Massage chairs are built to perform a wide variety of massage techniques. More expensive chairs will offer a greater range of massage techniques as well as speeds and intensities whereas basic massage chairs will offer fewer options in terms of massage functions. Still, kneading, rolling, and percussion or tapping are some basic functions that are most important and come standard with most chairs.
Rolling massages stretch the spine to relieve pressure in your back. It’s a basic technique used to loosen the muscles before a deeper massage. It is the feeling of someone pressing firmly on one side of your spine to the other. In massage chairs, larger rollers can work a greater area on your back and the more total area that is worked, the more effective in promoting blood circulation.
Kneading massages feels like two thumbs rubbing both sides of the spine in a circular motion. It lifts and stretches the muscles along the spine and works deeper into the tissue than the rolling massage. The purpose of the kneading massage is to relax the muscles and invigorate the body by transferring tension from acupoints to a broader area. It works in sequence with the roller.
The tapping function, also known as percussions depending on the manufacturer, is the fast hitting motion by the edge of a person’s hand. It is a popular technique in sports medicine and it helps with relieving pressure of spinal joints as well as flexes and releases pressure in the entire back.
The Shiatsu massage technique is a deep tissue massage that emphasizes special acupoints all over the body. The acupoints correlate to different organs in the body that stimulating a particular acupoint stimulates the correlating organ or gland. It is a way of reducing stress and improving the flow of energy in the body to promote overall health improvements. It feels like a person’s fingers poking at points on the body.
Acupressure is sometimes called compression depending on the manufacturer but refers to the same technique. It is the function of squeezing the muscles alongside your spine together, inward toward the spine with the heels of the hands. It is used to warm up and loosen muscles for deeper massages since it has a softening affect on the muscles.
The Swedish technique is a very relaxing technique of pressuring muscles and rubbing them in the direction of blood flow to the heart. It is a combination of other techniques to produce the loosening and relaxing other muscles as well as increasing blood flood. It is what most people would consider a normal massage and has become the standard massage.
Air massage is a special function offered by massage chairs. It is only available with high end chairs and uses a series of air bags to massage areas of the lower back, the arms, and the legs by inflating and deflating. This squeezes and relaxes the muscles.
There is no perfect technique as each has its benefits and it is up to the individual to determine what the most important functions are. The good news is that many massage chairs come with a variety of techniques and can be programmed to perform such a wide range of combination that anyone can find the ultimate massage experience from their ideal massage chair.