Massage Chairs



             


Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Massage Chairs For Home Relief

Have you ever sat on your couch or favorite recliner after a long, difficult day?s work, and wished you could be doing something about your aching neck, back, legs? Massage chairs were designed specifically for this reason. In fact, you can purchase a massage chair for your living room, and say goodbye to daily stress by reclining back and letting the chair?s specially constructed massage heads melt away your tensions.

Massage chairs are said to have many benefits, which are similar to the benefits realized by visiting a masseuse. Chairs that offer a variety of types of massage techniques, from kneading to tapping to rolling and vibrating, and even including some specialized techniques for muscle and tissue relaxation, like Swedish, Shiatsu, and Hawaiian, can be purchased for use in the comfort of your home. Massage chairs that are for basic relief, chairs with more advanced massaging capabilities, and chairs that are state-of-the-art that offer masseuse-like touch from your head to your feet?there are so many to choose from.

When it comes to picking your massage chair, think first about why you need this piece of well-crafted furniture. Do you want to have a wide range of massaging options? Look, then, for a chair that has multiple settings. Some chairs will offer just one or two modes, while the top of the line massage chairs will have eight or more from which to choose. Do you want to create a simple spot where your back and neck can be gently relieved of kinks and tension? Or are you looking for a chair that offers leg and foot support, as well? It is important to know what you need, because the options are mind blowing.

Some of these massage chairs will give you the opportunity to have your legs gently massaged, letting the calves release their tension and cramps. This is a particularly good choice for the elderly, who often times have poor circulation in the legs. A massage chair with leg features can, in fact, temporarily improve the circulation, ridding you of the pain associated with decreased blood flow to areas of your body. What about swelling? Massage chairs are particularly good at momentarily releasing built-up fluids, especially in the legs. When fluids accumulate in an area of the body, the stimulation provided by a massage chair helps aid in the body?s absorption of these pent up fluids, which reduces the swelling.

Beyond those selling points, there is also the choice of purchasing a massage chair that stimulates specific points on the body; these are the same points that are targeted in acupuncture. By tailoring your massage to your acu-points, you'll have increased blood flow to stimulate energy. That?s right?a massage chair can relax your body, while at the same time reinvigorate you after a long day. Or perhaps your thighs and hips are stiff and uncooperative? A massage chair equipped with a stretching feature will use air to manipulate the legs in gentle stretches, raising and lowering your legs in varying intervals.

All in all, massage chairs, which incidentally range in price from several hundred dollars into the several thousands, are available for in home use. After a long, tiresome day, a massage chair in your living room can be the perfect way to unwind.

http://www.AboutMassages.com brings you the latest on massage. Massages are gaining in popularity, and we want to bring you up to date information! Be sure to check out our latest information page on massage chairs

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Thursday, February 28, 2008

Top 5 Things You Must Remember Before Purchasing Your Massage Chair

I?m going to take a guess and say that if you reading this you are probably in pain right now. Whether it is neck pain, back pain, or shoulder pain, pain is pain. However before you decide to go out and make your purchase of a new massage chair, make sure your pain isn?t clouding your judgment. Read on to find out what you absolutely must remember when purchasing your massage chair.

1. Features

The old massage chairs models only provided vibration. If you are purchasing a chair today make sure it offers the following:

Kneading or "shiatsu"- Kneading rolls from the spine outward. It feels like two hands alternately rubbing your back. It has the feel of a genuine hand massage.

Percussion/Tapping - Looks like a client's back is being "karate chopped". This technique stimulates blood flow and helps muscle stiffness.

Rolling- This is where wheels roll up and down either side of your spine. This does 2 things 1.) it gently moves the spinal bones and 2.) stretches the spine and its muscles.

Foot and calf massager ? Quite a few of the new chairs have an attached ottoman that has a calf and foot massage feature. This is a vital feature, especially for people who are on their feet all day long.

Full recliner - the greater the reclining angle of the chair, the more the weight of your body can make the massage deeper. If you really want the rollers and kneaders to give you a deep-tissue massage, then the further back you need to recline. A lot of chairs don't recline much farther than 135?. You will want 170-180? reclining angle for the more intense massage option.

