Massage Chair Glossary
Here is a helpful guide of terms you may come across when searching for the best relaxing massage chair. Learn about the different massage techniques and what to expect from a new luxurious chair.
Acupoint: Acupoint is short for acupressure point and is any of various points on the body that lie directly on a line of energy (also called a meridian). Many massage chairs target acupoints to give healthful benefits in releasing tension and promoting overall relaxation.
Acupressure: A massage chair technique that applies extremely precise pressure on certain acupoints on the body. The Shiatsu technique is closely related.
Adaptive Massage Comfort Control: Also known as the AMC2 feature, the Adaptive Massage Control gives you the ability to adjust the distance between you and the massage rollers imbedded in the backrest. Use this feature to vary your massage from soft to very aggressive.
Air Massage System: A technique where bags work together, pressing and squeezing tired muscles, to relax multiple parts of the body. As they simultaneously inflate and deflate in varying patterns and speeds, the tension in your seat, hips, thighs, calves, shins and feet melts away.
Compression: This technique uses a firm rubbing motion alongside the spine, and inward toward the spine itself, to improve your mobility and posture.
Deep Tissue Massage: Deep tissue massages target muscles located further away from the skin. This massage method releases the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and applied pressure.
Hawaiian: This massage technique entails gentle rubbing motion across the back.
Kneading: A gentle but deep tissue massage technique used on large muscles. It imitates taking the muscle between the thumb and fingers and alternating over the same region, with the thumbs stationary and close to each other.
Optical Body Scanning: A technology that some massage chairs feature that scans a user’s body and finds exact acupressure points. This feature will memorize a user’s body physique and provide a truly personalized massage.
Percussion: Emulates the feeling of fists tapping on the back and shoulder muscles. It is a deep tissue muscle therapy popular in sports medicine. It helps flex spinal joints, relieve pressure, and invigorate the entire back.
Program Memorization: Some chairs offer the ability to memorize programs that individual users create. Through the remote, users can create a personalized massage using desired techniques at desired speeds and save the program. This program is then set and can be used at any time.
Reflexology: A massage therapy based around a system of points in the hands and feet thought to correspond, or ??eflex,??to all areas of the body.
Rolling: Feels like gentle hands pressing firmly on one side of your spine and then the other. Rolling massages stretch the spine to temporarily relieve pressure on the discs in your back. It relieves tension and loosens the muscles to prepare your back for a deeper massage.
Shiatsu: An oriental-based massage technique that includes strong deep-tissue pressure and stretching on points along acupuncture (meridian) which stimulate invisible channels of energy flow in the body.
Soft Tissue Therapy: A name for any bodywork that deals with skin and muscles as opposed to chiropractic, which deals with bones and joints.
Swedish: A massage technique that combines different massage styles and stretching. This approach includes a series of long strokes, kneading and friction on both the muscles and the joints.
Tapping: See percussion.
Vibration: Also known as the trembling technique. Similar to friction, but with a rhythmic feel; the vibration method can vary in deepness.