Are massage chairs medically useful?

 

 

Massage chairs were once more familiar from shopping malls, where shopping companions waiting for their spouses could pass the time. A nice gimmick, quite funny, but from a medical point of view probably without much added value.

However, in the past ten years, a strong trend has developed around massage chairs and increasingly sophisticated technology through research and development, so it begs the legitimate question: are massage chairs medically useful?

As long-time experts both on the massage chair market and for massages themselves, we would like to give an overview of when a massage chair supports you positively and when a massage makes less medical sense.

From a medical point of view, the fact that massages not only bring recovery in many cases, but also prevent ailments, is already quite obvious due to the existence of medically prescribed massages. But can the treatment of a massage chair be equated with a massage by hand, and if so, in which cases should it be applied?

In this regard, there have been rapid developments, especially in the past decade. For example, a professional massage chair is able to reproduce common massage techniques and thus imitate medically prescribed massages more and more effectively. These techniques include:

● Pressure massages
● Kneading massages
● Tapping massages
● Rolling massages

Many models have also long since mastered a combination of these techniques.

Reading tip: From head to toe: This is how massages help

Another aspect that has once again significantly raised the quality of today's massage chairs compared to times past is the function of specifically adapting to your body. For example, a body scan function offers a customized treatment for your body, as models can better adjust the treatment in terms of body size and stature.

The "one for all" mentality must give way to advancing professionalism in the massage chair industry. This paves the way towards individualized treatment and is much more sensible from a medical point of view.

When is a massage chair useful?

 

 

Of course, this question can only be answered with a "it depends". Because for a suitable answer it is important to know: Are there existing complaints? Are massages the appropriate treatment for them? - Should the massage serve mental and physical relaxation or rather pain relief? Here, of course, you should definitely consult medical expertise.

Once you have confirmed through medical advice that massage is the right treatment option, then it is a matter of determining which case applies to your personal situation. We have divided the models we have into the following categories:

● Health and Rehabilitation
● For Sporty Active
● For Business and Home Office
● Retirement
● Premium & Luxury Segment


For good reason, massage chairs additionally enjoyed extreme popularity during the corona pandemic. On the one hand, home offices and closed sports facilities characterized, especially the first months. As a result, physical complaints were more frequent.

On the other hand, massage service providers had limited access due to lockdowns. The combination created an increased need for massage chairs to remedy the situation. And indeed, it is these increased complaints from everyday life in which a massage chair can be medically useful.

Reading tip: The after-effects of corona can also include muscle pain. In the blog post, we explain what can help to alleviate them .

Health risks: Are massage chairs healthy?

For a large part of the complaints in everyday life, the cause lies in a lack of movement and incorrect working posture, which lead to tension and muscular hardening. The back area is particularly affected.

Regular massages can prevent this by keeping the muscles loose, but can also relieve existing tension and thus have a pain-relieving effect. However, the cause must be eliminated by each individual himself. A clarifying medical discussion is thus always recommendable with existing complaints, not least, in order to avoid to obtain an undesirable effect with massages.

Health risks with massage chairs are therefore always dependent on what complaints you have and whether massages are the right means to alleviate them.

Can a massage on the spine be unhealthy?

Such an undesirable effect can occur, for example, in the case of injuries directly to the muscle or also to the bone, especially the spine.

If individual vertebrae are injured, massage in the area of the spine is not beneficial to health. In the area of the cervical spine, it is also necessary to proceed with caution.

Complaints due to tension and muscular hardening can certainly be alleviated with a massage chair. In the case of injuries in this area, however, you should always seek medical advice to determine whether a massage is appropriate. Important for the evaluation of the usefulness of massages is always the context, your individual situation and your goal.

Reading tip: If you experience muscle pain after a massage, you can find out the reasons for this and how to avoid it here.

Additional functions provide more well-being

 

 

However, the physical aspect of a massage treatment is not the only thing a massage chair brings to the table. Well-known manufacturers often work with medical professionals to develop functions aside from the massage itself that have an extremely positive effect on well-being. These include:

● Audio stimulation
● Infrared heating
● Zero-gravity function

Some models use special sounds to further promote relaxation. Soothing heat radiation in the infrared range can also have a demonstrably pain-relieving effect and additionally promote blood circulation.

The Zero-Gravity function helps keep your body in an almost horizontal position during the massage to ensure the best possible blood circulation. Paired with a soothing massage, these models put you in a relaxed state.

Less stress, less tension, and a better sense of well-being can ultimately only be in the best interest of your health. Regular applications of about 2-3 treatments per week are thus easily accessible to you without any effort.

It is also important to get to know the different programs and intensities, so that the massage can unfold its effect appropriately to your respective situation. 20 to 30-minute programs are ideal for a start, whereby the intensity should be slowly increased until it suits you.

The massage chair has a holistic effect

We can summarize that massages are basically always useful when complaints arise due to muscle stiffness or tension. Thus, a massage chair can definitely support you in this area, but it can do much more.

Although the medical effect of stress reduction and recovery is more difficult to measure, there is probably no question that the positive feeling after a soothing massage additionally contributes to our health well-being.

It is precisely this holistic effect, regular relaxation and stress reduction, as well as the loosening and release of tension that a massage chair focuses on. Whether a massage chair is medically useful - yes, it certainly can be in many cases.