Can a massage chair replace physical therapy?

This question comes up in almost every consultation, usually within the first few minutes of sitting in the chair: Will this save me from having to go to physical therapy? A study published in 2020 measured exactly that. It divided 56 people with back pain into two groups; one received physical therapy, and the other used a massage chair.

The short answer

No. A massage chair does not replace physical therapy. In the 2020 comparative study, both groups experienced less pain and moved more freely than before. With physical therapy, however, both outcomes were more pronounced—and statistically significant. What the chair can do, on the other hand: In the study, it cost 60 percent of what physical therapy cost, while participants reported the same level of satisfaction. And it’s right at home, every evening, without an appointment and without having to travel. The relevant question, therefore, isn’t whether one replaces the other. It is: What does physical therapy do, what does the chair do, and how do the two complement each other? A physical therapist assesses the patient, corrects exercises, and adapts the treatment—things no device can do. The chair, on the other hand, is ready every evening, even if the next insurance-covered appointment is six weeks away. Anyone with a doctor’s prescription should follow through on it. Anyone who wants to do something for their back between appointments has a tool for that in the chair.

What Was Measured in the Study

The study was conducted in South Korea and published in 2020 in the journal *Medicine*. Fifty-six people with chronic back pain were randomly assigned to two groups: 25 received standard physical therapy, and 31 used a massage chair. Pain was measured on a scale of 0 to 10, along with limitations in daily life and satisfaction with the treatment.

Both treatments were effective, and the results were statistically significant. Physical therapy was more effective in reducing pain and improving daily functioning. There was no difference in satisfaction between the groups. The researchers also calculated the costs and found that the chair treatment cost 60.17 percent of the cost of physical therapy.

Her own conclusion: The massage chair is cost-effective and a promising approach to pain management, but it is not as effective as physical therapy.

Why We Still Like to Quote It Anyway

It would be easier to leave this study out. After all, it shows that our product falls short of physical therapy in two out of three metrics. We cite it because it supports the point we make during consultations anyway: The chair is not a substitute for therapy. It complements it.

A physical therapist makes a diagnosis. They check whether the pelvis is misaligned, whether a muscle is tight, and whether the pain is coming from the back or elsewhere. They prescribe exercises, correct your form, and adjust them as needed. A machine can’t do any of that.

What the chair can do is something else entirely: It’s there every evening. A physical therapy session lasts 20 minutes and costs between 60 and 120 euros if you pay for it yourself. In many regions, you’ll have to wait weeks for an appointment covered by health insurance. The chair is waiting in the living room.

What Other Research Says About the Back

The largest review on this topic was conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration and updated in 2015. It evaluated 25 studies involving 3,096 participants, three of which used massage devices, while the rest involved manual massage. The conclusion is cautious: In their own words, the authors have little confidence that massage is an effective treatment for back pain. Where there was some improvement, it was short-lived. They rate the quality of the underlying studies as low to very low.

That's the honest truth. Anyone who tells you that a massage chair will fix your back either hasn't read the research or is trying to sell you something.

The results are clearer when the symptoms are more specific. A 2023 study followed 58 office workers with neck and shoulder pain over a six-week period. The group that used the massage chair subsequently experienced less pain and had a higher pressure pain threshold than the control group that received heat therapy. No adverse effects were reported.

How the two go together

In practice, we usually see this pattern with our clients: Physical therapy identifies the source of the pain and prescribes exercises. The chair keeps the muscles loose between appointments and makes it easier to even get started in the evening. Anyone who comes home after a 10-hour day on a construction site isn’t going to do any more back exercises. But after 20 minutes in the chair, they’re more likely to.

Talk to your doctor or physical therapist before using the chair for a specific medical condition. If you have a herniated disc, osteoporosis, have recently had surgery, or are pregnant, you should clarify this issue before sitting in the chair. You can find out what to keep in mind in our article “When to Exercise Caution with a Massage Chair.”

Sources

• Kim SK, Min A, Jeon C, et al. Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of massage chair therapy versus basic physical therapy in patients with lower back pain: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(12):e19514. View study
• Furlan AD, Giraldo M, Baskwill A, Irvin E, Imamura M. Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015;(9):CD001929. View study
• Chu H, Park SJ, Jeong Y, et al. Effect of a massage chair on neck and shoulder pain in office workers: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023;102(39):e35208. View study

You can find an overview of all the studies analyzed—including their design, number of participants, and results—on the " Studies on Massage Chairs" page.

This article summarizes research findings and is not a substitute for medical advice. If your symptoms persist, consult your doctor.