What could massage chairs have to do with dentistry?
Odds are, you’re not a dentist. But odds are you know a dentist, that you visit one at least once a year. So listen.
Dentists spend hours bending over their patients, looking at their teeth and gums. They spend considerable time each day reviewing x-rays, examining charts. All that time, when their heads are lowered and their shoulders are stooped, they are putting stress on their neck and shoulder muscles and their cervical spines.
Sort of like the rest of us when we’re texting or surfing on our cell phones! And we’ve cautioned about the dangers of “tech neck” and told you how massage chair treatments could help.
What’s the Issue?
Neck and back damage occurs because of the weight of our heads—an average of 10 pounds for adults—balances on the spine. In a normal upright position, the spine’s natural curve acts like a spring and shock absorber. But the weight of our head doubles every inch our chins move forward and down. Leaning the head and neck forward, along with the shoulders, and remaining in that position for an extended period of time results in tight muscles. If you do not loosen up that tightness, it becomes a source of pain.
Massage Chairs for Dentists, and You, Too!
Dentists—and doctors, too, and nurses—all risk neck and shoulder pain as an occupational hazard. And so do the rest of us when we spend hours a day looking down at our phones or our keyboards.
Even half an hour in a premium massage chair is a perfect way to address this risk before it becomes a serious medical issue.
What Kind of Massage?
There are a variety of modalities suitable to your needs, including:
- Swedish – to increase relaxation and circulation
- Deep tissue – to work on tight areas to release tension and chronic muscle tightness
- Trigger point therapy – to help break the cycle of spasm and pain in a particular area
- Soft tissue release – to provide relief from sore muscle tissue and chronic tightness
Each of these is available from our massage chairs. For instance, the Panasonic MA-J7 is elegantly crafted to bestow the most lifelike massage in the industry today, with hyper-advanced sensors work 100 times per second to deliver an incredibly personalized massage experience detecting over 1000 points on your back and neck. And the OHCO M.8LE offers a unique massage chair experience that integrates genuine shiatsu massage techniques with functional stretching.
Dental Day Spas
In a quick online search, you can discover that more and more dentists are aware of the benefits of massage chair therapy. Many practitioners now offer their clients a “spa” treatment as part of their visit, with massage figuring prominently in the mix. Let’s hope they treat themselves as well!
Even if you are not a dentist, you can be a friend to your dental health provider by encouraging them to look into some important and career-extending self-care: a premium massage chair. And be sure to take your own advice!
We’re here to help you choose between your health.
“Heads Up: How Your Smartphone Is Damaging Your Spine.” Mpls. Frisch, Suzy. St.Paul Magazine, 20 Mar. 2018.
Fagan, Michele A. “The Healing Art of Massage.” The Demands of Dental Hygiene Place Stress on the Human Body, 1 Jan. 2013.
MASSAGE Magazine. “Massage Therapy Shown to Lessen Dentists’ Pain.” MASSAGE Magazine, Massage Magazine, 20 Jan. 2014.
“Dental Spas – The Ultimate in Relaxation Dentistry.” Your Dentistry Guide.
