Massage Chair Techniques
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is one of the best known types of massage in the West. Swedish massage is perfect for those who don’t get a massage often and have a medium threshold for pain. Swedish massage uses longer massage strokes in an effort to warm the muscle to release tension and break up knots in your muscles, as well as many other health benefits, such as improved circulation, pain relief, and improved joint comfort. To learn more about Swedish massage and how it's used in massage chairs, click here.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massages is a deeper version of the Swedish massage style that targets deeper muscles and connective tissue, and is especially effective in areas that are chronically tense or contracted, such as the neck, lower back tightness, and sore shoulders. While a Deep Tissue massage does promote relaxation it is not uncommon, for your massage to be a little uncomfortable or painful, the massage strokes work out knots that are deeper within the muscle and are harder to access. Deep massage focuses on chronic pain or muscle tension to provide you with an improved relaxation benefit. To learn more about this technique, click here.
Reflexology
Many massage chairs employ reflexology in the foot rest of the ottoman during the foot massage. Reflexology is a great way to improve relaxation and relieve a lot of tense muscles in your feet and improve overall well-being.
Reflexology is a massage style that is based on the idea that application of pressure to specific areas of the foot will promote well-being in correlating areas of the body by releasing endorphins that are natural stress and pain relievers. How good do your feet feel after a nice foot massage at the end of a long day? To learn more about reflexology, click here.
Shiatsu Massage
Shiatsu massage employs some of the same techniques as acupressure, and in fact, Shiatsu translates to “finger pressure” and employs stretching, pressure, and rotating to provide a whole body restoration effect that can reduce stress, muscle pain, anxiety, and depression.
The philosophy behind a Shiatsu massage is quite old and based on the idea that your life energy or ki (chi or qi) flows through the body within many different energy channels. When you feel pain in a certain area, that energy channel is blocked. Shiatsu massage works to relieve those blocks and provide a relaxing and refreshing massage. To learn more about Shiatsu massage, check out this page.
Tapping Massage
Tapping is a great way to remove stiffness, promote blood circulation and break up scar tissue. Sometimes referred to as Percussion massage, Tapping is a series of rapid tapping strokes that stimulate muscles, and connective tissue. To learn more about how the tapping technique can help you with sport recovery, click here.
Kneading Massage
Kneading massage is a great way to relieve tension and soreness in the muscles by lifting and stretching muscles. It promotes blood and lymph circulation and also helps bring vital nutrients to the spinal area, eliminating toxins from the muscle and nerve tissues. Your massage chair will utilize kneading on your back in small circular motions on both sides of your spine.
Kneading massage is the basis for the “Grasping” massage style that some Massage Chairs have available, which combines kneading and 3D massage roller technology to reach the neck, upper shoulder, and certain muscles along the spine. To learn more about how kneading massage is used for recovery, click here.
Vibration Massage
Vibration massage is an old and effective method for reducing soreness and improving circulation. Many massage chairs have vibration plates within the chair that deliver a vibration massage with varying intensity. Most massage chairs that say they can sync your massage with your music do so with vibration massage. For more information about the medical benefits of vibration, click here.
Air Compression or Squeeze Massage
An air compression massage is delivered to your extremities and core via the airbag system built in to most of our massage chairs. Air compression has been found to relieve stiffness and improve blood circulation within your body. The compression style is also adept at stimulating the lymphatic system to remove toxins from the body.
A compression or squeeze massage is great way to alleviate tension in your hips and thighs as well. Typically for this, the airbags will inflate in the hip area to squeeze and help relieve stress and joint pain. The squeeze massage is frequently used in conjunction with the back rollers to ensure you get the most out of your massage.
Air compression massages usually have varying intensity levels and can sometimes be targeted like much of the back massage by using the manual mode controls. In some massage chairs it is also used to promote a stretch massage. To learn more about this feature, click here.
Stretch Massage
Stretching is a great way to relieve knots as well as loosen muscles up to prepare them for the rest of your day. Most massage chairs utilize their built-in airbag system to strategically pin you into the chair to provide a stretch.
This massage style can help relax your body and prepare you for a deeper massage, or loosen up stiff muscles so you feel better during your hard day at work. To learn more about stretch programs in massage chairs, click here.