Are Massage Chairs Good for the Elderly?

Massage Chairs are beneficial for the Elderly. In this article, we are going to discuss the benefits and lifespan of Massage Chairs. 

Elderly massage chair

A massage is an excellent approach to relieve the aches and pains that come with growing older. Because most people cannot afford to visit a spa or have a massage regularly, an at-home massage chair can be a great option.

Although massage chairs may appear to be an unneeded and expensive investment, they can deliver significant health advantages. Massage chairs, for example, may assist increase flexibility, relieving chronic muscle tension, and even lessening stress perception.

Massage chairs are created to give you a soothing experience while reducing stress and tension in your body. They also aid in improving blood circulation, which aids in the reduction of swelling and pain. Depending on the type of massage chair, these massages are performed using various techniques such as kneading, tapping, stroking, stretching, rolling, etc. The most excellent aspect about these chairs is that they don’t require any specific training or abilities; anyone with a basic understanding of yoga will find them simple to use. All you have to do now is relax in the chair and let the machine do the rest!

Health Benefits of Massage Chairs for Seniors:

As we get older, we become less flexible—our muscles lose their flexibility. Therefore, using a massage chair might help to relieve the aches and pains. Here are some health benefits of using a massage chair

1. Reduced Stress Levels

According to a clinical trial, massage chairs reduced feelings of stress by an average of 21% in patients with severe mental illness. This demonstrates that even a brain under a lot of stress and under harsh situations can benefit from using a massage chair.

Massage has also been shown to alleviate stress in nurses working in high-pressure cancer facilities. Nurses reported a significant reduction in pressure and anxiety after being given access to a massage chair for 20 minutes throughout their shift. Data backed up their subjective sentiments: their pulse rate and blood pressure dropped dramatically following the massage.

2. Improved Sleep

It’s common knowledge that getting poor sleep or not getting enough sleep is dangerous to your health. Sleep deprivation can cause heart disease and significantly reduce your life expectancy. Sleep deprivation affects millions of individuals, with many suffering without even realizing it. The issue is that maintaining a good sleeping regimen is extremely difficult due to the nature of people’s employment, schedules, and lives.

We’re frequently agitated before night, which keeps us awake later and leads to poor sleep even when we get some rest.

However, using a massage chair before the night is surprisingly beneficial in preparing the body for restful, life-changing sleep. According to a study, getting a 30-minute massage before bedtime makes you feel less tired and increases your libido. This is because massage relaxes the muscles, allowing the body to fall asleep sooner and sleep deeper. A massage chair may be able to heal you if you have chronic lousy sleep and wake up feeling just as weary as the night before.

3. REDUCES THE SEVERITY OF CHRONIC BACK PAIN

Over 20 million people in the United States suffer from persistent back pain. Back discomfort, particularly in the lower back, is a very restricting health condition that prevents you from living your life normally.

Using a massage chair to relieve lower back discomfort is nearly as effective as visiting a professional massage therapist, and it costs only 60% as much! Consider utilizing an electric massage chair to improve your quality of life if you have sharp, severe pain in your lower back.

4. Improved Mental Focus/Reduced Fatigue

It’s difficult to picture someone who isn’t tired, at least some of the time. It is well established that fatigue reduces alertness and mental focus; however, utilizing a massage chair to recharge has been demonstrated to counteract these effects. According to one study, those who use massage chairs can finish math activities more quickly and accurately than those who do not.

Massage Chair lifespan

What is the lifespan of a massage chair?

A massage chair’s average lifespan is roughly ten years. This, however, is dependent on how frequently they are used. If a person uses their massage chair every day, they will need to replace it much sooner than if they only use it once a week. Furthermore, there are various massage chairs, each with its own set of features and benefits. Some massage chairs have heaters built-in, while others do not.

The recommended time in a massage chair at any one time is fifteen minutes, which we understand isn’t a long time. When you’re in a lot of pain, it’s tempting to stay longer, but if you’re just getting started, it’s essential to keep to the 15-minute rule.

Everything in moderation, as the phrase goes, certainly applies to this circumstance. If you receive a deep tissue massage for an extended period, your muscles may bruise, especially if you are new to using a massage chair. It can also cause damage and inflammation in the body’s delicate tissues. That is something we do not want to happen.

Most devices contain an automatic timer to ensure that you do not exceed a set time limit. Some massage programs will turn off after a certain amount of time. If it doesn’t, or if the program you’re using isn’t timed or accurate, set a timer on your phone, microwave, or other devices to ensure that you don’t go too long.

How much does a good massage chair cost?

A high-end massage chair will set you back anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000. There are also less expensive variants, but most massage chairs under $500 aren’t worth buying unless you expect to keep them for a long time. It would be best if you always got something long-lasting because you will not want to spend money updating it after five years.

Why is a Good Massage Chair a Smart Investment?

It might be stressful to make a large purchase, but investing in a high-quality therapeutic chair can be a wise financial decision.

What do you mean by that? Consider this: a massage from a trained therapist can cost anywhere from $50 to $90 per hour. When you factor in a gratuity, a single session may cost you more than $100. If you schedule an appointment once a week, you may spend anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 over a year. That’s more than the cost of a brand new therapeutic chair from one of today’s top manufacturers!

If you get a nice massage chair, it will pay for itself in terms of convenience.

Do massage chairs use a lot of electricity?

We’d get something like this if we did the math on how much a massage chair would cost you in electric bills. If you have a massage chair in your home, you will use it once or twice a week at most. For a week, that would be around two hours. Two hours per week, multiplied by four weeks per month, equals eight hours per month. Eight hours per month divided by twelve months is ninety-six hours per year. A massage chair helps the elderly to age in place.

Now, a typical massage chair uses roughly 150 watts. As a result, the annual watts spent are only 14,400 watts or 1.5 kW. As a result, your massage chair consumes less than one kilowatt per year.

This demonstrates that purchasing a massage chair is not only handy but also quite economical. The amount of money spent on a massage chair each year is insignificant compared to the amount spent on massage therapy sessions at spas.

Conclusion: 

Using a massage chair a few times per week, regardless of your age or health situation has been shown to improve your quality of life. A massage chair can help you alleviate chronic pain, fight the ravages of aging, or feel more awake and productive. They are a low-impact, unobtrusive technique to exercise self-care and increase contentment.

Do you have any other concerns about the health effects of massage chairs? Please post them in the comments section below.

About PensionsWeek

Pensions week focuses on sound retirement strategies making aging easier for the seniors. Here you will find resources from senior housing and safety to money, health, investment and care, etc that may help you gain clarity around your retirement.

 
 

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