chair massage
by Wendy Moore
Tense, aching muscles are an all too common side-effect of the daily grind. A soothing, relaxing massage sounds like just the thing to smooth away those pent-up tensions.
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Yet for most people in busy offices and other workplaces, a conventional, full body massage is too time-consuming, impractical and expensive as a regular stress-busting therapy. The answer – coming soon to a desk near you – is the chair massage.
More than 1,000 masseurs are now thought to be visiting workplaces throughout the UK – from high street stores to call centres, local authorities to hospitals – offering chair massage to busy office staff and other workers. A typical session takes just 15-20 minutes – so it can easily be fitted into a lunch hour or tea-break. The cost is relatively inexpensive and is subsidised by some employers. There are no messy oils or lotions. And you don't even need to take your clothes off.
the basics
Many chair masseurs use acupressure, a Japanese style of massage using the same pressure points as in acupuncture. This is very different to traditional couch massage, which is often known as 'Swedish massage'. Acupressure, sometimes dubbed 'coffee break massage', originated in the US, where it was devised as a quick stress-reliever for high-powered professionals too busy even to leave their desks.
Acupressure focuses on muscles in the back, arms, hands, shoulders, neck and head, where tension and pain often build up in desk-bound staff working under pressure. According to the UK training organisation, the Academy of On-Site Massage, acupressure uses more than 100 different stress release points on the head, neck, shoulders, arms and back. This is intended not only to relax tense and aching muscles, but to release energy and invigorate both mind and body.
The masseur uses hands, thumbs and even elbows to knead, prod, pull and stretch the muscles. This can feel a little painful but should not be uncomfortable. Some chair masseurs combine acupressure with more traditional massage methods or with aromatherapy.
chairs!
Staff at the London-based UK headquarters of the energy drinks company Red Bull are firm converts to chair massage. They all look forward to the monthly visits from masseur Alice Whitney, by the Austrian-based company which are provided as a free perk to staff.
Alice, who trained as an acupressure masseur two years ago, humps her specially designed, ergonomic massage chair around London in a taxi or her boyfriend's car. She set up her company Positive Touch in response to the growing demand for her work. She and her team of practitioners visit offices on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. While some employers, like Red Bull, happily finance free sessions in working hours for their staff, others will split the cost with employees or simply provide the premises and time or opportunity and expect staff to pay their own way.
'The feedback I get is very positive,' says Alice. 'You can certainly see the immediate effect.' She originally trained in conventional couch massage on an eight month course with a London massage school that lead to the International Therapy Examination Council qualification in anatomy, physiology and body massage. But she soon decided to switch to chair massage and studied the technique under David Palmer, the director of Touchpro – an American company with a UK division, who is known in the US as the 'father of chair massage'.
'It is so much more accessible to people. People stay clothed and it is safe,' she says. Chair massage is particularly popular with men, she adds, who may have been put off massage previously because of its seedier connotations. 'Certainly the men I massage have often never had a massage before because they did not know where to go.'
Chair massage is simultaneously comforting and invigorating, Alice says. While it soothes away aches and pains, it also calms breathing, slows heartbeat and allows stresses and strains to drift away. 'It should leave you feeling alert and invigorated but really relaxed,' she adds.
we test the therapy
We joined Alice at one of her monthly afternoon sessions with Red Bull. She sets up her chair in a quiet area of the company's London head office, where 25 staff work. But before anyone takes a seat, she asks candidates to fill in a brief questionnaire to check their medical history.
It is important, she says, to reveal any medical conditions so she can take these into account during the massage. No medical problem should prevent someone from having a massage, she says. Anyone who is diabetic should have eaten within the previous two hours, and everyone else should have eaten something that day. The Academy of On-Site Massage advises against chair massage if you are pregnant, especially in the first three months.
hands on
Gingerly I take a seat in Alice's rather strange chair. It is designed like an ergonomic office chair, which places you in a kneeling position with feet tucked under, but it also supports the chest, forearms and face. Although unusual, it is oddly relaxing. Alice begins on my tense neck and shoulder muscles, prodding and pushing with her hands and thumbs. She uses firm pressure, which feels slightly painful without being too uncomfortable.
Instead of the slow, smooth pressure of a traditional couch massage, this is energetic and fast – rather like being driven over by a tank. She works her way down my spine, using her elbows to ease knotted muscles, then kneads my hips. Even though it hurts, it is over all too soon. She finishes by massaging my hands, pulling my fingers until they seem to pop.
Afterwards I feel light-headed and floating. Alice makes me drink a couple of glasses of water as massage can leave people dehydrated. There is nothing I would enjoy more than gently falling asleep. Emerging into crowded Oxford Street, I feel disoriented and confused. No doubt finding somewhere quiet and peaceful for a short while would be a wise idea before re-emerging into a busy office.
verdict: Chair massage is a quick and convenient way of releasing pent-up tensions and soothing aching muscles without spending a fortune or going too far – especially if the masseur comes to you.
what you need to know
A growing number of practitioners and agencies now offer chair or on-site massage in offices and other workplaces. Masseurs are not regulated so it is important to check that anyone you use is insured against causing injury and has been trained specifically to offer chair massage. Chair masseurs should already have been trained in conventional massage. The most widely recognised qualifications for this are from the International Therapy Examinations Council.
