Massage therapy is more widely accepted worldwide today than in years past. Because of this there are more ways to receive massage treatments. While the original manner of obtaining massage was from trained masseurs, one of the most economical and convenient modern options is through the use of a massage cushion.
A massage cushion is a flexible pad with moving parts that imitate manual massage. They are made to fit on a chair, car seat, couch, or other typical seating area. Most come with a choice of 3 or more speed settings from gentle to vigorous massage, and a choice of heat or no heat. Many include a fold-able seat that the user sits on while the massage area is attached to the back of a chair, while others are simply a long, flat cushion that can be sat upon or laid on a flat surface such as the floor, for full massage from neck and head to feet. Those made for use in vehicles are equipped with either a battery, adapter for plugging into the cigarette lighter, or both. Most also come equipped with a timer that automatically turns the cushion off after 15 minutes.
There are different types of manual massage, and massage cushions aim to mimic these varied techniques. Each technique has its own method and focus, and they are sometimes used in combination with one another. Many of the cushions use the same idea and have options of different combinations in the settings.
There are three main ways of delivering massage, whether through human contact or an electronically powered pad.
One way is through Shiatsu massage. Similar to Chinese acupressure, Shiatsu is a Japanese style that comes from the words "shi" and "atsu" which mean "finger pressure." As both names suggest, pressure is applied, but where the pressure is applied is the key to its effectiveness. Nerves run throughout the body and have many different jobs to perform. When they get aggravated, they cannot properly perform those jobs. The idea behind Shiatsu massage is to massage the correct pressure points, or areas where nerves are grouped in clusters, to relieve the problems in the nerve bundles, thus unblocking the working s of the nerves clustered there. A cushion delivers this type of massage by using balls that move in a circular motion on each side of the spine, concentrating on the pressure points, imitating the movement of the masseur's hands.
Another technique is rolling or kneading. This is a muscle- rather than a nerve-focused massage. The names are descriptive of the method in which rolling over the muscles and /or a kneading motion is used to get knots out of muscles. It is usually a slow action and focuses on relaxation and removing muscle stress. In a cushion, several small rollers move up and down the back as well as moving in a circular pattern that imitates the movement of the palm and heel of a hand kneading into the muscle.Thai Massage spa
The other main technique of massage is vibration. It focuses on relaxation of the body through loosening the muscles. This is one form that is in fact easier to accomplish through mechanical means. A masseur uses quick hand motions to achieve a fast, constant striking, especially on the back, neck and shoulders. A vibrating cushion can achieve the same amount of vibration through high speed oscillating knobs with a much gentler touch, causing the whole body to relax and the muscles to loosen up.
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