Obtain Daily Swedish Massages In A Massage Chair

By Cristina Young

Massage chair recliners have come a long way over the years from simple vibrating chairs to very sophisticated massage chairs with heat, music and various massage therapies. One of the most basic massage techniques is known as Swedish massage or classic massage. The Swedish massage was developed in the 18th century by Henrik Ling. Swedish massage is very effective in allowing the body to absorb more oxygen.

Most of us experience stress in our daily lives. We may be under pressure at work which gives us mental stress. Mental stress causes us to tense up which means are muscles are not relaxing. We may be working out and exerting more physical activity. The muscles become sore and ache after being under the stress of exercise. Both mental and physical stress can take its toll on the body.

The development of Swedish massage centered upon releasing the build up of stress in the body. This technique, like others, needs to be performed on a routine basis for maximum benefit. It was designed to relieve the daily build up of stress in the body. Swedish massage is also called classic massage. Swedish massage is effective in relieving discomfort from pain, body aches and tension.

Swedish massage uses 6 elements which are effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapottement, traction and vibration. Effleurage uses long sweeping strokes covering many parts of the body. Petrissage uses kneading and squeezing of the muscles. Friction or heat helps muscles relax and helps blood flow. Tapottement is the use of a tapping or chopping motion to loosen muscles. Traction is the pulling and stretching of the arms and legs. Vibration is used to shake and loosen muscles to relieve tension and stimulate the capillary vessels.

These 6 techniques have been integrated into the best massage chair recliners on the market today. These massage recliners uses different mechanical components to accomplish these massage techniques. Effleurage is performed by rollers in the chair back and covers the neck, shoulders and back. Petrissage is performed by the rollers moving toward each other in a pinching or kneading movement. Friction is accomplished by adding heating elements in the chair to warm up areas of the body. Tapottement is performed by the rollers doing a rhythmic tapping action. Traction is used in the lower body by mechanically raising and then lowering the footrest to stretch the lower body out. Vibration is performed by the placement of vibrating motors in strategic locations in the chair.

When looking for a massage chair recliner, make sure the model you see performs all 6 techniques. Both Panasonic and Omega Massage have the most advanced massage chairs. The Omega Montage Elite massage chair can perform all 6 elements. The Panasonic Real Pro Elite is the next closest, but is lacking heat, so it has 5 of the 6 Swedish massage elements. The Omega Montage Elite massage chair has full body heat capabilities to deliver the Friction element. The effectiveness of each element varies by model and manufacturer. So try out the Omega Montage Elite or the Panasonic Real Pro Elite for the best massage chair for Swedish massage.

Back in the 18th century, Mr. Henrik Ling, who pioneered the Swedish massage, might not have imagined his techniques would be integrated into a massage chair in the 21st century. As he might not of thought his massage would be offered in spas around the world. However, Mr. Ling recognized that Swedish massage must be performed on a routine or periodic basis to release built up stress. If tension is left unchecked, then further damage to the body continues. Relieving this build up is critical for the health and well being of an individual. Mr. Ling would be happy to see people getting his massage therapy on a routine basis with a massage chair recliner. - 31520

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