Friday, February 6, 2009

Massage Therapy and Your Health: How Massage Chairs Can Help!

By James Knolan

Taking good care of our bodies and having good health are certainly higher priorities for everybody. There is so little time, as we are all so busy, that we seem to neglect taking care of ourselves. The day to day pressures build up stress in our bodies and we need to find time to release these pressures and find balance again. Massage therapy has been around for centuries to reduce stress and promote health and wellness, but who has time to go to the day spa? This is where a massage chair can help.

Can a massage chair really help me out? The premier massage chair brands have developed an incredible array of therapeutic massage therapies in their recliners. Massage therapy manipulates both the skin and muscles which helps to relieve and alleviate aches, pain and discomfort. Furthermore, massage chair recliners can perform full body massages. From you feet to your head, today's massage chair got your covered.

What do the studies say about massage therapy? Massage therapy is effective in helping the following: relax muscles; reduce heart rate: increase blood flow and lymph flow; reduce stress; and improve range of motion of joints. Massage therapy is not just about something that feels good. It is about releasing the building up of stress. Remember stess is cumulative and constantly builds. Massage therapy is about periodic treatment. Diet and exercise are not one time events and neither is massage therapy.

Of course, one of the problems of getting a massage is the time involved. By the time an appointment is set, you drive to the spa, and get the massage, and then come back home may all take 2 hours or more. This is great if you always have the time, but most of us do not. A massage chair on the other hand, provides in-home convenience, 24/7 access and no appointment necessary. It is ready, willing and able to relieve your aches and pains.

The traditional massage at a day spa for a full body massage starts with a therapist covering one part of your bodywill and then moving on to the next. If there are 5 major areas of coverage, then the massage therapist spends an average of 10 minutes on each area over a 50 minute massage.

The massage chair works in paralell. All 5 areas are receiving specialized massages at the same time. The total time of massage with a massage chair is just 10 minutes. There is a significant time reduction with a massage chair to deliver the same coverage of massgae therapy. The massage chair can effectively massage the back, both legs and arms at the same time. Each area is getting massaged all at the same time. This is a lot of massage therapy at one time. But in essence, 10 minutes in the massage chair is equivalent to a 50 minute massage.

A massage chair can help you by always being available when you need it. Imagine having 24/7 access to your own mechanical masseuse. No appointment necessary. Building a routine around massage therapy cannot be too hard. In fact to get the most benefit, the routine has to include periodic, continuous treatment. Sound like more fun that working out! Well, it certainly is a great compliment to soothe those aches, pains and soreness. Get the balance you need, and look at integrating massage therapy into your total health. The ancients would have loved the opportunity to have a massage chair recliner. - 16004

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