2. Durability

You need a strong, well-built massage chair. Most likely you won?t know how good a motor is or how well built the chair really is, but there are some other ways to know if a chair is a workhorse and will last a while:

Warranty ? It is a good sign when the company gives a longer term warranty. This will give you confidence to know the company stands behind their chairs. But beware of long warranties that are so limited that if anything goes wrong there are so many loopholes to not cover your chair that it?s like you have no warranty at all.

Reputation - make sure that you are dealing with a well known manufacturer. Also, be sure they can always be available to you. For example, a manufacturer's website with a toll-free customer service phone number would be great. The length of time in business is probably a good indicator of how good the manufacturer is. See if the chair/company has any professional endorsements.

New vs. Used - there are a lot of used chairs out there, but just like a used car, you never quite know what you are getting. It?s a good bet the warranty has expired, but you have no idea how the previous owner treated the chair. Who knows...maybe it was in a home that had children jumping on it like a trampoline! The point is you just don?t know how it?s been treated.

3. Ease of repair

A good massage chair will be built with a modular design. Why is this so good? For cheap and easy repair. If a part is broken or material is torn, the modular design will allow you to isolate the damaged part and send it off for repair. This is so much easier and cheaper than sending off the whole chair.

4. Price

Surely you?ve noticed good massage chairs are not cheap. You will be spending some money to get a chair you can count on. But, the price doesn't have to be through the roof. Some chairs are way too expensive for the features that come with them. Prices can range anywhere from $1000 - $6000. Quite a spread, don?t you think? Well, you can get a chair with everything mentioned here for $2000 - $2700. When you compare the price of your chair to regular visits to a massage therapist or a chiropractor, over time the price of the massage chair is far less than what you'd pay out for all those therapy visits.

5. Money Back Guarantee

This is very straightforward, if your retailer can't back up the sale of their chair to you with at least a 30 day unconditional money back guarantee, then you need to be skeptical. This goes back to reputation and customer service. They must stand behind their product. How else can you feel good about your purchase if it's not backed up by the seller? By the way, be prepared to pay for shipping and freight back to the seller if you decide to return your chair. That is pretty standard across the board. And that's not cheap! Hopefully these 5 must know tips have been helpful to you in your search for a quality massage chair. Happy shopping!

Heather is an educator in the chiropractic and mental health fields. In her spare time she reviews high ticket items in order to educate consumers. For a fabulous selection of massage chairs that will beat any online price visit http://www.Best-Massage-Chairs.com

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Monday, February 4, 2008

The Rising Popularity Of The Massage Chair

Available to the retail market beginning in the 1980's, massage chairs are finally becoming one of the most popular home therapy products on the market. These chairs were developed to provide the benefits of massage therapy to the home user on a regular basis. Also, by being placed in one?s home, it affords a great deal of convenience.

Massage therapy has been used for centuries to treat pain, help with relaxation. Massage is also credited with boosting the body?s immune system through the stimulation of reticular cells. Like a traditional massage, the massage chair is designed to reduce tension, reduce headaches, relax muscles and alleviate pain. Massage chairs are thought to help sufferers of digestive problems, circulation problems, and chronic fatigue.

Earlier models of massage chairs were not very effective. But as technology developed, the mechanisms became more realistic and reliable. While a massage chair may not be able to simulate the total therapeutic benefits of a massage by hand, at the very least, it provides massage motions that are consistent. Some people even say that the electronic massage is in fact better as the motions never tire and they are delivered in a rhythmic and regular fashion.

With the advent of improved technology, today?s massage chairs can be customized and programmed to meet the user?s individual needs. Programs pinpointing problem areas and allowing choice of firmness are becoming standard, and the choice of mechanisms also varies widely. Some feature popular shiatsu style kneading action, while others employ vibration and rollers to achieve that ?ooh, ahh? sensation.

With increased technology and rising consumer demand, the price of good quality massage chairs should continue to drop. This will result in a massage chair becoming more affordable to more families. In time to come, perhaps, the massage chair will no longer be considered a luxury item.Caroline Colby is a publisher of information on Massage Therapy. Her site includes information on massage techniques, massage chairs, massage oils, etc. Please visit http://www.massage-therapy-central.com.

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Knowing Your Massage Chair

After a hard days work, sometimes you don’t have the luxury to go to a therapeutic masseuse to relieve aching muscles or stressed joints. But a good massage is available and waiting for you at home with a massage chair.

