Top 10 Massage Chair Health Benefits

Are you tired of putting your body under immense physical and psychological stress? Then a massage chair is the right choice for you! The benefits of massage therapy are widely known and have been celebrated in Eastern nations for several centuries.

The rising popularity of massage therapy shows that this trend has also reached international markets.

However, we are aware that it can be difficult to make the right lifestyle decision without being fully aware of what it will bring you.

Some of you may not be aware of the benefits you can receive from regular sessions in a massage chair. There is no rocket science behind it; rather, one only needs to understand the connections!

Our daily lives can exhaust us with fatigue and stress, regardless of our age, not to mention physiological complications as we get older.

To counteract this, we recommend investing in a massage chair for your home to experience the comfort and convenience of modern life.

So the big question is: Why are massage chairs good for me?

Much research has already been done on massage therapy. Science has revealed a variety of benefits. With a massage chair, these benefits are readily and easily available, without long journeys and costly masseur appointments. Discover the many physical and psychological benefits of massage in our list below.

1. Reduce stress and anxiety while increasing your productivity and attention

Research shows that massage reduces stress on a physical and psychological level by lowering heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, and insulin levels. It also releases serotonin and dopamine, which helps the body overcome both chronic or habitual and acute or short-term stress.

A well-known study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine found that 15 minutes in a massage chair increased measurable EEG brain activity in adults. These adults also performed faster and more accurately on math tests after the massage, while groups without massage showed no improvements.

1. Improve your mood

A massage also increases the production of endorphins, your body's natural feel-good chemicals. This helps to balance your body's mood and more.

1. Better sleep

As mentioned earlier, massage therapy increases serotonin levels, which the brain can convert into the sleep hormone melatonin. Those who use their massage chair before bed increase their chances of a restful night's sleep!

1. Improve cardiovascular health

Decades of research show that massage can be an effective complementary treatment to lower stress (as mentioned above) and blood pressure, two major factors in heart disease. In fact, massage has been shown to acutely lower blood pressure and heart rate in women with hypertension. Another study found that massage therapy can reduce pain, anxiety, and muscle tension in cardiac surgery patients.

1. Relieve lower back pain

According to the American Chiropractic Association, lower back pain is the most common cause of physical disability worldwide. Approximately one in ten people have it, and for many who develop back pain, it becomes a chronic condition.

A recent study found that massage can provide lasting relief for chronic lower back pain, as published in the journal Pain Medicine. Researchers studied 104 people with persistent back pain who were referred by their doctors to licensed massage therapists. They participated in 10 sessions over a 12-week period, with therapists free to design an individualized massage program for patients, rather than everyone using the same technique.

Most subjects completed a questionnaire, and more than 50% reported a clinically significant improvement in their back pain. Several individuals even fell below the disability threshold, according to lead author Niki Munk, assistant professor of health sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Furthermore, many of these improvements lasted. Three months later, without further massage sessions, 75% of those who reported initial improvement said they still felt better.

1. Headache relief

Tension headaches are often caused by poor posture, an aching back or stiff neck, or constant eye strain. Massage improves circulation and loosens tight muscles to reduce this pain and tension. A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that massage reduces symptoms of tension, pain, and sleep disturbances. Study participants also experienced more headache-free days and showed an increase in serotonin levels.

1. Stimulate creativity

By helping you relax and giving you a moment to pause, massage opens your mind. You can think more clearly and get a better picture of the project at hand or the problem you are trying to solve. This is another benefit of massage related to the release of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin hormones and the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol.

1. Rekindle romance

One of the most common side effects of chronic stress, depression, and anxiety is decreased libido and sexual dysfunction. While there are no studies linking massage therapy to improving hypoactive sexual desire, massage has been shown to dramatically reduce stress, as measured by lower cortisol levels. Cortisol also lowers testosterone levels. Testosterone is the hormone most responsible for sex drive. So, sit in your massage chair for a relaxing massage, let the stress melt away, light some candles, and set the mood!

1. Become more flexible

Massage therapy has been shown to improve flexibility and mobility by working muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints. It also stimulates blood circulation. This keeps your joints more supple and less prone to injury.

1. Strengthen immunity

Research shows that massage can strengthen the immune system (especially during the winter months) by increasing the activity of the body's white blood cells, which fight viruses. The increase in white blood cells is another result of the decrease in cortisol, which destroys natural killer cells.

Related: Top 5 Shoulder & Neck Massagers Test & Comparison and What does a massage mat do? 8 Potential Benefits.