Are Massage Chairs Good for You?

Are Massage Chairs Good for You?

Some of us have only seen massage chairs as coin-operated attractions in a shopping center. While they may be a way to dispose of some loose change and take a break during a shopping trip, they have relegated them in their minds as little more than a novelty. Others may even worry about the effect of vibrations on the body, potentially worrying if they can cause harm. It is for this reason we not only want to know if massage chairs work, we want to ask are massage chairs good for you?

At oneHOWTO, we show that massages chairs are good for you. Not only do they not cause harm, but they have many benefits for both mind and body. Different people will have different health needs, but the benefits of massage chairs apply to almost anyone.

What is a massage chair?

In their most basic sense, massage chairs are chairs you sit on to receive a massage. While there are numerous makes and models of these massage chairs with ever-expanding features, we can fit them into two general categories:

  • Traditional massage chair: this is a chair which therapists use to support patients when receiving certain types of massage, including facial massages and full-body Swedish massage. They are ergonomically designed to allow for access and support to different areas of the body.

  • Electronic massage chair: also known as robotic massage chairs, these are chairs in which people sit to receive a massage given by the different robotic components of the chair. Controlled by electronic motors, these types of massage chair allow the user to have an all-over body massage that doesn't require the presence of a massage therapist.

As we look at the benefits of massage chairs, we focus on electronic or robotic varieties. It is this type of massage chair which is designed for the home consumer as it allows them to receive automatic massages without the help of a professional.

Now we know what a massage chair is, we can look at the benefits massage chairs can provide for your health and wellbeing:

Massage chairs manage pain

While massage chairs are good for you in general, they can provide specific benefit to those of us who are experiencing muscle and joint pain. For those of us who have experienced acute or chronic pain in these areas, we know how debilitating they can be. Receiving a massage can be the ideal way to mitigate this pain, in accordance with advice from our physician.

The best designs of massage chairs are those which function as a comfortable chair even before you connect them to power. When sitting in these comfortable relaxed positions, the tension of vulnerable parts of our body is removed. Once the motors begin, the chairs knead tender and painful areas of the body to relieve pain.

Chiropractors recommend these forms of massage due to the mechanical impact they have on our body. They stimulate the lymph system and help venous blood flow. For some, a deep tissue massage can actually cause more pain due to inflaming previous injuries. A massage chair allows you to tailor your massage to your individual needs and manage your pain accordingly.

Massage chairs reduce stress

Research into the effects of massage shows it has more than a mechanical impact on the body. While it is still not comprehensively understood, we know that it provokes something known as the relaxation response. When our body is massaged in certain areas, it causes the body to slow down and enter a state of relaxation. Your breathing slows, blood pressure reduces and it often results in the release of serotonin, a hormone which helps reduce stress.

A massage chair allows the user to have a prolonged period of relaxation which helps to reduce the effects of stress on body and mind. Many people choose to use them after a long day or will increase their use during particularly stressful periods of their life. Some find regular use as a great way to manage overall stress or preempt the effects of a stressful period on the horizon.

Massage chairs improve mental wellbeing

We have already discussed the effects massage chairs have on the body, but they can be an incredible ally in helping to maintain mental wellbeing. Along with serotonin, dopamine and endorphins are neurotransmitters which are associated with happiness in humans. They regulate various bodily functions and help to manage pain, resulting in various benefits to the body.

While a massage chair will not be the only solution to mental health problems, regular massage can help us to manage our mental wellbeing. The physical effects of the massage help us to reduce the production of stress hormones and induce mood-improving hormones which place us in a better position to manage mental health issues.

The very process of using a massage chair can help us manage mental wellbeing due to its meditative properties. Especially if we want to use a low setting for relaxation, sitting in a massage chair for a session can help us to meditate in a peaceful way. This provides an opportunity to either detach from worries or engage with issues in a state of relaxation.

Massage chairs can help you sleep better

By reducing stress and encouraging feelgood hormone production, the cumulative effects of massage can help guide us towards more peaceful sleep. For those of us who are struggling with insomnia and other sleep disorders, a massage chair can help us to calm our organism and bring us to a stage when sleep comes more easily. This is in addition to the greater comfort we can achieve when we effectively manage pain and injury with massage.

Massage chairs help your body's vital functions

Although massage chairs can benefit us in terms of specific muscle and joint injuries, the positive effects are also more intrinsic. This is due to the effects massage has on the vital systems of the human organism. More specifically, the benefits massage chairs have on vital bodily functions include:

  • Circulatory system: massages help to stimulate blood flow in injured body parts, but the same applies to venous flow in general. The relaxing motions provided by massage chair motors help to stimulate blood flow around the body by relaxing veins and arteries. This is because stress increases the heartbeat and constricts blood vessels to increase blood pressure. Regular massage can help our overall circulatory health.

  • Central nervous system: massage chairs also help us to stimulate sensory receptors of the central nervous system, reducing tension throughout the body. This is also carried out by the effects of massage on heart rate and blood flow, as well as relieving joint stress and muscle pain which can affect peripheral nerves.

  • Musculoskeletal system: as stated above, massage chairs help to place us in comfortable positions to relieve aches and pains. An electronic massage chair also helps us to adjust the settings and provide a massage which is catered to our specific needs.

  • Digestive system: relaxing massages can also help us to regulate our digestion as they counteract the digestive upset we can experience with stress. They also have a mechanical impact by massaging parts of our gastrointestinal tract to improve their functioning.

  • Respiratory system: a similar effect can be experienced with our respiratory system as massage allows us to breathe better.

  • Immune system: by reducing stress, relieving pain and helping our bodily functions, it helps bolster our immune system. Along with the appropriate medical treatment, this can help us to overcome various pathologies, as well as shore up our defenses against pathogens in the environment.

If you want to know more about how massage chairs and massage in general can benefit your health and wellbeing, take a look at our article on the benefits of kobido face massage.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

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