How Using a Massage Chair Can Improve Your Health

A person may buy a massage chair for several reasons. For some, a massage chair is a symbol of luxury. For others, it is a way to relax after a long day. But for many, a massage chair is more than an entertainment tool; it is a means to enhance their quality of life by using it to respond to health concerns. This is how using a massage chair can improve your health.

Muscle Aches

The most common health concern massage chairs are used to alleviate are muscle aches. Aches may come from several causes, all of which massage chairs are equipped to respond to.

For instance, muscle knots—when a section of muscle contracts and cannot release its tension—can be loosened using 3D and 4D roller technology which mimics deep tissue massage. Muscle spasms, often caused by strain or over-use, can be helped by relaxing muscles through gentle stretching and heat, both of which can be supplied by a heated massage chair.

Injury Recovery

Whether the injury came from a muscle strain or past surgery, a massage has several key benefits that specifically target the effects of injuries, helping them heal. Massaging injured areas can help promote blood flow which reduces swelling and inflammation from injured areas. This increased blood flow also helps promote the production of healing cells in hurt areas. Lastly, massages help stretch and relax muscle tension and break up scar tissue if done within the right time frame after an injury.

It should be noted, however, that not every injury should be treated with massage. For instance, massaging open wounds, burns, and broken bones can cause more harm than good in most cases. If you are unsure whether an injury would benefit from a massage chair, contact your primary healthcare provider.

Managing Chronic Conditions

For some people, pain does not come from being tense or because of a specific injury, but from a chronic condition. There are several conditions of this nature that a massage can help manage the symptoms of.

Fibromyalgia & Arthritis

Fibromyalgia and arthritis, though from different roots, both cause physical pain throughout the body. The deep muscle massage of 4D rollers can help reduce the pain caused by fibromyalgia. The way massage helps with muscle stiffness and reducing swelling and inflammation makes it a good choice to help relieve the pain caused by arthritis.

Chronic Headaches

Chronic headaches such as tension headaches and migraines can be triggered by multiple things including stress or muscle spasms. The way massage relaxes muscles and puts the mind into a more relaxed state can help relieve headaches when they occur. Massages may also help with hormone regulation which may be a trigger for conditions like migraines.

Better Circulatory Function

As mentioned, a massage can help promote blood flow throughout the body. For instance, if you are prone to swelling in the legs because of poor blood flow, massaging that area will help move new blood into these congested areas. Massage doesn’t only improve circulation in the areas being massaged but it also reduces overall blood pressure and heart rate. Since high blood pressure and heart rate are associated with stress, blood clots, heart disease, dizziness, and trouble breathing, having a simple, non-invasive method of reducing them is beneficial.

Enhanced Breathing

An unrecognized side effect of muscle tension in the upper body is its impact on our ability to breathe. Several muscles in the back and neck act as accessory muscles to the lungs. When they are tense or unable to relax, it hinders the body’s ability to take full breaths. Relaxing these muscles allows them to stretch to their full extent which allows the lungs to expand fully.

Improved Posture

Most people don’t think of bad posture as a health condition, and it isn’t. However, bad posture can trigger several health concerns including migraines and pain in the back, shoulders, and neck. These issues often stem from prolonged strain on the muscles which can be improved by any kind of massage.

But some posture issues stem from issues in the spine itself, such as increased pressure on spinal disks. Massage chairs with stretch or zero-gravity technology, such as those found in our ObusForme® massager collection, can help decompress the spine. This brings relief to symptoms caused by bad posture and helps to improve overall posture.

Mood Improvement

It’s clear that using a massage chair can improve the health of your body, but what about your emotional health? Massage has been known to reduce the stress hormone called cortisol and increase the production of the feel-good hormones called endorphins. Although this doesn’t necessarily “cure” anxiety or depression, it does help improve one’s mood. But stress and anxiety do not only impact the mind. Stress manifests itself in the body in the form of muscle tension, increased blood pressure, and shallow breathing, all of which can be relieved by massage.

Better Sleep

Sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. It helps regulate weight gain, increases concentration, and helps improve mental and emotional wellbeing. However, often when we lie down to go to bed at night, we find it difficult to will our bodies to relax because of stress. Massage gently urges the muscles to release their tension and helps relieve the pain that might have kept up later. Along with this, if negative feelings and anxiety are keeping your mind from “shutting off,” massage can help ease the mind into a more relaxed state for sleep.

Increased Immune System Function

Getting a better night’s sleep also helps the body to recover and prevent injuries and illness. That’s because sleep helps the body produce cytokines that help fight pathogens and inflammation. Because massage improves sleep, it also helps boost our immune systems.

Along with a lack of sleep, stress also hampers our immune system’s function by impacting its ability to create lymphocytes which help the body fight off illness. This is why we are more likely to get sick when we are stressed. Massage reduces stress and its immune blocking tendencies in order to keep your body in a better position to fight off illnesses.