Learn the benefits of Swedish massage with expert massage tips in this free relaxation video clip. Expert: Cherie Krieger Bio: Cherie Krieger has been a registered massage therapist for five years and a state certified massage therapist instructor for one year. Filmmaker: Dana Glover
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The chair massage therapist performs the massage without oils, which eliminates the need for the client to disrobe.  The massage is generally concentrated on the muscles of the neck, shoulders, back, arms and hands, with sessions lasting for five to fifteen minutes.  Chair massage sessions can be accompanied by aromatherapy, which is the use of essential oils to help promote deeper relaxation as well as physical and psychological well-being.  Reflexology can also be part of a chair massage session.  Reflexology involves applying pressure to specific zones of the foot in order to have a positive effect on related organs and tissues throughout the body.

Chair massage has many important benefits, the most obvious being its convenience for the client.  The portability of the massage chair allows the therapist to perform the chair massage in a variety of settings, which is why it is often termed on-site massage.  The massage chair takes up a small amount of space and a chair massage station can be set up in a matter of minutes.  Since there is no need for the client to undress, privacy is less of an issue than with traditional table massage.  However, for those who wish to have a more private setting, a screen can be set up around the chair, or the station can be located in an empty room or office.

Other far-reaching benefits of chair massage are the enhanced sense of physical and emotional well-being that results from the deep relaxation that the massage provides.  Chair massage effectively reduces feelings of anxiety and soothes away the tension that is primarily held in the muscles of the shoulders, neck and back.  Such benefits are immediate and long lasting, enabling the client to carry on with their day feeling refreshed and pain-free.

Chair massage also helps to increase circulation, which is important in maintaining healthy and nourished muscles, joints and tissues.  Those who work in office environments often do so in poorly designed workstations, which can contribute to the onset of repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.  Office massage can reduce the pain associated with repetitive stress injury by gently lengthening muscles and separating adhesions caused by scar tissue.

The effectiveness of chair massage in lessening muscle tension has a positive effect on a client’s range of motion and flexibility.  Reduced muscle tension allows for greater flexibility, which is an important factor in injury prevention.  Those who receive regular chair massage also benefit from improved posture and decreased back pain.

Additionally, corporate massage has been shown to have a significant effect on a recipient’s cognitive function.  Studies have shown that chair massage enhanced problem solving skills and creativity, and that those positive benefits were long lasting.  Chair massage’s ability to relieve stress and anxiety is also useful in curtailing the onset of chronic tension headaches and has been shown to be useful in the treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia.

Finally, it should be noted that chair massage is very affordable, making it an accessible form of treatment for people in a wide range of economic situations.  Chair massage sessions are generally priced around one dollar per minute, and because the sessions are concentrated, the cost for a typical chair massage is analogous to a movie ticket or lunch at a restaurant, but with healthful benefits that last much longer.  The immediate and far-reaching benefits of chair massage have made it an increasingly popular choice for those who need an affordable, effective and convenient way to reduce stress and improve their overall physical and emotional well-being.

If you suffer from back pain, you are not alone. As many as not 8 out 10 people suffer from some sort of back pain.  You may suffer from a dull, constant ache to a sudden sharp pain.  Although there is a wide spectrum of back pains, in general there are two groups:  acute back pain and chronic back pain.  Acute back pain is typically is a temporary condition and you may recover within a few days or even  a few weeks.  On the other hand, chronic back pain, lasts for longer periods of time.  Unfortunately, with chronic back pain the expected healing time for the identified cause may persist even after the cause has been treated.  In time you either become more accustomed to the pain or you can seek relief from the pain.

Typically, there are many potential cures for back pain ranging from acupuncture, massage to acupuncture to pharmaceutical drugs.  Most unfortunately, the most widespread relief of back pain is taking pharmaceutical drugs.  However, there are alternatives.  The next most common relief of back pain is massage therapy.  Many studies are pointing out that massage is effective for both acute and chronic pain. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, massage is a totally natural remedy.  In many cases, your back pain is caused by the misalignment of bone, tissue, muscle, and ligaments.  In these cases, dulling the pain certainly will not solve the problem.  On the otherhand, massage works on elongating, stretching, and soothing the muscles and ligaments in a natural way.

Massage Chairs for Back Pain? The best massage chairs on the market today have extraordinary capabilities.  Many massage chairs can perform Shiatsu massage, Swedish massage, Deep Tissue massage and many others.   These massage chairs perform a body scan to detect your acupressure points for a Shiatsu massage.  The shiatsu chair will then tailor the position of the massage rollers to stimulate your acupressure points.  This Acupressure massage helps the flow of natural healing based on the pathways that flow throughout the body.

You can find some massage recliners that incorporate the Swedish massage technique.  Thie Swedish or Classic massage technique uses flowing, long, strokes to stretch and elongate tight muscles.  Select a Deep Tissue massage and enjoy a penetrating, soothing massage.  With the Deep Tissue technique, the massage cair program will start more superficially and then begin penetrate layer by layer.  This approach relieves aching, sore, and tired tendons and muscles. You can enjoy these massage therapies with the touch of a button with a shiatsu massage chair.

Heat therapy helps to loosen and relax tight, sore muscles and effectively reduce pain.  Heat is more effective than cold for treating chronic pain.  If you suffer from arthritis, heat is more effective for muscle relaxation.  The premier massage recliners come equiped with full body heat.  Heating elements with individual controls are buit in the chair back, the seat and the footrest.  These therapeutic massage chairs are very effective in relieving suffering from back pain.

Music therapy is a complimentary relief  and natural remedy to reduce the disability, anxiety, and depression associated with chronic pain. Many shiatsu massage chairs have a built in MP3 player.  Music therapy induces relaxation, helping you to let your stress and anxiety go.

