Well according to the title, you’ve clicked on this article because, frankly, you want to know what a massage chair is and what it’s all about. Well you came to the right place. We, here at MassageChairTech, know a thing or two about massage chairs; after all, we’ve worked on hundreds of chairs, and done extensive research about them over the years. So we’re here to answer your question: what is a massage chair?
What is a massage?
Let’s start with the term massage. A massage is the working through touch and feeling of soft tissues in the body. Commonly used massage techniques utilize hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, and feet to massage the soft tissues. Massaging is typically used to relieve body stress and pain. A professional who has been trained to give massages is referred to as a massage therapist. Massage therapists will use massage tables, massage chairs, or mats on the floor. Massage chairs/tables have the client sit in a chair/lie on a table for the massage therapist to give a massage.
However, in recent times, the massage chair has evolved and become something entirely different after the introduction of mechanized parts. The first massage chair was invented by Nobuo Fujimoto in 1954, and the first robotic massage chairs were introduced by the Family Fujiryoki company in the same year. Nowadays, most massage chairs are robotic and resemble something of a recliner. There are some massage chairs that are massaging pads which are placed on a regular chair, and some that require batteries.
Robotic Massages
What robotic massage chairs have done is remove the massage therapist; it is the person sitting in the chair who is in control of what the massage session will be. A robotic massage chair utilizes motors, rollers, and air pumps in order to mimic the hands of a massage therapist. Although it will never match up to the hands of an actual person, the massage chair has come a long way in its functions in order to imitate it. The most common form of massage being imitated is the swedish massage techniques. Swedish massage techniques involve five different stroke styles: effleurage (sliding/gliding of hands), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber/along the fibers), and vibrations. Many massage chairs on the market today utilize these techniques, and try to mimic them using the movements of roller and motors. Well, a massage chair nowadays consists of a variety of those functions, as well as a few other common functions.
Back Massages
Most massage chairs have some sort of back massage where there are either fixed points or rollers that glide along a track to massage the back. Fixed points of massage will massage at certain places The rollers are meant to imitate the movement of hands using techniques such as kneading, tapping, shiatsu, a combination of kneading and tapping, or rolling. These techniques are the aforementioned swedish techniques utilized to provide relief.
Airbag System
Many massage chairs mimic compression via airbags located in various places. Compression is used by many massage therapists, and promotes increased blood circulation. The airbags can be used to compress onto the shoulder, arms, hip, thighs, calves, and/or feet.
Heating
Heating is typically found on most massage chairs; the area it impacts may vary from chair to chair, and can be for lumbar heating, lower back heating, calf heating, etc. Heating can vary with different levels of heating, being set at a certain heat level, or heating by itself without the use of massage.
Body Scanning
People of various heights, statures, and weights use a massage chair. In order to accompany that, many massage chairs now utilize smart body scanning technology. It will naturally adjust to the individuals’ contour, just like a therapist’s hands adapting to the shape of your body compared to another person.
Reclining/Zero Gravity
Much like a reclining chair, most massage chairs have the ability to recline. Some massage chairs utilize what is known as zero gravity reclining positions. It’s not actually defying gravity, but it refers to the positions an astronaut gets launched into space. While experiencing immense pressure and stress on the body during launch, an astronaut is reclined with their legs resting above their heart level in order to minimize the stress and distribute it across the body.
Bluetooth Connection
With all these new phones and devices being produced, bluetooth connections have become an essential part of those devices. Modern massage chairs are being produced with bluetooth connections in order to be able to play music or listen to podcasts while relaxing in a massage chair.
Photo Credit: Matthew HenryThe massage chair has come far in its advancements in technology. From having a massage therapist and transitioning into an automatic massage, the different styles of massaging have become automated, and imitated through the use of motors and rollers. Airbags and rollers come together in order to relieve stress and ease muscle tensions in these chairs. But with the inclusion of extra features like back massages, heating, and Bluetooth connections, massages reach higher levels of relaxation, and achieve enhanced wellness. And so to put it simply, a massage chair is a fantastic piece of machinery that utilizes various things to relieve stress from the body, and it’s something everyone should at least try once in their lifetime.