Massage Therapy: An Overview

Massage therapy, whether from robotic massage chairs, or from a licensed practitioner, is one of the foundational 'healing arts' that have been in practice for centuries; the oldest references in European traditions date back to the 5th century BC, with some Chinese medical treatises going back a bit earlier. The Dara Happan culture of India has the oldest recorded descriptions of massage techniques.

Massage is a technique for manipulating the soft tissues, and to a lesser extent, the skeleton, of the recipient, trying to improve lymphatic flow and blood circulation in the Western techniques, or to balance the body's energy fields in Eastern techniques. The practice has moved in and out of popularity in different regions of the world over the last 3,000 years. Most massage is done at a spa, where the patient sits in a massage chair, and is rubbed over their body as they relax and stretch. The type of stroke depends on the kind of massage done; shiatsu massage, done in a chair or otherwise, focuses on applying pressure to the energy meridians used for acupuncture and acupressure.

When going to a spa for massage therapy, you'll likely be asked to lay face down on a bench or table, usually with a towel laid over you. The therapist will rub their hands over your shoulders and back, and then out to your extremities. Depending on the specific style of massage (ranging from hot oil, to cold stone, to classic Swedish…) you may have techniques used to move lymph and fatigue toxins into the core of your body for processing, or to move blood to the extremities. In Eastern techniques, there will be an attempt to balance the energy flow in your body to key meridians. A good massage therapist does their level best to keep their client relaxed. The aim is to relieve pain, to manipulate the joints, and to make the subject feel better.

The medical benefits of massage, while limited to informed trials, show strong correlations to stress release, and improved joint function when used to treat sports injuries and overuse injuries, as well as chronic pain such as arthritis. Massage triggers endorphins. This is why it feels good; it also helps you stretch out muscles that might not otherwise get extended, which is good for breaking down fatigue toxins. Other neurotransmitters are also released by massage therapy, including melatonin, which is one reason why massage is prescribed for people with mild sleep disorders.

Massage is part of a full spectrum of treatments, collectively known as bodywork or physiotherapy. It's important that, if you're going for massage, that you go for one that's been board certified in your state; there's a lot of medical knowledge tied into massage therapy, and in other parts of the world, massage is part and parcel with getting a medical degree. Because massage therapy is so individualized, make sure your therapist is aware of all of your symptoms, so they can focus on what needs to be done. Many massage therapists also branch out into chiropractic treatment as well.

Unfortunately, very few people can afford to have a massage therapist live in their home with them; the benefits of regular massage as part of an exercise program are fairly well known, and are built off of over four decades of therapeutic records for athletes from the Olympic games to professional leagues. Those long term benefits, and advances in making small, very efficient electrical motors, have resulted in a boom in automatic or robotic massage chairs. You may have seen a few of them.

Robotic massage chairs are often installed as a 'per pay' sit in session in an airport, where they use rollers under the cushion to simulate the effects of most classical light tissue and medium depth tissue massages. (They can't really go into deep tissue massages through clothing due to liability issues.) What used to cost thousands of dollars is now priced in the hundreds or so, and more people are buying robotic massage chairs for their homes.

Buying a good massage chair takes some investigation; like hiring a therapist, you want to make sure that it does what you need it to. While the prices have dropped, not all massage recliners have the same features. You may decide you want a particular feature more than others; it's worth it to do your research on the internet, narrow down the choices in manufacturers and models that interest you, and then visit a show room and try them out, to find the best massage chair for your needs.