Has a massage gun ever actually helped?

I've used a "gun" for about the last ten of my 30+ years as a therapist. It has its place as an adjunct tool, but you still have to know how to use it, why you need to use it, and when you should NOT use it. It will not replace good training and experience. I evaluate with my hands, use other tools as appropriate, and re-evaluate with my hands. Tools are dumb- they will only "do" what I let them, and in some cases- sticking with just hands as in a basic relaxing massage- is the way to go.

I get a massage every 2-3 weeks. A gun may help for small easily accessible areas of your body, but a deep tissue massage from a professional is the best for me

A regular massage and some hot tub time worked for me.

Not really

Can be helpful

It's fine, but a massage with human hands is infinitely better.

You need the Hitachi wand.