Why not use technology to really reduce the pain and anxiety associated with your back pain.  Technology is being incorporated at a faster rate into massage chairs.  If you are looking to relieve your acute or chronic back pain, massage therapy is the natural answer.  You can find a masseuse or a massage chair.  A massage therapist is great, but you are limited to a particular time and place.  On the other hand, a massage chair is ready and waiting for you.  You can find a broad range of of massage therapies built into the massage chairs of today.  With the touch of a button you can find relief within the comfort and privacy of your own home.  If you got back pain, your best friend is a shiatsu massage chair.

I have tried a few massage chairs in my life, and overall I have not been impressed. It feels good, but key areas are missed unless I squirm around in the chair, or there is some irritating repeating pattern. And lets face it, a half-baked massage is worse than no massage at all! Then I tried an Omega massage chair. Their massage chair attitude is that a “massage chair should give you a thorough and strong massage, PERIOD!” Basically, a massage chair should fulfill its purpose and live up to its name. Omega message chairs are known for having one of the strongest massages on the market and is the cornerstone of their brand.

All Omega Massage chairs offer the wonderful benefits a s Shiatsu style message as well as the added benefit of Air Massage Technology (AMT). So what does that mean? Shiatsu message therapy originated through the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). One focus of TCM is to prevent illness and injuries through specific pressure points located throughout the body. Originally this was done through acupuncture, and though TCM has become more popular in the US, many Americans prefer acupressure (or Shiatsu massage therapy) over acupuncture (must be a fear of needles, though I did try acupuncture one in China, and there was no pain upon needle insertion!). There are more than 350 of these pressure points in the human body, and each is aligned with certain internal organs which are located along invisible energy lines called meridians. When pressure is applied to a point along a certain meridian, it releases stuck energy or encourages blood and fluid flow through that area. Omega massage chairs mimics acupressure by stimulating the pressure points through a variety of kneading, tapping, rolling and squeezing.

The other type of massage that Omega massage chairs offer is called Air Massage Technology (AMT). AMT technology is relatively new and uses air bags located in the back, seat and leg area of the massage chair. When you activate the Total Body Air Massage feature, the air bags inflate to squeeze and release your muscles for a very relaxing massage. It is similar to when a massage therapist will grab your muscle, hold and squeeze and then release the muscle. This helps to ease most of the tension in the muscle, resulting in a more relaxed body. This allows the Shiatsu massage to be more effective.

Another cool feature of Omega Massage chairs is their reflexology technology. This technology is incorporated with the airbags in the foot wells, truly allowing total body relaxation and rejuvenation from head to toe!

Everyone can benefit from a massage, and going and getting one from a massage therapist, or a visit to a spa to be pampered is a real treat for anyone, and all should occasionally indulge. But for a regular massage to help you deal with the day to day stress of life, you can’t beat an Omega massage chair. You can’t beat the convenience of an excellent massage in you home at anytime, no appointment necessary!

My husband has back problems, and no matter how hard I try, I just do not have the touch when it comes to back massage. Sometimes I think I do more harm than good. He tells me to feel and sense what needs to be done and where, but I just missed out on that sense of touch, the sense that all good massage therapists seem to be born with. So for the sake of our marriage, I recently started doing research on massage chairs, and was really impressed with what I found, especially the Human Touch massage chair line.

Human Touch has been in business for almost 30 years, and is the only robotic massage chair tested and recognized by the American College of Chiropractic Orthopedists as a valid supplement to back-care therapies.

Their first massage products came out in 1979, the Human Touch massage chair was introduced in 1985, and was revolutionary because it was the first robotic massage chair to introduce the contoured tracking system that was designed to follow the S-curve of the spine. In 1987 they launched a multifunction massage system with computer controls. They continued on their innovative path by setting industry standards in the 1990’s with quad-roller technology. Human Touch bases their research and development on the fields’ of massage therapy, chiropractic and orthopedic medicine, and stress management. Much of their massage technology and products are used in the medical profession along with other treatments for back pain and spinal disorders.

The Human Touch massage chair technology closely mimics known therapeutic massage techniques used by spinal and back care professionals. These techniques include:

Compression that feels like hands pushing firmly on your muscles along the side of your spine and in towards the spine itself.

Kneading, this mimics the feel of thumbs pressing firmly on both sides of your spine while moving in circular motions

Rolling which is the gentle motion of pressing firmly on one side of the spine and then the other. Great for relieving tension and loosening the muscles preparatory to a deep massage.

Percussion feels like fists or the edge of the hands quickly tapping on back muscles. This is one massage technique that even I can do most of the time, and is a good way to invigorate the entire back.

Another great thing about a Human Touch massage chair, is that it really is a whole body experience. Not only does your back get massaged, but your calves and feet as well. The Human Touch calf massage is unique in that it firmly massages your calf muscles from your ankles towards your knees which directs your blood flow upwards to improve circulation. As a beginner runner, this personally sounds very good!

And of course, at the base of the calf massage portion of a Human Touch massage chair, is a foot massager. Using the same technology as on the back, the foot massage feels like hands gently squeezing your feet to relieve discomfort and increase circulation.

Now, these chairs come in different styles, and I often wondered how the calf and foot massager worked. Well, on some Human Touch massage chair models, the chair reclines. The calf/foot massager can be tucked away under the chair so that the chair looks like a regular recliner when upright, but when reclined the foot rest comes up and can be rotated upwards to expose the calf and foot massager. How cool is that!

Yes, a Human Touch massage chair is in my future, not only would it be great therapy for my husbands back, but it would be beneficial for our marriage too!