3 Reasons Your First Time on a Massage Chair May Hurt

It’s the most ironic scene. You buy a massage chair and slide into its welcoming seat with rest and relaxation in mind. You turn on the unit, enter your desired settings, and drift away into a soul healing massage session. Surprisingly, however, instead of that blissful body experience, you are left with sore muscles and a bit of painful feeling after your very first session.

So, what went wrong?

You’ve read all the reviews and you know that you chose the best massage chair. You are aware that this unit has all the unique and most updated features. You even got the one that says it comes with the best foot massager and Bluetooth speakers to boot. Yet, after that fateful first massage chair session, you feel like you need another set of caring hands to ease your body pain.

You now ask yourself, what could possibly be the reason for that kind of pain to creep in after your first time on a massage chair? Apparently, there are various reasons why your body might end up feeling painful and sore despite a wonderfully executed massage session. And if you’re curious about the reasons behind such bodily reaction to a supposedly calming and relaxing experience, let’s break it down one by one:

1. The massage chair is too strong for you

Although massage chairs do allow you to adjust the intensity, certain chairs are better suited to deliver a more soothing and relaxing massage. This is recommended for users who are relatively new to massage as well as senior citizens. A great example is the Osaki Admiral.

On the other hand are massage chairs that are geared towards strong, deep tissue massage. These chairs are recommended if you're quite experienced with massage, already know you enjoy deep tissue, and also for users who are physically active. A very popular choice for this is the Panasonic MAJ7.

Chat with us or call 888-612-8862 and we'll recommend a chair that's a good fit for you in terms of strength, fit (your height/weight), price range and other important factors.

2. Your body is not used to it

Apparently, this is one of the most common reasons why your body might feel sore after sitting on a massage chair and choosing any of its pre-programmed massage sessions. If you’re not used to getting a massage on a massage chair, then your body will make you feel its reaction.

Just as how you might feel when you do a new exercise routine, start playing a sport after a long hiatus, or when you extend a strenuous activity for some time, your body will feel like its muscles are tired and sore on its very first massage session. In fact, it may feel like this for about two to three sessions more as you get your dose of massage therapy from your massage chair.

But why does this happen?

So, whether you opt for a more focused spot massage or avail of the full body massage on your very first try, you can expect a bit of soreness and pain as your body adjusts and gets the hang of muscular and tissue manipulation through your newly-bought massaging chair.

It’s because massage chairs, like the massage therapists in your favorite spa, use its rollers and track system (as well as its built-in compression airbags) to tirelessly work on your body’s tense muscles. And if this is your first time, your muscles (especially the ones that have been lying dormant for a while now) will respond in the form of inevitable and unwanted pain.

3. You are dehydrated

Do you know what you should (and shouldn’t) do after a massage treatment? How about before getting a massage?

Definitely, drinking lots of water should be on top of your list. Why? Massage therapy, regardless of whether you get it from a spa or from your very own shiatsu massage chair, helps flush out toxins from your body. And what do you need to get these toxins moving out of your system? Water.

So, what happens when you are dehydrated and had little water intake before your first massage session? You get a buildup of toxins that subsequently causes aches and pains all over your body. What’s the quick fix? Make sure you drink lots of water not just after your massage session, but, most importantly, before you undergo another full body massage.

4. Your muscles had no warmup

Ever went straight running without any warm-up and stretching? If so, then you’d know that pain is an obvious consequence. The same is true with a first-time massage session in your massage chair, especially when your muscles have been tied up in knots and have stayed tense for over a long period of time.

This is why heat therapy like a hot stone massage or a sauna prior to massage therapy is popular among massage lovers. The warmth not only soothes tensed muscles but also helps loosen them up (by increasing muscle flexibility) before getting worked on to free up adhesions and knots.

What else constitutes a warm-up? Similarly, when you’re getting a first-time massage on your massage chair, you should consider choosing gentler massage settings before diving straight into intense deep tissue massage styles.

Conclusion

So, where does this leave you?

Massage therapy can give tremendous benefits such as stress-relief and freedom from constant and nagging muscular pain. However, it is also possible that your first time on your massage chair may cause you to feel pain. When this happens, there are several aspects you can look into such as whether or not your body is used to getting worked up to release muscular tension. You can also consider dehydration and not having enough warm-up as the culprits behind the pain.

Overall, so long as there are no other serious and underlying condition, the temporary pain is part of your body’s process of adjusting to the massage chair’s work on your tissues and muscles.

There might also be a possibility that the massage chair you purchased is not well suited for your needs. At EasyMassageChair.com, we take time to answer customer inquiries and even give FREE personalized recommendation based on your needs, budget and other factors. We aim for you to get the ideal massage chair at the best deal. Contact us today using the information below and we'll be more than happy to answer.