performance enhancing effects and how much these professional athletes loved using Theragun.  The demand for Theragun really started to take off in 2013.

Through the years this product has helped me connect with my patients and more importantly, as I shared the product with them, this facilitated a deeper connection my patients had with their own bodies — that is my purpose. At Therabody, our true desire is to relieve your pain and decrease the tension in your body. That is truly what we all come to work to do, every day and it’s what keeps us inspired to grow our portfolio of natural product solutions. Everyone can benefit from using a Theragun and the Therabody ecosystem.

Why do you think fitness has shifted recently to focus on recovery as much as activity? What’s driving this trend?

Recovery has always been important for athletes but it is also becoming more and more important for the everyday person because people are recognizing how much better they feel when they are prioritizing recovery day to day. In the long term, proper recovery reduces inflammation, aids in injury prevention, and increases range of motion.

How big is the market for recovery?

It is huge. The quality of your muscle recovery will determine your ability to continue doing what you love — whether that is playing a professional sport, hiking, playing an instrument, or any of the millions of things people do that require healthy bodies. People are really only just starting to realize that.

Theragun

Tell me a bit about the recent rebrand from Theragun to Therabody. What prompted the decision?

Therabody more broadly serves our mission of helping people feel better naturally, which is bigger than percussive therapy. In addition to the Theragun, we have a vibrating Wave Series including our Wave Roller, Wave Duo, and Wave Solo, a USDA Certified Organic CBD line, TheraOne, available in the US, RecoveryAir pneumatic compression technology, and we recently acquired PowerDot smart muscle stimulator technology. We aim to have accessible wellness solutions for everybody, and we will never stop innovating to bring the most cutting-edge technology we can to the masses.

What’s been your biggest lesson so far? Any advice for fellow entrepreneurs in the wellness space?

Believe and trust yourself and your vision.

For more information, go to https://www.theragun.com/ 

Posted in Fit-tech, Most Popular Interviews.