Chair Massage
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How can Chair Massage help you?
Seated Massage, or Chair Massage, is a stress-reducing Therapeutic Massage that takes place seated a specially designed, ergonomic massage chair. Massage chairs can be readily accessed in public spaces, are often of short duration, and tend to be less expensive than a traditional or medical Massage. This method of Massage is considered a good introduction to Therapeutic Massage as you remain fully clothed and no oils or lotions are used.
Chair Massage:
- Usually concentrates on your head, neck, shoulders, and arms
- Is often of short in duration (five to thirty minutes)
- Helps reset your physical, mental, and emotional state
- Improves posture—the vertical seated position encourages proper alignment of your vertebral column
- Assists breathing—when sitting upright, you are able to breathe most fully and deeply, as the respiratory passages are unimpeded and the ribcage is able to move freely.
- Allows for easy interaction with the therapist
- Is accessible—a type of Massage that is suitable for those in wheelchairs and/or the elderly
Chair Massage, like all soft tissue Massage, is considered part of Integrative Medicine and helps to:
- Reduce stress and increase relaxation
- Reduce pain, muscle soreness, and tension
- Improve circulation, energy, alertness, and range of motion
- Lower heart rate and blood pressure
- Improve immune function
Overview
While giving Massages to people who are seated has been going on for centuries, Chair Massage, also known as Seated Massage, has gained greater popularity as an accessible method of relaxation. It is a Massage done while you are fully clothed and supported by a padded chair
You can now see specially designed Massage chairs appearing in public places such as airports, work sites, and shopping malls. Seated or Chair Massage uses specific techniques that are similar to table Massage but adapted for your body’s upright position.
As the name implies, Chair Massage Therapy is Massage that is performed with the client seated in a chair.
Seated massage is hardly new: “Centuries-old Japanese block prints illustrate people, having just emerged from a nearby bath, receiving massage while seated on a low stool”.
However, it wasn’t until 1984 that chair massage as it is practiced today began to take shape. That year, David Palmer, director of the Amma Institute of Traditional Japanese Massage in San Francisco, began working with a French cabinetmaker named Serge Bouyssou to design a chair that was portable, would hold a client’s entire body, and allow a massage therapist easy access to the client.
Three Problems Chair Massage solves:
The massage chair, as conceived by Palmer, was a way to solve several problems confronting the profession of massage at the time.
- First, the fact that massage chair clients would be fully clothed and in a public area avoided any association between massage and prostitution.
- Second, because the chair would be portable, it could be brought to any location where potential clients might be.
- And, finally, because the length of the massage could be shortened, the cost would be affordable for those who might be interested in trying massage but weren’t willing to invest a lot of money in doing so. (Institute for Integrative Healthcare, New York)
Chair Massage is usually undertaken by a Certified Massage Practitioner (CMP), distinct from a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT).
RMTs:
- Have received extensive training in the treatment and rehabilitation of muscular complaints.
- They can easily provide relaxation/in-chair type sessions, but their expertise is treatment- oriented massage provided on a table.
- RMTs are licensed and regulated by Canadian Provincial Government health standards.
- Most extended health policies provide coverage for Massage Therapy.
Chair Massage is ideal for special events or busy work environments where recipients are receiving ten to fifteen minute sessions for the purpose of general relaxation.
CMPs:
- Have received very specialized training in Chair Massage.
- Have successfully completed their training from recognized institutions offering professional relaxation Chair Massage programming.
- Are not covered by most extended health plans, however their rates are usually lower than RMTs and therefore an ideal choice for a company paying for services on behalf of their employees or when there is no or low extended health coverage for massage.
Chair Massage may work well with
Chair Massage is commonly used to treat
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