Whether you’re sore from athletic endeavors or have discomfort from an injury, massage therapy is a proven method of speeding recovery and reducing pain.
What better method is there of getting a massage than in your own massage chair in the privacy of your home at any moment you desire its soothing work?
Massage and Rehabilitation
The link between massage therapy and faster, more complete recovery from muscle tension and soreness is well documented. For example, The Atlantic magazine reports a study done at McMaster University in which muscle biopsies from both legs were taken from eleven men before exercising, after a grueling workout and again after ten minutes of vigorous massage that quickly followed working out.
The results showed the benefit of massage to two genes:
- The gene that decreases inflammation caused by muscle exertion
- The gene that boosts mitochondrial production in muscle cells
These vital genes were positively affected by the massage, immediately decreasing inflammation and increasing mitochondria. The study showed these reasons for the quick healing rather than clearing lactic acid from the muscle cells, a theory that had long been held.
Massage is now a staple methodology in rehabilitation of all types including physical, occupational, emotional, substance abuse and addiction recovery. In other words, tens of thousands of professional caregivers are using and recommending the use of massage from therapists and massage chairs in their work
Image source: YarnMan via Flickr
How a Massage Chair Promotes Healing
We’ve noted that two important genes in muscle tissue are positively benefitted by massage. Massage chairs also promote the robust circulation of blood and lymph, soothe nerves, detoxify bodily tissue of metabolic waste and balance Ki and improve its flow along the body’s 12 meridians.
In addition, many chair models have a heat function. Along with the general benefits of massage, warming muscles has been shown to promote their healing, as reported by the Mayo Clinic and other authorities. Warmth increases the enjoyment of the massage too.
Decision-makers within Tennis Australia recognised these benefits and partnered with INADA, a leading manufacturer of massage chairs, during the 2015 Australian Open. Massagers were placed in the players-only Chill Out Zone. The tennis players were quite enthusiastic about the chairs, and they were well used throughout the tournament to relieve muscle tension, quicken recovery time after matches and promote relaxation and well-being.
The Economics of Massage Chairs
While massage chair cost, especially for a quality model with all the features you want, can be significant, the chair will begin paying you back from the very first use.
First, you’ll never again have to pay the high hourly cost of a massage therapist. As you use your chair, and as others in your household take their turns, the per-massage cost will continue to drop until you’re saving money with every session.
Secondly, many of us have missed work and lost wages or business opportunities due to muscle aches and pains. Because the treatment provided by massage chairs speeds up recovery, you can be back to work and earning money more quickly.
Thirdly, when your physical health is good, your medical expenses are few. Do sore muscles keep you from working out? Might failing to exercise result in known causes of disease including weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle? The resulting health issues are costly, to say nothing of their negative impact on lifestyle and longevity.
Can You Afford to Be Without One?
Massage chairs are an investment in good health, in body, mind and spirit. They are money savers too! That’s why massage is promoted so widely in so many fields. Its benefits are known. If you battle muscle fatigue, soreness and significant pain due to your work, workouts, age or hobbies, perhaps it is time to discover the benefits of massage and what a chair can do for you.
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