If you find that you often have aches and pains in your back, glutes, or thighs, a vibrating massage chair is a convenient way to help. People who have used a quality massage chair will know that it can ease your pains and help you to get on with your life free from daily discomfort.
In this guide, we look at some of the benefits of vibrating chairs, including how they ease the pain after a workout, or just from daily wear and tear. Your whole body could soon be feeling 10 years younger.
How Does a Vibrating Massage Chair Help Your Muscles?
So, what is the scientific evidence? Can it really help your muscles or is this just a myth?
There are many ways vibration makes your body feel better. Sitting on a vibrating massage chair pad raises the temperature of muscles and tissue. This leads to an increased blood flow through your body. The better blood flow makes the body react by relieving tightness you might be carrying in those muscles.
Vibration stimulates your body to increase capillaries in the blood. This is called capillarization. This also happens during exercise. More capillaries mean that oxygen can flow quicker through the body, and get to the muscles. This doesn’t just help with muscles, it can improve your overall health and wellness.
Other Vibrating Massage Chair Benefits
Vibration therapy, using a vibrating massage chair cushion or a full massage chair has even more benefits.
The Clinical Rehabilitation Journal released a study that showed evidence that vibration therapy can improve bone mass, and even muscle strength. In the study, older adults had improved muscle strength after a course of vibration therapy. This means it is effective for people who are struggling with mobility issues.
More studies are needed, but there are also suggestions that vibration chairs can help with bone strength. This could make it a treatment for osteoporosis.
Some promising studies in mice suggest that vibration can even boost your metabolism and help with weight loss.
Some studies have also shown that vibrations can help people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Again, more research is needed to show what the long-term benefits could be. However, in the short-term, it has been shown to lessen the muscle tremors most sufferers experience.
As well as physical benefits, a massage can give your mental health a big boost. Massage is proven to reduce cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is what makes people feel stressed and is the cause of a lot of anxiety.
Getting a massage after work can be a great way to unwind and replenish your mental health. It can even alleviate depression and anxiety by boosting serotonin as well as reducing cortisol.
Can Vibration Massage Do Damage?
Use your massage chair or other vibrating devices safely and follow instructions, and the risk is very low.
If you suffer from a long-term condition or injury then it is a good idea to consult a physician first. Your doctor might tell you that certain types of massage therapy are better than others.
You should also refrain from using the vibrations too rigorously in one area. Rotate to target different muscle groups, and don’t spend hours a day getting a vibration massage. This can cause damage. High-intensity vibrations could cause injuries to your back.
It is likely that a doctor will tell you not to have a vibration massage if:
- You are pregnant
- You have diabetes
- Have a degenerative disease
- You’re taking blood-thinning medications
- Suffer from heart disease
Do All Massage Chairs Vibrate?
Massage chair features vary a lot from one model to another. Vibration is just one of the tools to reinvigorate your body and mind.
While some massage chairs have vibration modes, others focus on methods like rollers and compression. For instance, the Osaki 3D Pro Cyber has a 3D roller system to give deep tissue massage. It also features compression airbags all over the body, which inflate and deflate to provide a thorough massage.
Massage chairs often include a variety of other methods and features such as lumbar heat to support circulation, and reclining modes to spread your body weight.
Each of the features has a method of easing muscle pain, one of the key features that most massage chairs provide. For instance, deep-tissue massage can help sufferers of chronic pain to work muscular tension out of their body.
Do Massage Chairs Really Work?
Some people are skeptical about massage chairs. Can they really give an effective massage? Can a robot do the job of a massage therapist?
Massage chairs have always been very effective, even when they were introduced. Though 20 years ago they didn’t personalize your massage as much, they always offered vibration therapy and rolling and kneading features.
The benefits of massage, such as the reduction of muscle fatigue, are backed up by scientific studies.
Technology is also helping to make these chairs even more effective.
How Chairs Are Using Modern Technology
In the modern age, massage chairs have become so much more advanced. Features that can give you a personalized massage include:
- Using computer technology to scan your whole body and give a more effective massage using pressure points.
- Including multiple inbuilt modes and features. You can enjoy a gentler massage style like shiatsu, or something more intense like deep tissue massage to really work out all the knots.
- Letting you choose the intensity of the massage for different parts of your body.
- Giving you full control via an app.
The benefits of a massage chair are not made up to make a sale. Numerous scientific studies have backed up the benefits of massage features including kneading, tapping, and vibration.
Chairs are beginning to use analysis to replicate the sort of massages a massage therapist would give you, and create a personal plan for your body.
Conclusion
If you constantly find yourself aching after a hard day at work or a visit to the gym, vibration massage could provide daily relief without the need for painkillers. Use your chair to feel better after exercise or to relax and de-stress before you sleep.
Rather than having to visit a massage therapist, you can use a full-body massage chair any time of the day, within your own home. The Osaki 3D Pro Cyber can massage your full body, from your neck to your glutes, to your calves and feet. Wherever your pains are, you may wonder how you ever went without vibrating massages.