Advantages And Disadvantages of a Massage Chair – Let’s Discuss Them

A massage chair has become more of a need than just a leisure activity. Even with some of its major disadvantages, people never refuse to buy a massage chair. The reason is what you are going to discover in this article.

We have a drastic shift in the working routines and that has led to major health problems. Surprisingly, most of them are curable just by a massage chair. Therefore, the benefits of a massage chair are extraordinary. However, with pros come cons. Being super practical about a massage chair, I am going to reveal to you some major advantages and disadvantages of a massage chair.

Advantages of a Massage Chair

No matter how many disadvantages you can count, the benefits of a massage chair always win hearts. It seems like a massage chair simply presses your muscles with rollers, but the truth is it adds a lot of health benefits that we can’t even imagine. Let’s see what are those!

1. Muscle Relaxant

Undoubtedly, a massage chair relieves muscular pain because that’s the core purpose of a massage chair. The fascinating fact is that advanced technologies are equipped with such technologies that enhance the massaging effect.

Some rollers and nodes reach our sore muscles and relieve the pain. These chairs specifically focus on the back and limbs. If you have a tough day, then using a massage chair can be an instant solution to your problem. The signature movements make the rough day so much better.

Studies have also shown that pain releaser pills have the same effect as massaging the affected area. For example, if your back hurts, having a pill or having a massage done will be equivalent. Therefore, it is advised to get a massage then taking pills because the body gets immune.

2. Posture Corrector

Massage chair not only focuses on the muscles but also on the posture. A massage chair helps in making an erect and healthy posture of the body. The huge shift in job types has made it a prominent concern of this era. People doing remote jobs have to work on their laptops for about 8-10 hours a day. Therefore, the younger generation is the biggest victim of bad posture.

The massage chairs help rebuild the correct posture. It reduces muscle strains and brings the body back in shape. The back is pressed such that the bones stay at their place. The misalignment of bones causes pressure on the nerves. The massage chair brings a solution to both. Here are the specific three functions of a massage chair that helps with the postures of the body.

• The shape of the chair is so designed that the back muscles are supported for almost every body type.
• Watching movies and reading books while sitting on a massage chair can assist in keeping the body in the correct shape.
• The rollers allow the vertebra to stay at its original place and relieve the pressure on the lower limbs.

3. Versatile Functionality

I love the addition of features in the latest models of massage chairs. There are so many options available in a massage chair. By trying them one by one, you will find your perfect match soon. There are different types of massage available. Massage chairs are versatile.

• Rollers and nodes come in different sizes. You can select the one that is most suitable for you. The components reach every tip of your finger as well and soothe every muscle of your body. Large rollers are there for muscle relaxation, while the smaller nodes simulate the target areas significantly.
• Massage chairs are phenomenal for their adjustability characteristic. Most automatic chairs adjust themselves according to your body type. However, there is an option for manual adjustment as well. The chairs that adjust according to your body automatically estimate the weight and shape of your body and adapt the size accordingly. There are massage chairs with fit all designs.
• Powerful Motors makes it possible to adjust the power of massage. You can enjoy both a hard and soft massage according to your work routine and body type. The advanced massage chairs have built-in powerful motors that can keep operating for longer hours and relax the entire body.

4. Mental Relief

Massage chairs crack mental stress. The stretched muscles have significant stress on mental health. People with back pain and other muscular pain are not happy most time of their day. Their mind stays diverted all the time. Therefore, massage chair not only relieves muscular pain but also mental pain.

• Spending a few minutes on your body also brings a positive change to your mind. It realizes that you love and work for your body too.
• During the massage, the body releases a hormone known as endorphin that has a drastic effect on your body and mood.
• Massage chairs have extended to the head and feet through the spinal cords. That means our nervous system also enjoys the leisure of massage. Therefore, we feel even fresher and more confident after massage.

5. Blood Circulation

The comfort that massage chair brings goes beyond physical and mental health. It also allows the smooth flow of blood throughout the body. Blood Pressure patients are highly encouraged to have a massage at least once a week. There are other medical benefits of massaging as well which are hard to enlist in this article. Therefore, a massage chair is worth spending on.

The blockage of blood through unreachable areas is removed and the blood flows smoothly throughout the body. A person with poor blood flow suffers from several discomforts, fatigue and illness. Massaging allows the proper blood flow in your body.

• The pressure exerted on muscles during massage allows the blood to pass through congested areas.
• The circulation of lymph fluid also regulates due to the squeezing and pulling of muscles.
• The body functions improve because of normal blood pressure

6. Dual Functionality

In addition to having a massage on daily basis, the massage chair also serves as a comfortable sofa to sit on and enjoy some random movie. It gives the cozy feeling that everyone wants in cold weather. You can use it as a traditional sofa to watch any of your favorite shows.

• Serves as a sofa to read books on, or to watch films
• Provides extra sitting for the guests over your home

7. Cost Effective

I promise you are going to buy yourself a massage chair after reading this comparison. Going to a massage therapist costs you around $100-150/hour, which makes around $3000 at the end of a month if you go thrice a week for two consecutive hours. While on the other hand, you can buy one standardized massage chair and enjoy a massage for over two years within the same amount.

That’s a huge difference, right? Not only this, but massage chair is also convenient to use. you can use it any time of the day. There are no tensions between taking appointments and driving to the masseuse. Therefore, a massage chair is worth spending on when it comes to cost comparison.

