A Comprehensive Massage Chair Guide

Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at 9:53 pm

I have spent quite a bit of time researching this and hope that my experience in this area will help you learn more. Sharing my experience, my enthusiasm for, and my knowledge of this subject is one of the things I love to do most. I hope this article will be a benefit to you.

Massage therapy is probably one of the oldest methods of rejuvenation and healing. Its roots can be traced back to before 2000 BC where it was used by the Romans. It has been used as a method to help ease aches, pains and relieve tension in the body. With the advance of technology, massage chairs are now available which include many massage techniques as well as supplemental treatments for wellness.

Back Massage: One of the more important areas for massage is the back. The low back is predominantly important. It tends to take the most stress of the body. This can come from poor posture, improper lifting techniques or injury. Massage chairs use a roller system to provide different massage techniques for the back. When the low back is stiff, a rolling massage can provide good relief by stretching and extending the lower back muscles and soft tissues between the cervical discs.

Shoulder & Neck Massage: Many people have tension and stiffness in their shoulders and neck. The muscles become tight and tense. A kneading massage is used to help loosen the tight muscles of the shoulders and neck. This provides a side to side squeezing motion which is very soothing and relaxing.

Shiatsu: Shiatsu is a technique which originated in Japan. It uses acupoints to help relax the total body. The acupoints are stimulated which relieves tension and other parts of the body. This technique also includes other massage movements to help provide invigoration of the muscles and soft tissue areas.

In writing this, I hoped to anticipate questions you might have and I hope I have done a good job so far. There are more answers below that you may find useful and that you may want to share with others, so take the time to bookmark this, then read on.

Reflexology: Reflexology utilizes trigger points located in the hands or the feet. These trigger points are related to other major organs in the body. Massage chairs generally focus on the feet. They use reflexology nodes to arouse the trigger points in the feet. This helps to relax their corresponding major organ.

Compression Massage: Air compression massage is used to provide a tender squeezing action to the larger muscles in the body. Generally it targets the arms, hands, legs and feet. The air compression is run from a compressor which activates specially designed airbags throughout the recliner.

Stretching: Many of the better massage chairs contained a stretching system. These stretching systems are usually for the lower body. The feet are held in the leg rest using airbags. Next the leg rest is raised to its top position. It is then lowered to a number of different points. Each point helps to stretch out the legs from the hips to the ankles.

Application of Heat: Heat therapy is popular in sports medicine to help reduce swelling and enhance blood circulation. Many massage chairs are now incorporating heating elements to apply heat to different parts of the body.

Music Therapy: Music is typically used in massage therapy to help the mind relax. The soothing rhythm of soft music helps to distract the mind off of its troubles. When the mind relaxes is, it helps to release tension in the body making it more responsive to the massage therapy.

These are some of the major components that you should consider when looking for a massage chair. These recliners are integrating more therapeutic treatments in order to enhance the overall massage therapy. Make a list of the most important features and make sure that the massage chair you are considering meats your minimum requirements.

Did this article answer all of your questions? Most of your questions? Some of your questions? I really hope I was able to help you by writing down what I know from my own experience and research about this topic. But if you need more, you can always search the Internet for more articles. Try typing the topic into your favorite search engine with quotation marks around it and you will find more specific information than you would with just a normal search.

Share and Enjoy: