The Benefits of Corporate Chair Massage

by Katrina JenkinsMay 31, 2021

About a year ago, I wrote an article about workplace wellness. This was back in the earlier days of the pandemic, so it focused on how to promote physical and emotional health while adhering to new sanitary restrictions.

But now, things are returning to a new normal. We can have a workplace wellness day with fewer restrictions again, yay! Maybe in celebration, you’ll consider arranging a corporate chair massage event at your workplace!

Wait, what? Corporate chair massage? What is corporate chair massage? And why should employers arrange an event for their employees in celebration of fewer precautions?

What is Corporate Chair Massage?

I’m guessing you know what a chair massage is. It’s a type of massage in which the client kneels into a specialized chair, with the face pressed into a face cradle and the arms on an arm rest. You’ve probably seen them at airports and health fairs.

One of these!

So, when a chair massage goes corporate, a licensed massage therapist shows up at your place of work with one of those fancy chairs. At some point during your workday, your employer will offer you a break reserved for a relaxing chair massage. Depending on the length of the event (a couple hours, a few days, etc.) and the number of employees, you can expect to receive anywhere from 10-30 minutes of massage.

Benefits of Corporate Chair Massage

Ok, so it’s fairly well known that any type of massage comes with health benefits. But with corporate chair massage, those benefits spread from the happy employee to the rest of the workplace!

Pain Reduction – People who work at desks have muscle aches worse than anybody else. Forward head posture leads to knots in the neck, which lead to overcompensation from the shoulders, which leads to knots in the shoulders, and so on and so forth. Have your muscle aches ever been so unbearable that you had to take a sick day? Massage can put those muscle fibers back in place, relieve the pain, and let you save that sick day!
Stress Reduction – Stressed out employees don’t suffer alone. The instability may show in their work performance, and their moods can affect those around them. We all want to put out our best work, and we have to be there for each other emotionally if we’re going to work as a team. Let massage quell the stress so you can work with a clear mind. Relaxed colleagues spread nicer vibes to the office, too!
Reduced Risk of Injury – Whether your main duties involve lifting heavy objects or clicking a mouse, work related injuries are common and sometimes debilitating. In addition to relieving pain brought on by work injuries, massage can reduce the risk of further injury. The improved blood flow feeds oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, allowing them to function optimally and encourage better body mechanics. As has been addressed before, poor body mechanics will over time cause injury.
Improved Sleep Quality – I’m sure we’ve all had those workdays where we’d just rather stay in bed. Sleep problems are a real problem for many, and they negatively impact quite a bit of our waking lives. Does anyone ever feel satisfied with work while combating delirium? Massage promoting restful sleep is yet another topic I’ve covered before! Get a massage, sleep well, and be more alert the next morning! Work is a lot easier when your brain is well rested!
Immunity Boost – And, yet another one I’ve talked about in the past. It should go without saying a sick person should stay out of the office. Take your break, get your back pummeled, and tell the sickness-causing hormones to get out of here!

Ok, so we’re seeing overlap in all of these benefits. I’ve tried not to reuse the words work performance and sick days as best as I could, but those are the main work-related issues that bodywork can aid. A low-stress workplace with healthy employees is more likely to perform efficiently and synergistically. So, employers, perhaps consider promoting workplace wellness with a corporate chair massage every so often? Your employees will feel valued in addition to feeling relaxed! And employees, maybe at your next work meeting, suggest the idea of a corporate chair massage event.

Schedule a Corporate Chair Massage!

Happy workplace wellness! We offer chair massage services at Moyer Total Wellness, and we encourage you to schedule your appointment for your special event!

Katrina Jenkins

Author, Licensed Massage Therapist

Katrina Jenkins graduated from Towson University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and worked as a nurse’s aide briefly before pursuing her true passion. She graduated from the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado in April 2016 with honors and completed the Touch of Healers Scholarship Program the following summer. She has been a part of the Moyer Total Wellness Team since the summer of 2017.

Resources

Cabak, A., Kotynia, P., Banasiński, M., Obmiński, Z. and Tomaszewski, W. (2016). The Concept of “Chair Massage” in the Workplace as Prevention of Musculoskeletal Overload and Pain. Ortopedia, Traumatologia, Rehabilitacja, [online] 18(3), pp.279–288. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28157084/ [Accessed 27 May 2021].

Cygańska, A., Truszczyńska-Baszak, A. and Tomaszewski, P. (2020). Impact of Exercises and Chair Massage on Musculoskeletal Pain of Young Musicians. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), p.5128.

Engen, D.J., Wahner-Roedler, D.L., Vincent, A., Chon, T.Y., Cha, S.S., Luedtke, C.A., Loehrer, L.L., Dion, L.J., Rodgers, N.J. and Bauer, B.A. (2012). Feasibility and effect of chair massage offered to nurses during work hours on stress-related symptoms: A pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 18(4), pp.212–215.

Krsmanc Sisko, P., Videmsek, M. and Karpljuk, D. (2011). The Effect of a Corporate Chair Massage Program on Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Joint Range of Motion in Office Workers. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17 (7)(617-22).