Massage chairs are one of the finest inventions of technology that help us catering many back and muscle-related issues, aches, and pain.
The moving rollers roll over in multiple directions, knead tap and knock different areas of our body and perform such actions that lead to the relaxation of stiffed and strained muscles.
Massage chairs are most of the time is recommended by professionals for those suffering from a back injury, slipped disc, or bulging disc issues.
Or for those who have to sit all day long on a chair in the office or those who suffer back injuries due to lifting heavy things.
But if your back still hurts after sitting and getting a massage in a massage chair. Or maybe the pain or fatigue has increased more than before after massaging in a massage chair, that’s a point to ponder.
There can be more than one reason for that, and this is where we are going to discuss lots of things you may be doing wrong which is leading to an adverse effect of a massage chair.
7 Reasons Why your massage chair hurt your back
You have just started using a massage chair for your back and lower back parts. But you feel like your back is little aching and your muscles are a little sore.
Well, there is nothing to worry about, this is just the start of your muscles started healing.
You see massage chairs use 3D/4D technology for the massage, and during the process, the massage chairs knead your body and perform various other functions to stimulate the cells of that portion or area of the body.
Massage therapy targets the muscles of the body which are stiff and receives less blood or less movement.
When more blood flows through that area, your brain starts noticing something new and your body’s pain receptors take a threat and make your brain take it a threat in the form of pain.
Well, the above-mentioned reason is the overall process of your brain taking new activity as a pain. That’s for those using the massage gun for the first time.
But there can be other reasons, some serious chronic reasons why your back is aching after using a massage chair.
1. Too strong massage chair
Maybe the massage chair you are using for massage is too strong for you. Maybe you are getting the mild setting deep tissue massage but as for your body that mild is more than strong, and that’s why your body is not taking it well.
If that’s true, you may ask others taking the massage about how they feel after the massage. If they take regular massages their body might be adapted to the strong deep tissue massage but not yours.
If it is a deep tissue massage maybe the pain is taking you down but in the longer run, it is beneficial for your body.
The deep tissue massage put pressure on the inner layer of the muscles and targets those areas more which are formed up due to the injury or scares.
In 3D/4D massage, the massage chair reduces muscle tension and helps your body receive increased blood flow.
2. Stimulated muscles
A deep tissue massage often leads to a hurt back. This is a sign of a healthy massage session. Do you know the objective of a massage session?
To help your muscle rejuvenate, and receive more blood flood along with the nutrients.
With increased blood flow, a rhythmic force is applied which along with providing the nutrients to the part of the muscles removes the extra toxins accumulated in the blood veins.
The massage chair stimulates those muscles and helps receive increased blood flow, that muscle that you hardly use in your regular use.
So the pain your back is receiving is maybe due to those new muscles which are rejuvenated after massage using a massage chair and receiving the blood circulation.
Don’t get worried, it is for the initial days only. Once your body muscles are getting used to that motion or circulation, you would not get any back hurting, and muscles won’t longer be sore anymore.
3. Dehydration
To the point, we mentioned only the positive aspects of your body receiving back pain due to massage chairs.
But this one is overall a negative point and if you get your back aching after a massage due to this reason, you should pay special attention to it.
Actually, a massage session involves lots of water. The muscle stimulation increased blood flow and extra toxin removal from the body all require water.
If you don’t drink water before taking a massage, maybe that’s the reason your body is responding in this way.
So, what happens when you take a massage and your body does not have enough storage of water to flush out the toxins?
The toxins build up in your system and lead to aches and pain in your body. What’s the quick fix for that?
Definitely drink lots of water, and give your system a way to flush out those negative builds up in your body.
4. Not warming up your body before a massage?
Even experienced pain after straight running without warming up your body? That’s the same in the form of massage therapy or massage chair.
Massage chair uses kneading and many other methods to stimulate your muscles, when your muscles are not already ready for the exercise or roller caster ride they surely are going to ache after the end of the massage.
This is particularly important for those who are getting the massage for the first time.
Because their muscles are tied up in knots for years, and stayed ten for over a long period of time, now when you are getting a hot massage they were not ready for that.
5. Aggravated Herniated Disk
Sore muscles or body pain after the massage is totally normal. But if it is persistent and you get muscle soreness even after repeated regular massage sessions this is when you should take it more seriously and pay attention to it.