8. Influences Sleep Cycle

Due to mismatched routines, people often suffer from bad sleep cycles. I mean they can sleep well at night and feel tired all day. Whatsoever are the reasons, we have found the true solution to it. A massage chair can induce better sleep than any of those pills. Taking medicine can also affect the immune system. Therefore, doctors suggest having a good muscle massage before going to bed.

Even the emperors who lived longer lives revealed that they used to have a foot massage before going to bed every night. Scientists have cracked the influence of massage on the good sleep of a person. And the massage chair does it for you.

9. Reduces stress and Headache

In addition to other health benefits, the most common advantage of using a massage chair is its ability to reduce stress to a significant level. Massage chairs not only relieves headache but also reduces strains on shoulder muscle.

I had a problem with stretched muscles in anxiety and that ultimately lead to headaches. There was no solution to it except for getting control over my anxiety. But once I used a massage chair, my headache was instantly gone. All thanks to the massage chair that brought such positivity into my life.

10. Boosts Energy

The most interesting thing about this era is that top-tier companies have started using massage chairs in their offices. That’s because they work on their employee’s health. They worry for their well-being because they are somehow the assets of their business.

Therefore, having an employee with good health because productivity increases by up to 40% with a good posture and fresh mind. Moreover, for that, they have massage chairs. Therefore, whenever the employee wants to relax, he can have his 15 minutes on a massage chair.

11. Reduces Pain

A massage chair reduces back pain significantly. Therefore, it is widely used by older people. In a fact, the younger generation is facing back pain problems more often than the elder people. So massage chair is a comfortable, and optimal solution since you can have it at any time of the day. Since the world is shifting toward remote jobs trend, back pain problem is most common because kids spend around 40 hours/week in front of their computers in the same bad posture that leads to back pain. Hence, a massage chair is the most handsome solution.

Disadvantages of a Massage Chair

So much positivity for the massage chair all around. Now let’s be more realistic and crack the cons out. Nothing in this world is only beneficial and doesn’t have a negative side. Therefore, here I am going to introduce you to some of the disadvantages of a massage chair too. Let’s begin.

1. User Weight Limit

Most massage chairs have this weight limitation. The limit may vary from model to model. The average weight limit falls somewhere between 250-285lb. If you may fall out of this range, sadly you will not be able to enjoy the massage to the fullest.

Those who want it for real, have to wait until they can make the most out of it. However, trying the chair when you are out of the limit boundaries may damage the chair or your body as well. Therefore, better to prevent than cure.

On the other hand, slight chances are you can fit the massage chair and can take its advantage even if you do not fall into the requirement. But you might not get the warranty back.

2. Costly

The fact that stops most people to buy this chair is its cost. One can’t deny the advantages of a massage chair. However, it is quite costly. The price range goes like $2,000-$5,000. The most advanced or luxurious models can extend up to $10,000 as well.

So If you hope to buy a massage chair, you must know how much to spend. The lower-budget massage chair comes with fewer features while the high-rated massage chairs have phenomenal functionalities. There are several things to consider before buying a massage chair. Make sure to have the proper research done so you don’t mess up with the prices.

3. Relatively Ineffective

No matter how much advanced these machines get, they can never take place of humans. Massage chairs can never replace the flexibility and expertise of professional hands. Massage chairs are only built for particular parts of the body. The need for full body massage is still there. While professionals allow massaging the affected portions specifically, massage chairs can never understand where the problem is.

Maybe in the future, there comes advanced intelligent chairs that would understand where massage is needed. However, up to this date, there is no such technology, which can tell and massage the troubled area. Therefore, the need for a massage therapist remains.

Massage chairs can only massage the areas that are within their reach. The back, neck, legs, and arms. You can only get a massage to those parts that are directly in contact with the rollers. Sometimes, you need an oil massage and that is surely not possible with a massage chair at all. The reason that most people don’t like it is that it does not relaxes their body the way a professional massager can.

4. Less Versatile

Last but not least massage chairs are not versatile. It does not come in a wide variety of colors and looks. It sometimes looks odd on the furniture too. A massage chair usually takes up more space than a traditional sofa. Acquires more space and energy. If you don’t have a space issue, you may go with it.

FAQs

Is too many massage chair harmful?

Excessive use of massage chairs can cause the body to be dependent on them. Therefore, you must not use it more often. The recommended time for using a massage chair is not more than 4 hours a week. The best time to do it is right before going to bed and after waking up.

Who should not use a massage chair?

Since the chair applied pressure on the spinal cord and muscles, osteoporosis patients are highly discouraged to use a massage chair. In addition to that, people who pass the weight limit are also not recommended.

Why am I sore after sitting in a massage chair?

The situation is most common for those whose bodies are not accustomed to so much massaging. We recommend you start slow and for fewer minutes. Once your muscles get used to the pressure, you can increase the severity and timing. You will start feeling better and relaxed.

Conclusion

After going through the advantages and disadvantages of a massage chair, you might be feeling like it’s a waste of money. However, the benefits of a massage chair are almost twice its cons. I would suggest that if you do not have a financial problem and have enough space at home, you must go with this wonderful addition to your health.

No matter what, health comes first. The fact that our routines and working conditions have changed drastically after Covid, the massage chair has become our need. Especially for elder people who cannot work out a lot, a massage chair is perfect for the maintenance of their health.

So don’t waste time and buy yourself a massage chair of your choice.