Chair Massage Therapy
A break to relax and recharge during a stressful workday can seem unobtainable, especially when you need it most. A quick 15-20 minute chair massage makes it easy to access physical, mental, and emotional wellness at any point during your busy day.
A chair massage involves sitting in a more upright position. Instead of laying on a table, you kneel in a specialized chair that has a padded face cradle to support your head and chest.
Although chair massages are limited to the upper body, you can still enjoy full body benefits.
The Minnesota School of Cosmetology states that a chair massage has a wealth of health advantages.
It can lead to a reduction in stress levels, greater physical flexibility, a stronger immune system, and enhanced athletic performance.
Your chair massage will normally include a head and scalp massage.
A head and scalp massage is a pure sensory pleasure. You can sit there, close your eyes, relax and enjoy.
But did you know that besides placing you in a total zen-like state, this type of massage may ease headaches, cut down feelings of stress and even boost hair growth. Amazing, right?
Don’t just take our word for it, listen to the American Massage Therapy Association.
They have reported that a scalp massage may help decrease the intensity, duration and frequency of tension headaches.
BENEFITS OF A CHAIR MASSAGE
We have collected and analyzed the research on this subject, and have put it all together to answer your questions. All the studies used here have been done on employer-provided 15-20 minute chair massages at work. Here is what we found.
1. REDUCES STRESS
A whopping 85% stress reduction! Stress levels measured before and after each massage found one of the biggest benefits of seated massage therapy to be a seriously effective office stress reliever.
2. DECREASES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
One of the biggest benefits of office massages is that massage reduces anxiety by 26%, and depression scores also improve by 28%.
3. RELIEVES MUSCLE TENSION AND PAIN
Back pain is cut in half with regular corporate chair massages. A 48% decrease was seen in the studies on back pain and tension.
4. IMPROVES QUALITY OF SLEEP
Over multiple studies, the average improvement in sleep quality was 28%. That includes increased duration as well as fewer sleep disturbances.
5. RELIEVES HEADACHES
Headaches are decreased by an average of 48% in duration and intensity with regular onsite massages.
6. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
Across multiple studies, there was an average of a 6% drop in blood pressure, which may not sound like a lot. But that’s the difference between hypertensive blood pressure and normal blood pressure, and that’s without any medication at all! Plus, these studies showed that there was a lasting effect and the benefits of corporate massage programs showed very clearly as the massage group continued to have lower blood pressure than the control groups for weeks after treatment stopped.
7. PREVENTS REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURIES
For employees doing repetitive movements, weekly chair massage reduces repetitive stress injuries by 37%.
8. INCREASES IMMUNE FUNCTION
In studies on immune function, the good cells of the body perform 35% better as one of the benefits of corporate chair massage, and this is especially true for autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses.
9. TREATS CARPAL TUNNEL AND TENDONITIS
One of the benefits of chair massage programs is that people with carpal tunnel and tendonitis issues see a decrease in pain and discomfort by 14%.
10. INCREASES FOCUS, ENERGY, AND MENTAL CLARITY
After chair massages, employees in two studies show increased alertness, speed, and accuracy on math computations following treatment.