Are Massage Chairs Any Good? {Explained For Beginners}
Depending on the therapist, you always feel like you are walking in the clouds in a beautiful meditative state after every massage session. Some therapists have a “magic touch” and will always make you feel like you just went to ‘massage heaven”.
Massage chairs are designed to mimic such a “magic touch.” But do they live up to their expectations?
A good massage chair will offer the benefits you get from a good massage therapist. Their main advantage is that you will control the massage session, and therefore, it is not easy to get a half baked massage.
With that said, let’s find out some of the benefits you get from a massage chair and whether it can replace a massage therapist.
What Are the Benefits of Massage Chair Use?
Massage chairs are a great investment for those who need a healthy dose of massage therapy. They come with several health benefits and conveniences.
Help Improve Blood Circulation
A good massage chair should help improve blood flow in parts of your body where clots and pain usually occur. The zero-gravity feature enables blood to move all over your body muscles. It should penetrate your muscle tissues and reach such targeted areas no matter how deep.
Thankfully, roller technology has come a long way. Today you can find massage chairs from 2D to 4D rollers. 3D and 4D rollers are advanced and let you control how deep the roller penetrates your muscle tissues.
Reduce Overall Tension
A massage chair can help you get back on your feet after an intense day’s work or workout.
With the increased circulation, more blood is delivered into the muscles, more waste products are removed and the overall body tension is reduced.
Some have even gone as far as prescribing your massage. They diagnose your body tension then prescribe a custom-tailored massage treatment.
Relieving Back Pain
Back pain is caused by muscles and the skeletal system being overworked. A massage chair works by stimulating blood flow to your back that has been lacking oxygen.
The improved oxygen and nutrient supply will help ease the back pain.
Decreasing the Need for Regular Therapy Visits
The soothing you get from a massage chair is better than some massage therapists. Besides, if your problem was light, your massage chair will handle it.
Owning a massage chair means you will only visit a massage therapist when you have a complicated problem. This will not only save you time but money as well.
If you have the right massage chair, the soothing you get is near that of an excellent massage therapist. That said, owning a massage chair will reduce the necessity to see a massage therapist that will save you a lot.
Can Massage Chair Massage Your Entire Body?
You may be wondering how a massage chair can reach out to other areas of your body such as arms, or feet. Many of the modern massage chairs are capable of massaging your entire body.
They are outfitted with airbags, often from head to toe. These bags are designed to reach the areas rollers can’t reach. You can have a treat on the outer shoulder, arms, hands, sides of the thighs, and a bunch of other areas where they work in conjunction with rollers.
You can use the airbag to perform a compression massage, where it squeezes and releases an area to stimulate the muscle and increase blood circulation. You can as well use the airbags to perform a full-body stretch program.
Can Massage Chairs Replace a Therapist?
That will depend on how good the therapist you are talking about is. Some therapists simply follow the massage guideline and produce okay-to-good feelings. Some have excellent touch and will make you feel different every session.
However, some therapists are not just up to the task. Either you will feel the session is too strong or you haven’t felt anything. I would prefer a massage chair to such therapists.
What you get from modern massage chairs is a near level of the humanness of massage from a perfect therapist. Their biggest strength is that they don’t stop with a massage. They are packed with therapeutic and entertainment features that users love. You can get one with Zero Gravity, a music system, chromatography lights, heat therapy, and negative ion generators.
How Much Do Massage Chairs Cost?
The cost of a massage chair varies greatly depending on the features, quality of the features, durability, or reliability. A good massage chair should cost you from $2,500. Generally, massage chairs can cost up to $10,000 or more. However, you can get cheaper models going for less than $1,000.
In most cases, the more you spend the more you get. You can get a chair that is amazing in every aspect if you opt for the expensive ones.
How Often Should You Use a Massage Chair?
The moderate time to spend in a massage chair is fifteen to thirty minutes. However, if you are dealing with a lot of pain, it can be tempting to sit there longer.
If you take too much time on a massage chair, particularly when receiving a deep tissue massage, the chair can bruise your muscle. Even worse, it can cause inflammation on the soft tissues.
Thankfully, most massage chair models have an automatic timer. This ensures you don’t go beyond the time limit. Even more. Some have massage programs that will shut after a long massage.
That said, massage chairs are made with your health in mind. If you don’t have a timed program, a massage chair with time on them will be ideal.
Having this alarm timer is very necessary because reclining on a massage chair can even soothe you to sleep. Or even if you don’t fall asleep, they will make you feel like you want to stay all day in the chair, which is not safe. A massage chair benefits are best achieved in short time intervals rather than extended hours.
Conclusion
Massage chairs are worth your money. Massage chairs come with a lot of conveniences and will save you a lot of time and money. Besides, it works better than an average therapist. You get all the benefits you would get when you visit a good therapist.