Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Massage Chairs With Shiatsu Massage

By Isaac Conklin

Many massage chairs now have shiatsu massage treatments. Shiatsu is an ancient form of therapy. It is designed to relieve stress and to promote healing of many body ailments. Shiatsu can trace its roots back over 2000 years to ancient China. It is actually a derivative of acupuncture, but without the needles. Many massage chair manufacturers have incorporated shiatsu massage treatments into their massage chairs.

Did you know that shiatsu is a form of acupuncture? Yes, this is true. Acupuncture and its sister technique acupressure are two forms of stimulating trigger points in the body. Shiatsu uses a form of acupressure to trigger different point in the body.

There is one key difference between shiatsu and acupressure massage. Acupressure generally uses increasing pressure just over the trigger point. Shiatsu performs a similar technique but also will massage the area around the acupoint as well.

Shiatsu also performs other techniques in addition to using forms of acupressure. It is common to find other movements such as tapping, grasping and vibration. Shiatsu continues to evolve to find the most effective techniques to relieve tension and restore energy in the body.

Shiatsu, much like acupressure, uses increasing pressure and small circular movements to activate the trigger points in the body. Additionally, the area around the trigger point will be stretched and pulled to loosen this area as well. This provides relief in addition to assisting with the flow of energy in the body.

Massage chair manufacturers have studied the precise movements of the shiatsu massage technique. A variety of different technologies have been developed to precisely replicate this effective massage treatment.

The mechanical systems used in massage chairs are very sophisticated. Some are able to move in three dimensions. Massage chair manufacturers utilize a number of different movements which help to relieve, loosen and soothe the muscles of the body. This produces a satisfying shiatsu massage treatment.

One of the first technologies used in massage chairs is vibration. Vibration is still used because it is effective in deeply penetrating muscle tissue. However, other technologies are used in addition to vibration motors in providing a relieving shiatsu massage therapy.

Many massage chairs also incorporate air massage systems. These systems are driven by an air compressor which pumps compressed air to air bags. The air bags are specially designed to perform compression massage two different parts of the body.

The onboard computer in a massage chair is its brain. Massage chairs manufacturers have developed different software programs to coordinate all aspects of the massage chair. This enables them to deliver a consistent and precise massage every time.

Manufacturers of massage chairs have extensively studied the subtle movements of shiatsu. This has enabled them to effectively duplicate these techniques to provide relief and stimulation of the body. All of these come together with the ability to activate the massage by pressing a single button.

Massage schools throughout the world offer to train and shiatsu massage. However, they differ in their interpretation of the exact technique. They are common in the general set of movements and coordination of them in order to provide an effective therapy.

You also find that different massage chair manufacturers offer slightly different interpretations of shiatsu as well. This is to be expected as shiatsu is a medical art and not a medical science. What is important is that the shiatsu massage treatment works for you. The best way to find out is to try different massage chairs and find the one that most effectively relieves your ailments.

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