Corporate Chair Massage

How will chair massage benefit your business?

Do you have employees that are known for taking sick days, are constantly complaining about pains, or are short tempered and crabby with other workers? What you need in your office is massage therapy.

You may not know, but there has been scientific evidence showing that massage in the workplace Improves your employees performance. According to a study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience massaged adults: showed enhanced mental alertness, completed math problems in significantly less time with more accuracy and lowered job stress levels.

In this and other studies, a basic 15-minute chair massage provided weekly resulted in decreases in job stress and significant increases in productivity. Brain waves were altered in ways that are consistent with enhanced alertness, and simple math computations were completed in half the time, with half the errors following the massage therapy. Moderate pressure displayed the greatest decrease in stress. As stated by Tiffany Field, PhD “You don’t get those brain-waves changes & the heart-rate slowing & people being in a more relaxed state w/ light-pressure massage.” The amount of time & the routine don’t matter as much as the pressure.

What does chair massage cost and who pays for the service?
What you may not realize is that corporate chair massage does not have to cost the employer anything. As an employer or manager, you may provide the space for the service and the employee can pay for the therapy itself. Chair massage can cost as low as $1 per minute per employee, averaging from 10-20 minutes.

If a business chooses to pay for the massage, you may choose the service on a weekly, bi-weekly ormonthly basis or as a treat for special occasions and holidays. What better way to reward your employees who have worked above and beyond then a relaxing, therapeutic massage.

How is chair massage performed?
Chair massage is performed sitting in a massage chair where you’re kneeling in a position where you spine is properly aligned. This allows for comfort and assists in the client receiving a proper treatment. The therapist will mainly focus on your neck, shoulders, back, arms and hands which are the most common areas that are affected by stress. Chair massage as well as massage in general is known to relieve headaches, pain & tension.

During your massage an employees work clothes and overall appearance is not altered. There is no oil or lotion used in this treatment unless requested ahead of time. A chair massage generally takes the time of a coffee break and may be done during lunch or whenever convenient so that it does not interfere with an employees productivity at work. If anything they will return to work happier and more motivated to finish the job.

MORE CLINICAL EVIDENCE

JOB STRESS
This is is one of the leading problems resulting in lost productivity, decreased corporate profits, and worker’s compensation claims. There are documented positive effects of massage therapy on job performance and stress reduction as proven at the University of Miami Medical School.

BACK PAIN
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, June 3, 2003 , more than 100 million Americans suffer from lower-back pain, and nearly $25 billion a year is spent in search of relief. A 2003 study showed that massage therapy produced better results and reduced the need for painkillers by 36 percent. Today, massage therapy is one of the most common ways people ease back pain.

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Source: Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 8, 9-14. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a progressively painful condition that causes numbness and tingling in the thumb and middle fingers. A 2004 study found that carpal tunnel patients receiving massage reported significantly less pain, reduced symptoms and improved grip strength than those patients who did not receive massage.

REDUCED ANXIETY
An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from depression. A review of more than a dozen massage studies concluded that massage therapy helps relieve depression and anxiety by affecting the body’s biochemistry. (In the studies reviewed, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol which also can lead to weight gain) in participants before and immediately after massage it was found that levels lowered by up to 53 %. Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine, and neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.) Source: Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine.

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
Hypertension, if left unchecked, can lead to organ damage. Preliminary research shows that hypertensive patients who received massages every week had a reduction in blood pressure, compared to patients who simply relaxed without a massage. Source: Biological Research For Nursing, Vol. 7, No. 2, 98-105 (2005).

MORE BENEFITS-
Massage can induce weight gain in premature infants and alleviates depressive symptoms, reduces stress hormones, alleviates pain and positively alters the immune system in children and adults with various medical conditions. Because massage therapy release a serotonin-like substance, the primary ingredient in most pain-killers, massage may offset the need for addictive pain medications. This was shown in a study on Children with juvenile arthritis that are generally given anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain.

STRESS & WORK PERFORMANCE
Watson Wyatt’s 2007/2008 Global Strategic Rewards study workers rank stress as the top reason they would leave their company, followed by base pay, new opportunities, and work/life balance. When employees are satisfied with stress levels and work/life balance, it was found that 86% are more inclined to stay with their company and 88% are more likely to recommend it as a place to work. Additional survey findings show: 55.8% say stress affects their general attitude, 39.4% relationships with co-workers & their supervisor, 36% their productivity, 35.5% the quality of their work.

My name is Jaime Bachrach and I am the owner of Harmony Within Massage Therapy. I have also been certified massage therapist since 2002. Both myself, and the independent contractors I use for my clients, are highly trained in a variety of techniques which we customize to meet the individual needs of each and every one of our clients.

In addition to chair massage services the other modalities we offer are listed on this website. We offer a variety of massage & bodywork techniques to suite your personal needs, mostly provided on a massage table.

You are welcome to come to the office, conveniently located in Ridgewood across from Kings Super Market, by appointment only. We have a wide variety of hours so you can schedule during lunch, after work or on most weekends. We provide house calls in Bergen County and closely surrounding areas as an added convenience.