In the market for a new massage chair? Not sure what to look for or how to differentiate between good quality and lesser quality? Fear not – you aren’t alone. It isn’t easy navigating the mass of available information about massage chairs. It can be daunting to say the least. So, after a bit of professional and personal consideration, I’ve put together a list of the things you should be looking for on your search. Here goes …

Form and Function

In the world of portable massage chairs, beauty isn’t all it is cracked up to be and form and function reign supreme. Don’t get me wrong, aesthetics is on my list, too. With that said, form and function are of far greater import. Read more…

I recently worked with Stronglite’s Bruce Eatchel on a project involving chair massage. Before I go on, let me first own up to something: I had always seen chair massage as an add-on of sorts, as a way to generate leads that would eventually turn toward more traditional massage. Well … I was wrong and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Certainly, there are those who successfully use portable massage chairs as a way to generate new business. If you are one of them, you have my highest high-five and deepest admiration for getting out there and building your clientele. With that said, I now realize that portable massage chairs have much more to offer these days. Here’s what I learned during my fateful conversation with Bruce:

In a challenging economy, massage therapists who have long sought out the stability of large spas and franchises are turning to chair massage Read more…

I was recently asked to write a piece about the benefits of bolsters (yup bolsters!). In the spirit of honesty, I have to admit that I wondered quite how much I would be able to come up with. After all, a bolster is a bolster is a bolster. Right? Well, not necessarily. After a bit of outside research and some personal consideration, I’ve developed a newfound respect for our cushy little friends. Here’s the gist of what I learned (much of it rediscovered) in the process:

Bolsters have the ability to dramatically improve the comfort of a massage client. What’s more, bolsters help support practitioners in their goals for a bodywork session. There is more than one right way to use a bolster and bolsters vary in quality and innovation of design. Because clients are unique in their needs, their experiences with bolsters will be unique as well. It’s important to remember that the “norm” may not be ideal for every client. Practice and experimentation (within reason and based on the client’s comfort) are the two things that will – pardon the pun – truly “bolster” your long-term success.

At the end of the day, bolsters are all about comfort. Luckily, the massage therapist’s job is all about comfort, too. That makes the bolster (a seemingly innocuous prop) a crucial tool for the massage therapist. I chalk it up to this: bolsters improve client comfort and the more comfortable your client is, the better his or her massage experience will be. And that, my friends, can only serve to enhance your business. I’m pretty sure we call that a win-win.