Chair massage was introduced in the 1980s, and while it had a slow start, it has since become a staple in the massage profession. You’re now able to stop and get a quick 10 or 15 minute chair massage at a health fair, your local mall, or even the airport. And now you’ll also find therapists performing chair massage in the corporate world. More and more employers are seeing the benefits of regular massage, even a quick chair massage, for their employees and are implementing it as part of their employee benefits program.
For those of you who may not be familiar with what a chair massage entails, here’s the basic rundown…
You’ll remain fully clothed and have a seat on an ergonomic chair that positions you in such a way that the massage therapist can easily work on your entire back, neck, shoulders, and arms. Many people like the fact that they don’t have to get undressed for this type of massage, whether they’re just in a hurry or have trouble undressing.
There are just a couple drawbacks though to chair massage. It may not be quite as effective of a traditional table massage due to the hinderance of clothing, and the pressure may not be as deep as you want with the leverage restrictions of a seated position, but the good news is that many of the benefits are the same as a traditional table style massage.
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced anxiety
- Relief of muscles aches
- Headache relief
- Improved sleep quality
- Increased productivity (in the workplace)
Think about bringing this up with your boss if you’re an employee. If you’re the boss, show your employees that you understand their needs! Sometimes the business will pay the Massage Therapist and sometimes each individual pays for their own session. There a many options! Please feel ever so free to reach out with questions! Can you think of anything better in the middle of a work day?!