A chair massage is given while a person sits in a specially designed chair. This massage chair is designed so you can sit in it with your chest facing a platform, knees bent and feet supported on foot rests, leaving your entire back exposed. This allows the massage therapist to work on the entire back body, back of the head, neck and spine.
David Palmer designed the massage chair in the mid-1980s that is still in popular use.
The person receiving the massage remains fully clothed, making chair massage very easy to do. Chair massages are frequently given in health food stores, at health clinics and even office settings where a company might hire a massage therapist to work on-site.
Identification
You can receive a chair massage using any chair by simply sitting in the chair so that your chest is facing the chair back and your legs straddle the seat. Your arms will hang by your sides. The massage therapist can easily knead muscles along the back of the shoulders, neck and also the arms and hands.
Chair massage is usually performed using a chair specifically designed for this kind of bodywork.
The convenience of remaining fully dressed for this body work makes it possible to squeeze in a 30-minute minimassage while out shopping and running errands.
David Palmer, a massage therapist, is credited with making chair massage available to more people by seeing that thousands of body workers were trained and that corporate accounts were set up to serve office workers.
Significance
The primary significance is that many more people can afford chair massage, generally offered at places such as health foods stores, health fairs and health clinics. While rates may vary, chair massage is slightly less expensive than booking a traditional massage, in which an undressed client lies under a sheet on a set-up table.
People who are new to bodywork or those who are not comfortable receiving massages without their clothes on may benefit from chair massage.
Having a chair massage is still therapeutic. Many people carry tension in the neck, shoulders and upper back, all of which the therapist has access to during a chair massage.
Benefits
Massage of all kinds stimulates the endocrine system. It helps to move toxins into the bloodstream where they can be moved out of the body through breathing and normal means of detoxification.
Massage activates the lymph system that moves toxins out of the body.
Endorphins are released from massage, helping the client experience a sense of relaxation and well-being.
Chair massage is easy to find and even a shorter massage can provide many benefits.
Considerations
Work with reputable, licensed massage therapists. You can certainly get a terrific massage from someone who is not professionally trained and licensed, but by doing so, you are missing out. Massage therapists undergo rigorous training in many styles of body work, including Swedish, Shiatsu, deep tissue and others to provide the most appropriate massage.
A licensed massage therapist is also able to effectively reduce stress levels as he will know which areas of the body can stimulate the liver or specific methods of lympathic activation.
If you are on a menstrual cycle or pregnant, tell your massage therapist so she can work your massage appropriately.
Women can reduce PMS symptoms significantly with massage and new mothers can get relief from low back pain and indigestion, which are common during pregnancy.
Misconceptions
Perhaps the greatest misconception is that chair massage is "lesser than" a full-body massage.
Corporations often hire chair massage therapists to work on their employees to reduce stress levels and increase work productivity. And, in the office setting, it is usually most practical to offer chair massage as people will have likely eaten before receiving a massage.
With a full-body massage performed on a table, most clients will be so relaxed and perhaps feel fatigued or fall asleep, not the appropriate physical state to be in at the office.
Tags: chair massage, massage therapist, massage therapist work, therapist work, body work, chest facing