If you had a slipped disc issue or other chronic back pain issues, right away you should take appoint and check for your previous pain and chronic back pain problems.
Chances are due to massage sessions your old chronic issues are aggravating instead of getting healed.
In that case, you should stop taking massage sessions and consult your physician right away.
6. Excessive use of massage chair
Excessive use of a massage chair leads to back pain issues. Look, massage chairs are designed to heal your body from exhaustion, various muscle tightness, and muscle pain issues.
If you take it as a game and get it every day with no breaks it might damage the muscle of your back.
The excessive use of the massage chair can lead to bruising of the muscle tissue which would not be a big chronic issue, just don’t get a further massage and take rest for some days, it will be good soon.
7. Improper settings
A proper massage chair comes with various settings to help customize the massage experience. With varying intensity, pressure, and area of focus, you can get a personalized massage experience.
Okay, but where it comes the improper setting logically applies to the back pain after the massage?
It’s because maybe you are using the massage chair for the first time, and maybe you don’t know the right customized setting, area of focus, how many minutes you should take massage, and various other things.
If you go with any of the improper settings you may get your muscle bruised or skin cells damaged which leads to back pain.
How to reduce back pain after a massage?
Heat therapy
First thing first, you should diagnose first why your back is sore or aching. If it was the overuse of the massage chair or intense massage therapy, you should take a heat therapy session in your massage chair.
Or if your massage chair does not come with a heating pad, you may manually give your body heat therapy.
Take a clean damp cloth, heat it in an oven, and when it is good hot- not that hot to burn your skin, apply it to the area of the body and repeat the process.
Drink water
Now you have narrowed it down that your back pain is due to not drinking enough water before the massage session. What should do to get rid of that pain or inflammation?
Obviously drinking lots of water, drinking water will give the toxins to build up in your system and exit and your body will flush those toxins hurting your system and making you feel pain.
Stretching your back a little
If for no reason you don’t know why your back is hurting after a massage the better would be to take a little stretch exercise for your back.
Back stretching will help your back muscles rejuvenate, and get rid of the back pain due to various reasons go away.
Ice therapy
Well, heat therapy is a good way to get rid of back pain, but if you don’t like heat therapy ice therapy is an alternative.
Get some cubes of ice and bundle them in a cloth and apply to the back area if aching or hurting.
Do it for fifteen minutes, do it with your stomach resting on the floor with your back facing the ceiling. If you can’t do it yourself, take someone else’s help.
How massage chair helps you with back pain?
Just the way I mentioned in my introduction, massage chairs are designed to help users suffering from back pain relieve their pain.
But incorrect usage may lead to escalating their pain and if you follow the right procedure you may get your back and lower back issues fixed without any big fuss.
But if the back pain is not due to the overuse or improper use of the massage chair, how a massage chair overall helps those who suffer from back pain and various other issues related?
Blood circulation
I mentioned it above, and going to mention it one more. Massage chair rejuvenates your muscles, and increases your blood circulation to the areas where massage is being applied.
It uses massage kneads which applies pressure to the body and increase the blood flow along with nutrients flowing and many toxins removal.
This is how your back gets healed, it receives the right nutrients along with the blood, and toxins are being removed that were causing your back to receive back pain.
Fix inflammation or muscle soreness:
Massaging helps your muscles recover faster from various injuries and inflammation.
This is because, the massaging increases the blood circulation to the area, which leads to more nutrients reaching the part, and when more nutrients are reaching, the area injured or inflamed recovers faster.
Relives stress
If you are stressed, your muscles especially the back muscles likely to be tenser and stiffed.
With a massage chair, your stiffed or tensed muscles can be relieved. The massage chair rejuvenates your muscles and relieves their tension which leads to a stress-relieving experience.
Conclusion
A Massage chair is used for relieving stress, and back and neck pain. For those who feel exhausted, a massage chair is the right option for them.
But, a massage chair itself can lead to back pain if not used properly or not with good settings.
If you are suffering constant back pain after regular use, this may be due to some chronic issues or triggering some chronic back pain issues.
Either of case you should consult your physician. If it is the first time you are using a massage chair for the first time, or due to the reasons we mentioned, we have also added some cures and ways.
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