Chair Massage

Chair massage is massage given to a person who is sitting upright.

In the photo above, I am giving a chair massage to my client. Note the position of the client in the massage chair. His face is placed in a covered donut-like shaped face cradle, his chest is leaning against the chest rest but you cannot see it from this angle. His arms are resting on the armrest, and his legs are on the leg rests from the bent knees down, as he straddles the seat. The chair has been fully adjusted to comfortably fit the client.

Your client can be on a professional bodywork seat, a stool or office seat, kitchen chair, wheelchair, or even on the floor. Also known as onsite massage, seated massage is performed in the workplace, airports, malls, beauty shops, health food stores, conventions, and almost anywhere you can imagine.

Seated massage is most often thought of as relaxation massage. It is the perfect way to relax but it is also a great way to have painful areas of the body treated for pain relief.

There are many health benefits that you can gain from both seated massage and table massage.

The portability of a professional folding seat makes seated massage available to almost anyone. The massage therapist can fold it up, put it in its case, load it in the SUV, and drive to the event or office. Some cases have wheels so you can actually wheel the case instead of having to carry it.

Depending upon your geographic location, this type of massage is usually about a dollar a minute and in 10 to 15 minutes, a good massage therapist can have you feeling revived and ready to take on the world. Here is a basic chair routine for you to use.

Normally seated massage focuses on the neck, shoulders, back and arms. Trying to massage a client's legs and feet in seated massage can injure the therapist and is more suited for table massage.

The client remains fully clothed during the chair massage so some of the muscles are not as easily accessible as in table massage.

No messy oil is used during chair massage. However, sometimes lotion is used on the client's hands while the hands are being massaged.

Hands-free seated massage can prevent thumb injury for massage therapists.

Seated massage has been around for centuries. Tui na is an ancient form of Chinese folk medicine that works well in seated massage.

The modern massage chair was developed by David Palmer and a French cabinetmaker named Serge Bouyssou in 1984. The first one was wooden. Now they are made of lightweight materials for easy portability. They are light, but still very sturdy.

Learn about David Palmer's newest creation, Zubio.

Chair Massage

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Some conditions can prevent clients from getting a massage. They are called contradictions.

The client may need to have a physical prior to receiving massage therapy.

Always make sure that the massage therapist cleans the chair and his or her hands prior to working on you.

Sanitation helps to prevent the spread of illness.

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