Are massage chairs medically beneficial?

Good for tension and muscle stiffness, especially in the back: Regular massage can relieve these issues and help prevent them. Not recommended for acute injuries to muscles, bones, or the spine, such as after a herniated disc. The most reliable way to determine whether your symptoms fall into the first or second category is through a consultation with a doctor, not the massage chair itself.

Massage chairs used to be something you mostly saw in shopping malls—a nice little treat to enjoy while waiting between stores. Over the past ten years, the technology has advanced significantly thanks to research and development, so it’s worth asking again: Do massage chairs offer any medical benefits?

As a long-standing specialty retailer of both massage chairs and massage services, we’ve put together this overview to help you understand when a massage chair can be beneficial and when a massage may be less advisable from a medical standpoint.

The fact that massages, from a medical perspective, often contribute to recovery and help prevent ailments is evident from the very existence of medically prescribed massages. The real question is whether treatment in a massage chair is equivalent to a manual massage and in what cases it should be used.

The past decade in particular has seen rapid developments in this area. A modern massage chair is increasingly able to replicate common massage techniques with greater precision, bringing it closer to medically prescribed massages. These include, among others:

• Pressure Massages
• Kneading Massages
• Tapping Massages
• Rolling Massages

Many models have long since mastered a combination of these techniques.

Recommended Reading: From Head to Toe: How Massages Help

Another improvement over older models is the ability to adapt specifically to your body. A body-scan feature tailors the treatment to your height and build, rather than providing a one-size-fits-all massage. From a medical standpoint, this approach to personalized treatment is therefore more sensible.

When is a massage chair a good choice?

The only way to answer that is to say, “It depends.” To determine the right answer, consider the following: Do you have any existing symptoms? Are massages an appropriate treatment for them? Is the massage intended for relaxation or pain relief? If you have existing symptoms, the answer to these questions should be left to a doctor.

Once a doctor has determined that massage is the right treatment for you, the next step is to find the model that best suits your situation. We’ve divided our product line into the following categories:

• Health and Rehabilitation
• For Active People
• For Business and Home Offices
• Retirement
• Premium Segment

Massage chairs saw a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Working from home and closed gyms led to an increase in physical discomfort, while massage providers were largely inaccessible due to lockdowns. It is precisely this combination—increased demand coupled with limited access to professional massage—that makes a massage chair medically beneficial.

Recommended Reading: Muscle pain can be one of the aftereffects of COVID-19. In this blog post, we explain what can help relieve it.

Health Risks: Are Massage Chairs Good for Your Health?

For the majority of everyday ailments, the cause lies in a lack of exercise and poor posture at work, which lead to tension and muscle stiffness, especially in the back.

Regular massage can help prevent this by relaxing the muscles and relieving existing tension. However, you’ll still need to address the underlying cause yourself; a massage chair treats the tension, not the poor posture that’s causing it. It’s always advisable to consult a doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms, in part to avoid any unwanted side effects from massage.

Whether a massage chair poses a health risk to you depends, therefore, on what symptoms you have and whether massage is even the right treatment for them.

Can a massage on the spine be harmful?

An adverse effect may occur in the event of injuries directly to the muscle or bone, particularly to the spine.

If individual vertebrae are injured, massage in that area is not beneficial to your health. Caution is also advised when massaging the cervical spine.

Discomfort caused by tension and muscle stiffness can usually be effectively relieved with a massage chair. If you have injuries in this area, you should consult a doctor first to determine whether massage is appropriate. The context—your individual situation and your goal—is always the deciding factor.

Recommended Reading: If you experience muscle soreness after a massage, find out here what might be causing it and how to prevent it.

Additional Features: How They Help in Everyday Life

The physical aspect of a massage isn't the only benefit a massage chair offers. Manufacturers often collaborate with medical professionals to develop additional features that improve well-being:

• Audio Stimulation
• Infrared Heating
• Zero-Gravity Function

Some models use special sounds during audio stimulation that are designed to promote relaxation. Infrared heat radiation has been shown to relieve pain and improve blood circulation.

The zero-gravity feature positions your body in a nearly horizontal position during the massage, which promotes blood circulation. Combined with the massage itself, this leads to a noticeably more relaxed state for most users.

It's important to familiarize yourself with the programs and intensity levels so that the massage is tailored to your specific situation. Twenty to thirty minutes is a good starting point; you should gradually increase the intensity until it feels right for you.

In a nutshell

Massage is generally beneficial when discomfort stems from muscle stiffness or tension. A massage chair can be helpful in such cases. However, in the case of injuries or unexplained symptoms, it is not a substitute for a medical evaluation.

Whether massage chairs are medically beneficial: in the cases described, yes—with the limitations mentioned.