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What are the Side Effects of Massage Chairs?

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The Best Massage chairs can provide users with the benefit of relaxed muscles and the overall pleasant feeling of a massage. 

Many users depend on electric massage chairs for helping to relieve tense muscles. These are an excellent choice when compared to things like painkillers! Massage chairs, along with TENS units, topical heat and cooling, and other treatments.

Are there side effects of massage chairs? There can be, depending on the chair and massage design.

Some are designed to reproduce more traditional massaging techniques–like hot stones–while others offer their own unique sets of massaging implements and sequences behind the cushion. 

Overall, massage chairs provide comfort and pain relief to thousands of consumers. At the same time, however, many actual and potential users of these chairs wonder if there are any side effects they should know about. 

This article will discuss any side effects of massage chairs as well as other relevant information. It will also give an overview of the products relevant to this issue. 

After reading this question response, massage chair users should have a good understanding of the side effects of these devices.   


The Side Effects of Massage Chairs: The Short Answer

Massage Chair

The most significant side effect of massage chairs is back pain as a result of overuse. At times, back massagers can do more to irritate than soothe certain back problems. 

Generally, these types of side effects–those that make muscle pain worse or even create it–are those that massage chair users should be most concerned about. After all, they are the most common.


The Side Effects of Massage Chairs: The explanations

While massage chair manufacturers typically promise that their products will provide relief from back and muscle pain, too much muscle stimulation from the massagers can cause its own problems. 

This is despite the fact that by stimulating soft tissue, massage chairs typically help release pain-relieving endorphins. Back pain can increase rather than dissipate while in the massage chair for the following reasons: 

  • User error: some users will not know how to operate their massage chair properly, and might set it to an intensity level that their muscles are too sensitive for
  • Muscles are not warmed up: although massages relax tense muscles, users should do a minimum of stretching before using massage chairs. People who have just exercised strenuously, for instance, will be more comfortable in a massage chair, since their muscles are warm enough to have adequate blood flow. Limited blood flow could make massages more painful. 
  • Overuse of massage chair: too much muscle stimulation will end up making massage muscles sore and tired. So consumers who feel these symptoms after using their massage chairs should try increasing the time between massage sessions
  • Dehydration : dehydration can compound the effects of overuse of a massage chair. This is because it constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the muscles. Such a state increases the likelihood of cramping and atrophy, which can be worsened by the stimulation from a massage chair 

Product Information 

Consumers who have experienced unpleasant physical side effects from massage chairs often also wonder what products are available to help address this issue. One option that often helps people with back pain caused by overstimulation is heat and cooling pads. 

For instance, No products found. are a very popular muscle pain treatment. They are widely available in stores as well as on Amazon.

Painkillers like Tylenol and ibuprofen could also help eliminate back pain caused by massage chair overuse.

In addition, some massage chairs and chair cushions have heating elements that can help warm the back in a way that prevents pain and cramping. No products found. is one popular massager with heating elements. We’ve looked at many massage cushions here.

Many users find that this feature helps them ease into a massage if they are feeling especially stiff.

This heatable massaging chair cover could easily be placed over a massage chair, too.


Conclusion 

Massage chairs provide many consumers with pain relief and relaxation by giving them routine, luxury massages. However, there are side effects of massage chairs, the most common of which is back pain caused by overuse, improper stretching, or user error. 

In addition, massage chairs will just irritate certain back ailments such as disc problems. In addition, other conditions such as dehydration or low body temperature could worsen the side effects of overusing a massage chair. 

These issues might be addressed, however, by increasing the duration between massage sessions, by using heating pads, or by using painkillers and other remedies. 

You now have a good understanding of what kind of massage chair side effects to look out for.