Chair Massage: Remedy Hurts More Effectively

These days we all work hard and play hard. Families are on the move between school, after-school activities, work, housework. I get it, we don't take time sit and relax. We can't always make it to the local spa for a massage. You may be one of the lucky ones whose company provides the relief of a chair massage!

Many companies will provide chair massage for incentives to employees for hard work, or profitable numbers. What we do not all know (myself included until recently) is that massage in a chair can relieve many ailments from aches and pains to migraines and stress. The individual who will give this massage is usually an independent worker who will bring his/her own equipment to the work site. Unlike many massages, this one is done in a portable chair, fully clothed.

"It sounds like such a luxury that no employer would do it" - really, check it out. Lots of companies have on-site day care, pharmacies, and nap-rooms for employees. Compared to this, a masseuse who shows up with his/her own equipment once weekly is an easy deal. This is particularly realistic when an employer uses it as an incentive to work harder or as a reward for a job well done.

Employers, do you want your employees to perform better? Of course you do. With health care for employees at a premium, surely it makes sense to have the benefit of massage provided. This is very beneficial to productivity and could lead to a reduction in absenteeism, making chair massage a benefit all around.

I love studying different languages. It's especially exciting when all cultures have the same word and customs. The word comes from the Latin word "frictio", as well as from the French word meaning "friction or kneading", and the Arabic word "massa" meaning to touch, feel or handle.

Chinese records dating back 3,000 years document the use of massage. The ancient Hindus, Persians and Egyptians applied forms of massage for many ailments; and even Hippocrates wrote papers recommending the use of rubbing and friction for joint and circulatory problems. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, there were masseuses on hand for any injury that could be treated with it.

One very important thing about massage is that while it relieves pain and stress, it doesn't require medication, which can lead to drowsiness. If the employee is happy, he/she will produce better. Every employer wants to have happy workers, as they know this maximizes the work. My husband and I don't want to be billionaires. We want to be able to pay the basic bills and have our girls in dance and music classes.

My husband works in a busy office, drives miles and miles a day, and comes home with back and neck pain. If only his company would institute chair massage. He would perform so much better. Many mornings he is up with stress headaches, many evenings with back/shoulder pain. We know that this can be cured with chair massage. Well, until his company does offer it on-site, we are paying money that we feel is well spent at our local massage spa, where his stress and pains are worked out by a professional. Encourage your company to offer on-site chair massage. We are working on ours!