As massage therapy has become more mainstream in the last ten years, the popularity of onsite seated chair massage has grown as well. Many states have passed laws regulating our profession that require massage therapists to be licensed or certified. If these regulations do not specifically mention seated massage or chair massage, that creates a “gray area” which allows people with little or no training to offer this service. If you want to make sure you are dealing with a professional massage therapist, you can ask for a copy of their license or certification. You may also want to confirm that your therapist has personal liability insurance as well. In the Washington DC metro area, you can do a massage therapy license lookup on these sites:
Washington DC: DC Health Professional Licensing Administration
Virginia: VA Board of Nursing
Maryland: MD Board of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Examiners
At apple a day onsite, we do all that for you. You can be confident that every massage therapist we contract with is certified/licensed and carries liability insurance.
Onsite massage, or seated chair massage, makes a great addition to your health fair. Your staff can get a short, relaxing massage for the neck and shoulders while they wait to see what their cholesterol level is. The massage may even help lower their blood pressure or relieve their headache. Rich Rieger and the apple a day onsite massage team have been providing seated massage to health fairs since 1994. All massage therapists working for apple a day onsite are credentialed in their jurisdiction and carry professional liability insurance.
A chair massage is a type of body work performed while the subject is sitting in a special chair. It allows him to lean forward so his neck, back and shoulders are easy for the therapist to reach, as these are the areas of concentration. Chair massages are done while the person is fully clothed, and they don’t use cream or oil.
A full chair massage can be done in as little as 15 minutes. This makes chair massages appropriate for office workers and others who have little time to spare and who cannot undress for a more comprehensive treatment. It also makes the massages easy to do in temporary, busy locations because one therapist can serve many people with quick massages.
Chair massage has special benefits, it directly treats the neck, back, and shoulders, all areas adversely affected by office work.
The treated person can close her eyes, relieving strain caused by looking continually at a computer monitor. The chair massage improves circulation, relieves muscle tension and raises a person’s energy levels. Massages may also reduce repetitive strain injuries. Regular 15-minute chair massages reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