For chair massage, the Academy of On-Site Massage is one of the leading training organisations in the UK. This offers six-day courses in acupressure to people who already have a general massage qualification, such as osteopaths, physiotherapists, aromatherapists and reflexologists. Successful students gain the Diploma in On-Site Massage. The American-based organisation, Touchpro, also has a training school based in the UK.
cost: Alice Whitney charges £13 per massage, if the employee pays the full cost. Where the employer foots the bill, the fee is £400 plus VAT for a full day (about 25 sessions) or £225 for a half-day (about 12 sessions). Alternatively, employer and staff can share the cost. Generally, costs vary depending on different practitioners and who foots the bill. Where companies pay the total charge, costs range from around £200 to £400 per day for up to 25 15-20 minute sessions. Where staff pay themselves, costs ranges from around £8 to £15 for a session. Some masseurs operate a sliding scale where both workplace and staff contribute.
where's the evidence?
There have been no scientific trials measuring the benefits of chair massage against other therapies in beating stress although practitioners claim it reduces blood pressure, calms anxiety and boosts the immune system. However, several research studies have looked at conventional massage. These concluded that massage has some beneficial effects in treating anxiety, depression and stress.
risks to watch out for
There are few known risks to massage in general. But it would be wise to consult a doctor first if you suffer phlebitis, skin infections, eczema, osteoporosis, or have had a heart attack. Pregnant women should avoid chair massage.
it works for me
Nichola Spencer, 25, works in the marketing department at the London office of the energy drink company, Red Bull. It is a busy, fast-moving office in which staff have to take snap decisions and shoulder a lot of responsibility for their own work. 'Everything here is very manic. But it is good stress as opposed to bad stress,' she says. The company offers monthly massage as one of a range of perks – including German lessons and feng shui – to help combat stress.
Nichola has a one-hour journey to and from work each day from her home in Essex so she looks forward to unwinding during her acupressure sessions. 'You get to just relax and your mind rests and while you are being massaged it sorts everything into perspective,' she says. She admits there is a 'fine line' between acupressure feeling like 'good pain' or 'bad pain' but still enjoys every minute. 'I think it is lovely. I am usually very productive for the rest of the afternoon.'
help and info
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organisations
Academy of On-Site Massage
PO Box 8031
Reading RG6 DX9
E-mail: info@aosm.co.uk
Website: www.aosm.co.uk
One of the main training organisations for chair masseurs. Operates a code of practice and can provide details of practitioners in your area.
The Mobile Feel Good Company
14 Eversley Crescent
Winchmore Hill N21 1EJ
Tel: 0800 731 5100
E-mail: info@feelgoodco.com
Website: www.feelgoodco.com/h_mainmenu.html
Offers acupressure along with a range of other therapies, such as Indian head massage, aromatherapy and reflexology, to suit individual clients.
Pinnacle Healthcare Services
46 High St
Hampton Hill TW12 1PD
Tel: 020 8614 5866
Website: www.pinnacle-healthcare.co.uk
Combines acupressure and traditional massage techniques for on-site sessions throughout the UK.
Positive Touch
Tel: 01273 386 380
E-mail: Alice.Whitney@positivetouch.co.uk
Website: www.positivetouch.co.uk
Provides on-site acupressure massage and stress auditing services to companies and other organisations in London and the south east.
A Tactile Business
Tel: 01423 541171
E-mail: gwen@atactilebusiness.co.uk
Website: http://atactilebusiness.co.uk
Provides alternative therapy such as Acupressure, Indian Head Massage, Swedish Massage and Reflexology to private and business customers in the North Yorkshire area.
StressBusters
Tel: 020 8450 7999
E-mail: info@stressbusters.co.uk
Website: www.stressbusters.co.uk
The UK's first mobile office massage company, for workplace and special events.
Touch-Pro
176 Melrose Avenue
London NW2 4JY
Tel: 020 8450 3366
Website: www.touchpro.org
Provides a list of chair massage practitioners, explains the benefits of the TouchPro chair massage system and offers training and products.
websites
BBC.co.uk – Acupressure Points
www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/complementary_medicine/
practicalexercises_acupressure.shtml
An article by Jacqueline Young explaining the principles of acupressure and explaining specific self-help techniques for nausea and headaches.
Hands on Health Acupressure
www.polisa.co.uk
Website of a Jersey-based acupressure clinic supplying information on the healing benefits of acupressure and dates for acupressure workshops designed to benefit key health problems.
Massage Therapy UK
www.massagetherapy.co.uk
Offers information on the main massage and associated touch therapies, including advice and guidelines. Has an online search directory of specialist practitioners in different parts of the country.
Medicdirect.co.uk – Body, Sports and Remedial Massage
www.medicdirect.co.uk/clinics/default.ihtml?step=4&pid=1817
Information on which problems might be helped by massage, which bodies govern professional massage services in the UK and how to choose a therapist.
The Shiatsu Society (UK)
www.shiatsu.org
A non-profit umbrella organisation for all types and styles of Shiatsu. Website contains information about the society and about shiatsu, as well as how to find a registered practitioner.
reading
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Acupressure by John R Cross (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000) |
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Acupressure: Simple Steps to Health by Jacqueline Young (HarperCollins, 2001) |
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Acupuncture for Everyone: What It Is, Why It Works, and How It Can Help You by Ruth Kidson (Healing Arts Press, 2001) |
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Seated Acupressure Massage by Davina Thomson and Patricia Abercromby (Corpus Publishing Limited, 2001) |
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The Complete Guide to Massage |
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(October 2001, resources updated May 2005)
