Massage Chairs for Pain Relief

Pain is the physical suffering or discomfort caused by an illness or injury. That is the definition of pain, and these discomforts of life are something that we, as people, go through everyday. From cuts to broken bones, pain is delivered in a variety of different ways. A lot of pains can be helped with some form of therapy. Take for example: a massage therapy; a good massage can do wonders to help relieve tensions and pains all across the body. Yet many people do not have the luxury of going to a massage therapist to get pain relief - it just isn’t convenient or available as an option.

However, massage chairs have developed into a great alternative to seeing a professional therapist. Receiving a massage in the privacy of your home, on your own time and convenience, makes massage chairs a great alternative to relieving back pain. Yet the list is extensive.

Studies have found that massages are helpful for:

• Anxiety
• Digestive Disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Insomnia related to stress
• Myofascial Pain Syndrome
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• end etc.

Massage chairs may have been seen as luxury purchases in the past, but the massage chair market has revolutionized how cheap and accessible these therapeutic machines are nowadays.

The Science Behind It

Massages improve venous and lymphatic flow throughout the body. By massaging the body, blood flow is able to increase, which allows for greater circulation and absorption of nutrients into muscle tissues. Endorphin levels are also increased, providing positive results, where high levels of endorphins are correlated with quicker recovery, reduced pain, and reduced anxiety.

Massage Chair Features

There are several features in a variety of massage chairs, which allows for providing pain relief to many areas on the body. Here are some features of massage chairs and what they do for the body.

• 3D/4D Massage - The 3D design of the rollers allow for the rollers to push out further, deeper into the body, and 4D movements mimic the motions of human hands. The mechanism is able to move up-down, side-to-side, and in-and-out for penetration and effectiveness down the length of your spine and glutes. These two features are relatively new to the market, and are huge revolutionary features that allow for greater pain relief from massages.
• SL-Track Roller - Most modern massage chairs contain SL-tracks, a roller track that is ergonomically designed to the contours of the human body. Instead of having fixed massage points, the mechanism is able to reach a wide range of the body without it being heavily limited.
• Heat Therapy - Heat therapy is a way of soothing and releasing tension and stress built up in tight muscles. By releasing tight muscles, this allows the body to experience massages on another level. The loosening of muscles along with increased blood circulation lets the body become more flexible, instead of having constrained muscles restricting mobility.
• Auto Programs - Preset auto programs allow you to choose a program that fits your needs. Whether it's an automatic program for recovery form  injuries or for stretching like yoga, most massage chairs come with auto programs designed to accommodate most pains.
• Manual Programs - Functions built into the massage chair can also be customizable to your needs. Some chairs allow for only certain areas to be worked upon. Let’s say that you want your feet and arms to be relieved of pain, but do not want to massage your back; manual programs and functions built into the massage chair allow for these customizations to happen. Massage chairs built to have manual functioning is a great way to massage at your own convenience and support.
• Adjustable Intensity - Controlling the intensity of the massages and how much force is being used lets people have the ability to customize their own massage experiences.
• Zero Gravity - In the zero-gravity position, your legs are leveled or elevated above it. This position allows for an even distribution of weight across the body, away from your spine and legs. It reduces stresses placed on your body, and promotes blood circulation throughout your body.
• Hand/Arm Massage - Most massage chairs have armrests and airbags along the sides of the chair. Air compression massage provides relief to injured forearms and hands by promoting blood circulation.
• Shoulders/Hips Massage - Some massage chairs also come with shoulder and hip airbags. These bags compress against your body to promote support and relief against pains centered around those areas by promoting blood circulation.
• Foot Massage - Massaging our feet is a great way to take care of it. Though use of rollers and airbags, our feet are able to be worked on, promoting blood circulation and recovery from injuries and trauma.

These functions/features on massage chairs allow for massage chairs to provide medical therapeutic support. By relieving people of pain, the massage therapy promotes recovery for a variety of injuries and pains, while also allowing the user to have it on their own schedule/convenience and as an alternative option to seeing a professional therapist.

Forms of Pain & Massage Chair