Massage Techniques Offered By Massage Chairs
Massage chairs are built to perform a wide variety of massage techniques. More expensive chairs will offer a greater range of massage techniques as well as speeds and intensities whereas basic massage chairs will offer fewer options in terms of massage functions. Still, kneading, rolling, and percussion or tapping are some basic functions that are most important and come standard with most chairs.
The rolling technique is a basic way to stretch your back and spine. This loosens up the area for deeper massages to follow. This massage is performed by a large roller in the back rest of the massage chair and works a large area of the back to increase circulation.
Kneading relaxes and invigorates the body by gently applying pressure to an acupoint and holding it until the tension is transferred from the body to the roller. Then the roller retracts at the same time the tension pressure is released. The kneading motion feels like two thumbs pressing firmly in a circular motion on both sides of the spine to lift and stretch the muscles deeper than the roller.
Popular in sports medicine, percussions or tapping is the rapid tapping of the back muscles. It feels like fists or the edge of hands and this motion flexes spinal joints to relieve pressure and invigorate the entire back. Some chairs refer to the technique as percussion while others use the term tapping.
Shiatsu massage refers to the style of massage that works to use pressure on acupoints to stimulate energy flow and overall health of the body. It is based on the science that different acupoints correlate directly to certain organs of the body and stimulating those points will in turn stimulate those organs or glands. It is a deep tissue massage that feels like fingers applying pressure to points all over the body.
Acupressure is a technique that squeezes the muscles along the spine inward toward each other. It feels like the heel of a person’s hand pressing and releasing alongside the spine. This has a loosening effect that warms up the muscles and loosens the back. Depending on the massage chair manufacturer, acupressure is also referred to as compression.
The Swedish technique is a very relaxing technique of pressuring muscles and rubbing them in the direction of blood flow to the heart. It is a combination of other techniques to produce the loosening and relaxing other muscles as well as increasing blood flood. It is what most people would consider a normal massage and has become the standard massage.
One function that massage chairs offer that can’t be duplicated by any human massage therapist is the air massage. This is a feature of some high end chairs that use the inflating and deflating of air bags to squeeze parts of the back, arms, and legs of the user.
Each technique offered by the massage chair serves its own specific purpose and it is up to the consumer to decide what functions are most important. There is a huge selection of brands and models to choose from and pretty much any combination of functions are available.
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