Chair Massage, a Great Alternative to Manual Massage

Chair massage is one of the many conveniences of the modern civilization with its own sets of advantages and disadvantages. Although it is far from being a perfect substitute to a professional masseuse, it is a good alternative.

Chair massage pros and cons

Its main advantage is its convenience to the user. It is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week without any complaints. An owner massage chair can get a full body massage on demand at any convenient time. The user is not limited by the hourly rate and is not obligated to pay tips or extra fees for extended minutes of service.

On the other hand, the main disadvantage of a chair massage is the lack of precision and versatility. The rollers and vibrators have very limited range of motions. They cannot perfectly imitate the subtlety of the palms and fingers of a professional masseuse. Although a massage chair can be programmed, it is still limited by the mechanical actuators. It does not have the ability to reason and judge the needs of a person. In some cases, it might even cause injury rather than benefit if the settings are not properly programmed. The intensity, duration, and pressure points might not be appropriately set.

more info on therapeutic chair with heat and massage

Imitating hands and fingers

At best, chair massage is just an imitation of the manual massage services being offered by professional masseuses and therapists. For instance, a shiatsu massage chair is designed to mimic fingers and palms as they target specific acupressure points. However, the rollers and vibrators of a shiatsu chair will never be as dexterous as the hands and fingers of a professional shiatsu masseuse. The mechanical parts of a massage chair will always be limited by their range of motion. The microchip that controls them will never be as versatile as the insight of a shiatsu therapist.

Health benefit

To some extent, a chair massage session can give similar health benefit as a massage session with a professional. The muscles will be relaxed, the blood circulation will be improved, the nerves will be stimulated, and the immune system will be revitalized. As the muscles and nerves are stimulated, the body will produce natural analgesics that will alleviate pains and will promote sense of well-being. As the blood circulation is improved, blood pressure is normalized and the heart becomes less strained. The organs and tissues benefit from the improved circulation because they are better supplied with oxygen and nutrients.

If programmed properly, a massage chair is an excellent ally in combating stress of everyday life. Chair massage can help a weary and stressed-out person to relax and become revitalized. A session of massage is not only good in relieving muscle pains but also good in unburdening the mind. The pleasure that the massage creates will enable the mind to become more focused and alert for the challenges of the next day. The same things are also true when it comes to manual massage. The only big difference is the convenience. More on massage chairs