What is a massage chair? The massage chair is a comfortable leather or comparable chair that can massage your body from head to toe. Like a masseuse, the massage chair is capable of providing various massage techniques such as Shiatsu and Swedish massage.

Massage chairs are made of parts that can replicate hand motions of a masseuse. The heart of the massage chair is its motor. It serves as the power behind the nodes, rollers and adjustment functions. The motor must be running in order for the chair to massage you. For buyers, it’s important to have a good quality motor with a warranty. The life of your chair depends very much on the motor.

Besides the motor, there are other essential pieces to the chair. The nodes and rollers are the parts that emulate the hands. They vary in size and provide more of the pinpoint specifics of massage. They can even target parts of the back or other body parts.

Although the older models vibrate, today’s massage chairs provide more complex movements. A massage chair can knead, roll and recline. Kneading is a process of lifting tissue or pulling away of tissue. The kneading process for a massage chair is very similar. It replicates the hands rubbing the back and body.

The massage chair provides a rolling motion as well. The rollers are essentially small wheels moving up and down on the back and spine. Most massage chairs come with at least eight rollers; some high as 18 rollers, depending on how elaborate the chair is. However, the effectiveness ultimately comes down to the quality and motion of the wheels. The wheels and motion will determine the type of massage that one will get.

With newer models, seat adjustments are a standard. A person needs to feel comfortable first before he or she can enjoy the benefits of the massage. So the chair must be able to adjust to any shape and size to perform well. Moreover, chairs now have more joints and parts that can reach places on every part of your body like a real massage. Consider getting a massage chair with lots of different adjustments if you will have more people using the chair.

Newer massage chairs provide options beyond just adjusting the chair. Massage chairs come with a remote that will allow you to set the speed and intensity of the massage or dedicate a massage to a specific part of your body. If you’re looking for a harder massage with faster motion, you can simply change the settings on the remote. Having problems with your lower back? The settings of most new massage chairs will allow you to focus the massage at the lower back.

Massage chairs are complex pieces of machinery that can do a lot to replicate an actual massage. Since the chairs come in so many different forms, knowing how they work will help you find the right chair for you.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Massage Chair

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Thursday, December 20, 2007

Massage Chairs As A Means To Ease Pain

Many massage chairs built today are technological marvels that incorporate several different types of massage in order to aid relaxation. So, when shopping for a new chair these separate features should each be understood in order to appraise which massage chair will bring you the benefits you desire.

Rolling: Rolling massage relieves tension and loosens muscles to prepare the back for deeper massage. It does so by pressing firmly on one side and then the other, gently traversing up the length of the spine.

Kneading: Kneading massage is a deeper therapy, working and stretching the muscles to enhance circulation. Typically it's performed in a circular motion and replicates the feeling of thumbs or fingers working along both sides of the spine thus easing soreness and working out knots.

Compression: Compression massage alternates strokes that push firmly on muscles along the spine as well as inward towards the spine which helps to increase mobility and flexibility while improving posture.

Percussion: Percussion massage emulates a tapping or chop-chop motion that provides tension-breaking vibrations and invigoration for the muscles. The percussion massage helps to relieve spinal pressure while invigorating the entire back.

HTT: Human Touch Technology, a registered trademark, so closely replicates the 3-dimensional motion of wrist and arm movements of a trained massage therapist that it is recommended by the American College of Chiropractic Orthopedists.

Reflexology: Stress relief via foot massage, reflexology uses thumb-like pressure that is often delivered via air devices located in the feet of some chairs.

Depending on the type of chair purchased, one, a few, or all of these features will be present. Some combine the massage techniques through personalization that it either manually controlled or automatic. Others have pre-selected massage programs such as shiatsu or Swedish massage.

In terms of dimensions, if you're large you'll need a large chair, but any chair you purchase is likely to be quite a bit heavier than a non-massage enabled recliner. It's best to make sure that delivery and assembly come with whatever purchase you decide to make. Finally, massage chairs are expensive so take the time to decide carefully on what you really want. Ideally you'll have a chair that serves you well for many years, and ultimately saves you quite a bit in visits to a chiropractor or masseuse.

Ted Huffman is a massage therapist based in Encio, California.
Testing done at: http://www.relaxtheback.com/
Massage chairs

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