Even if you have been an athlete, there may come a time— “a certain age” —when even simple activity becomes a challenge, sometimes even painful. How could a premium massage chair improve your life?
For some, it’s possible to associate aging with retirement, more leisure time, relaxation. Perhaps senior life can seem removed from the stresses of work, child-rearing, etc. But really? While those particular responsibilities and the stress they bring with them may be gone, seniors face a wide variety of mental and emotional challenges. These include loneliness, depression and isolation, and bodies that often carry the ill effects of a lifetime of work and stress.
Geriatric Massage Therapy: How to Cope with Aging
Given these affronts brought by aging, seniors can benefit in many ways from geriatric massage therapy:
- The most immediate benefit is increasing blood flow to extremities. Good circulation is key to good health, and increased blood flow to joints and the warming of other affected areas provided by a massage chair has proven benefits for relief of pain while carrying mood-enhancing endorphins like serotonin and dopamine to the nervous system.
- Massage chair therapy can also help decrease stiffness and inflammation. As we age and become less active, our muscles become harder, less supple. As it boosts circulation, massage helps soften muscles. This in turn can improve proprioception— our sense of the relative position of body parts— thus improving our balance and reducing our chances of falling, a scourge for seniors.
- And while massage is not a cure for those who suffer from age-related ailments like arthritis, diabetes or Parkinson’s, it can improve the circulation of lymphatic fluid, bringing relief for those suffering from these conditions.
- Another profound benefit of massage is psychological. The isolation that characterizes the lives of so many seniors, the feelings of restlessness, and the uselessness that many elderly know, can be eased by a massage chair. Simulating the touch of a human hand, a good massage chair creates emotional and mental support that can help them live their twilight years with strength and dignity.
How Is Geriatric Massage Special?
In technique, senior massage doesn’t differ much from massage for younger adults. But an aging body requires a little extra tender loving care. While some seniors might enjoy Deep Tissue Massage, more often than not, they need a gentler experience, one that supports their whole body, encouraging good posture and relaxation while nurturing the extremities.
Two of our massage chairs well suited to those needs are the D.Core Stratus and the Positive Posture Brio+.
- The Stratus is the more gentle and provides a 3D LR roller mechanism to create a cradling sensation ideal for comfort and relaxation. Its body-scan technology allows a user to tailor the massage treatment to his or her individual needs.
- The Brio can provide a more vigorous massage, and features the 3D L-track for rolling, kneading, tapping, pushing in three dimensions as well as an upward motion under your legs and posterior. Foot rollers offer another comforting experience.
Relief for An Aging Population
As the Baby-Boomer generation continues to age, massage therapy will become even more valuable for easing the aches and pains, physical and emotional, associated with growing older. Our massage chairs provide massage techniques specifically designed to help us achieve mind-body harmony as we age.
“Top 10 Health Benefits of Massage Therapy for Seniors.” Judson Senior Living, 22 Mar. 2018, www.judsonsmartliving.org/blog/top-10-health-benefits-of-massage-therapy-for-seniors/.
“Geriatric Massage Therapy.” Elite Massage Chairs, www.elitemassagechairs.com/massage-chair-buyers-guide/topics/geriatric-massage-therapy-the-benefits-of-massage/.
