Why Chair Massage? – Optimize Massage Therapy

The health benefits of massage therapy are becoming more widely known and accepted as conventional medicine incorporates this modality with increasing frequency. A 2010 survey¹ by the American Hospital Association revealed a 5% increase in hospitals that offer massage or other complementary and alternative therapies from 2007 to 2010. Massage research indicates it can be an effective treatment and prevention tool for a wide variety of illnesses and injuries.

But how can introducing massage therapy to your work environment improve the health of your business?

Return on Investment

Many companies incorporating chair massage in the workplace to establish a wellness culture for their company could also end up seeing a return on their investment in the form of reduced sick days and fewer workers’ compensation claims. A 2016 Forbes article by Raquel Baldelomar explains:

[… A] growing body of research now indicates that massage can help boost your immune system. If you want to avoid taking time off for being sick and stay healthy during cold and flu season, scheduling a weekly massage may help. Having a massage on a regular basis increases the activity level of the body’s white blood cells that fight viruses. ²

Increase Productivity

Massage can be an excellent tool for boosting productivity and creative thinking for your workforce. Baldelomar states:

For the past 20 years, there have been studies linking massage to improved brainpower and productivity. That may explain why roughly 11% of companies offered workplace massages to employees in 2015 and 3% of companies planned to add corporate massage in the next 12 months, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. ²

Attract Top Talent

Benefits like employer-provided massage are a highly effective way to draw in top talent. More than a flashy perk, investing in massage for your workforce communicates to potential employees that your company is actively invested in the health, wellbeing and prosperity of their employees. An added benefit is that the same approach can aid in employee retention. An article by Jeanne Troncao, MS, LMT featured on livestrong.com states “Workplace massage can help reduce employee stress while improving overall job satisfaction.”

There are many reasons you might want workplace chair massage for your company. See the list below for resources on the effectiveness and economy of massage therapy for your workforce.

¹www.samueliinstitute.org/File%20Library/…/OHE/CAM_Survey_2010_oct6.pdf

²https://www.forbes.com/sites/raquelbaldelomar/2016/04/01/5-reasons-executives-should-schedule-a-massage-today/#6387a1d13b15

³https://www.livestrong.com/article/165599-what-are-the-benefits-of-chair-massage-in-the-workplace/