Our family has always wanted a massage chair. The mother not only has spinal cancer but has spread to the hip and otherwise develops cervical spondilitis in the neck and shoulder. As a family we thought we would meet and buy her a chair (not cheap!), Hoping it would alleviate the pain. However, when we came to look for the right one, we found that there were all sorts of different options.
A little history first. Massage chairs became available in the late 1980's. They are designed to mimic the techniques and movements used by real masses. The aim was to relieve stress and depression and help improve back pain. The cost of producing these chairs, which had to be passed on to the customer, meant that usually most people could not afford them. Now, two decades later the cost of producing seats has dropped and more people are benefiting from the results.
Massage chairs try to recreate two types of techniques - Shiatsu and Swedish massage. The two methods are very different. Shiatsu is accustomed to using force, sweeping, patting and circling movements. It focuses on relieving tension in certain areas of the body in order to restore blood circulation, build muscle, and benefit internal organs. Swedish massage uses long strokes and sewing movements and has a great effect on restoring blood circulation and helping to allow the muscles to relax.
You will find many options available when you buy a massage chair. At the end of the luxury market, the seats have at least 2 rollers on the back, legs and arms (some have 4). The seats are the same size as the person sitting in the chair and automatically receive acupressure points that will be processed directly. These expensive massage chairs memorize a person's seat in the chair and improve massage programs in specific areas of the body. It will memorize these processes to be repeated whenever that person sits in the chair again. The disadvantage of these expensive, leather-covered seats, is that they are GREAT and not a room of standard size.
Other things to look for -
Some seats have air pockets in the leg area: These are useless unless there are folding and flexible legs. What they do is just squeeze the legs, like a person has high blood pressure.
It may have masks, nails, or air fresheners: This does not just make the chair look bigger, there is no evidence that they did anything without squeezing it before!
Be careful because a massage chair will not be of benefit to you. Be sure to read the article Massage Chains - Benefits and Risks before making any decisions. You will find a link to it below this article.
What did we choose in the end? We bought a modest chair with wooden arms and a seat. The editor was easy to read and use. My good posture also helped my mother to adjust. That way she can relax completely, with her feet up, in a chair to maximize the benefits of massage.
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