If you are considering buying a massage chair, whether it be for relaxation and pleasure, or because you have back pain, you really need to understand what types of chairs are out there, and how they help to relieve the various types of back pain. This will be a major investment, so prepare yourself in advance by knowing exactly what your needs are, what is available, and what you can afford to spend.

Using a massage chair on a regular basis, you will:

• Improve blood circulation
• Ease body aches and pains
• Relieve mental stress
• Ease body tensions
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Improve flexibility
• Give you a full and relaxing body massage whenever you feel you need it

There are three basic types of massage available in these chairs. Shiatsu massage uses a tapping and kneading method along the body’s acupressure points. Swedish massage uses a longer stroke instead of tapping, but includes squeezing and kneading, while adding heat. The Hawaiian massage is the gentlest, making use of light tapping, sway, and stroking. Make sure that the one you purchase can do what you want it to do. Some chairs will provide all three methods. You will find massage chairs that incorporate music, heat therapy, and traction, all helpful in easing lower back pain.

If you suffer regularly from sore, aching muscles, the Hawaiian massage will give you relief. The long, full strokes relieve the body’s blockages, and increase the flow of energy. You will enjoy increased flexibility as a result. Several of the top companies have included this massage in their massage chair programs.

If you have degenerative disc disease, the finger press or rolling type massage will ease the pressure between the discs in your spine by applying pressure to each vertebrae; then rolling down the spinal column to lengthen the soft tissue. The kneading and tapping will then loosen the tightened muscles surrounding the spine to give you relief and comfort. Thirty per cent of people who are in their thirties, forties and fifties, suffer from this disease. Massage chairs seem to help. They are a practical and convenient alternative to getting massages at a spa, and will cost less in the long run.

Japanese in origin, the Shiatsu method has been around for centuries. Using pressure instead of needles, it utilizes known acupressure points to relieve stress and ease pain. It loosens muscle stiffness and increases flexibility. Some of these chairs can also adjust the length of the stroke and the width of the rollers. This assures that your back is getting the precise amount of coverage needed.

The most innovative massage chairs now include traction, which stretches the spine, easing the pressure between the discs. This is done while you are getting your massage, by locking your feet in the foot rest and programming it to lower your legs in three different positions, to stretch out your lower body.

Massage chairs really can help you in your recovery from back injury and general back discomfort. But don’t underestimate their ability to prevent back problems as well.