One method of treatment that many Americans and other hard workers alike use to help get them through busy and stressful situations is with a massage. A massage is the perfect way for someone to attempt to relieve themselves of any unwanted stress and possible muscle pains. Massages have long been beneficial to many because of the direct attention that a massage can give to an aching or tense body part. But just as with every thing else, some are so busy during the day that they can't even find time to relax. So what many have started doing as of late is utilizing the massage therapy chair.
Greg Smith is the Director of Information and Outreach at the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy. Smith has been practicing massage therapy for the last seven years and also serves as a fitness therapist and personal trainer. Smith said that massage chairs are perfect for those who don't have the time for a full service massage.
For the most part, massages are done in 30 or one hour intervals in a private room set for quiet and comfort. Most times, the person being massaged will take off a considerable amount of clothing in order to fully allow their body to be properly massaged. But with a massage chair, the theatrics of getting a massage are greatly reduced.
"The goal of chair massage therapy is to relax you in a setting where you need to work through the clothing or in a public setting like an office," Smith said. "Chair massage does not use lotion. The techniques are designed to be more specific. You aren't usually using long flowing strokes. You are working more specifically on the shoulders, back, and neck."
Chair massages still have a long way to go before they can be compared to the true massage, but for what they are supposed to provide, the service is unbeatable. Massage therapy chairs have known to be very successful in settings such as work and job areas. Areas where stress is at its highest usually benefit the most from having a chair available.
"We have found in some cases that people who received chair massage at work were able to avoid surgery," Smith said. "It allows them to stay on the job longer and in some cases reduces workman's compensation claims. One of our graduates received a national award a couple of years ago for helping a company save $150,000 of workman's compensation claims over a two year period."
The most important thing to remember when choosing a chair is that not all chairs are good chairs. Experts such as Smith suggest that anyone looking to purchase a massage therapy chair be sure to do as much research on the product as they can first.
"When choosing a chair, you should go with a reputable, national company, because you don't want the chair to break while someone is sitting on it," Smith added. "Also consider the weight of the person on the chair and the overall comfort level of the chair. I would say that any company offering a lifetime warranty is a company you would want."
