Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Tradition and Technology Collide with Shiatsu Massage Chairs

By Steve Taylor


Shiatsu massage has been a tradition in Japan for centuries. The literal meaning of shiatsu is finger pressure. Using this finger pressure was found to help regulate and control energy flow throughout the body. The fine art and tradition of shiatsu has been passed to today's massage therapists. The shiatsu massage therapy relieves aches and pains while increasing alertness. Japan also gave rise to massage chairs which were developed along with Japanese technological advancement. These massage chair recliners replicate many of the techniques and movements of a shiatsu master.

A master shiatsu therapist is trained to locate and apply gentle pressure to your body's acupressure points. By using gentle, yet firm pressure, energy is restored throughout the body. This helps to bring back harmony and well being. The shiatsu also uses vigorous tapping to loosen tight muscles. a firm kneading action is used to make the muscles more pliable. This helps to restore the muscles natural elasticity.

Thanks to many breakthroughs in science and technology, many of the traditional shiatsu techniques have been successfully reproduced. One interesting technology can create a virtual map of your body's acupressure points. These points are then fed into the software program. The massage chair then customizes the shiatsu massage to each individual. The massage recliner actually targets your pressure points for systematic relief.

Technology has seen advances in the features designed to perform shiatsu techniques incorporated into massage chairs. Since the beginning of time, shiatsu massage has been performed by humans in traditional medicine. The mechanical systems integrated into current shiatsu massage chairs realistically imitate hand and finger movements. Amazingly, the integration of electronics and software controls make theses mechanical fingers do many functions. Human contact has many subtle movements which are difficult to copy, but machines do not get tired.

There are various subtle massage techniques with shiatsu massage. Shiatsu uses the fingers and thumbs to penetrate into pressure points to release energy. The energy can become blocked and cause the muscles to tighten. Shiatsu seeks to reverse this process. Through the use of the body's trigger points, the energy flow is once again restored. Shiatsu has been shown to increase alertness and relaxation. It also relieves aches and pains in the muscles.

The acupressure of shiatsu massage incorporates different types of rhythms, techniques and pressure levels. There are different techniques to stimulate the trigger points. Many of these traditional shiatsu techniques have been replicated in massage chairs. There are robotic fingers that provide thumb like pressure. These can use firm or gentle pressure. They are also programmed to provide kneading to loosen muscles and vibration to enhance blood circulation.

If you carry a lot of tension and anxiety, let the shiatsu massage relieve you. Imagine coming how to your own shiatsu massage chair. It is there eagerly awaiting your arrival. Tension relief is just the push of a button away. Lean the massage recliner back and let the shiatsu massage melt your worries away. These massage recliners provide thorough and effective shiatsu massage therapy.

The human touch is difficult to replicate. It is a complex challenge. However, many of the subtle movements of the hand have been imitated. Many massage chairs can perform many of the same tasks. The flexibility of our hands is quite amazing, but massage chair designers keep finding more innovative ways to make them realistic. However, these robotic massage chairs do have advantages over massage therapists. You can use them anytime and they do not get exhausted. Many have features such as heat therapy, music, lower body stretching, and of course full body massage capabilities. A shiatsu massage chair is a compliment to the long tradition of the shiatsu massage technique.

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