Body Massagers

Irrespective of the nature of your job that may keep you on legs all thru day or sitting on a desk, you would love your feet to be stroke and cuddled by a heated foot massager that makes you forget all the troubles of the day. It’s no less than having a personal foot therapist at anytime, without a moment’s notice.

The foot massagers of today are entirely different than that old obsolete design of what your grandmother might have used. The old designs were very bulky and nosy too, with hardly any settings. The latest ones are so well designed that you wouldn’t like to walk but devote more time for using them. They come very impressive features these days and the basic models will prompt you to ask for more.

Any model is designed to give you that customary foot massage. But, that’s just the primary function of these massagers and in this era you have reasons to look for something beyond that. You may ask for a variation of vibration levels in the same pattern. Or perhaps something with pre-programmed patterns with modifying patterns, to increase or decrease the action to break the monotony and even those that you can program yourself. Typically the models confine their action to the same spot but with varying intensity. However, some models come with pads that revolve around and cover your foot completely. These last ones are so designed that they may also be applied to thighs or calf muscles.

You can adjust the intensity of heat and some also include Shiatsu therapy that reminds you of human fingers. Some of them can be programmed to your preferred comfort levels.

If you’re truly looking for high-tech features, go for one with remote controlled actions. That saves you the bother of touching the keypads of the unit with your toes. Just keep your eyes closed and enjoy the massage.

At the end of the day, nothing soothes and rejuvenates you better than a hot foot massager.

It’s quite irritating to have cellulite developed under the layers of skin at different parts of your body like legs, buttocks and thighs. One way of removing it is by use of an anti cellulite cream, the composition of which is doubtful and these creams are very expensive. But you need not worry, for an economical solution is there that helps you getting rid of these extra growths on any part of your body. Start using a cellulite massage device regularly and see the results.

Here are the ratings of some of the cellulite massage devices:

Wooden/Rubber Rollers – Nearly all brands deliver almost similar results, meaning it is not worth spending on anything unduly expensive. They slightly massage your skin and on being combined with balms and creams deliver good results.

Bliss Simulator – It’s more like a rubber massager. Just hold it and apply manually. Simply cover its surface with soap and glide down the affected part of your body regularly and wait for results to start showing up in a month or two.

Tonic Roller – This electric massager from Maxcare is a bit expensive at $40, but then it saves your hands and wrists from getting tired while performing long strokes of massages. It’s lightweight, yet powerful and effective. The massaging bits are provided with a cover that needs to be removed while using it along with creams or balms.

Wahl 2-Speed Hand-Held All Body Massager with Heat – Here’s an all-body massager that sells for about 40 bucks. It’s different than the Tonic Roller and can be categorized as more of an all-purpose massaging device. Though touted as helpful for cellulite, it’s not purposeful.

Thigh Design Pro Cellulite Tissue Massager System – This is the most expensive of them all, creating the impression that it must be highly effective, but unfortunately it is not. It’s more like a low-price vacuum cleaner that has a suction cup attached the end of a hose. Best avoided.

Depending on the model you choose, A HoMedics massage chair costs from $250 to $800. Primarily there are three models and each offers variation and comes with different features and functions. Here’s a review of the present models of HoMedics massage chairs.

The HoMedics Anti-Gravity massage recliner is a very easy, modern and pleasant looking chair. The manufacturer touts the chair to have anti-gravity feature that enables the user to adapt to the same seating position as NASA astronauts when they go to space. Leaving aside the exaggerations, in this case anti-gravity in fact means that the chair can be reclined to such an angle that brings the feet and ankles of the user to a level slightly higher that the his/her head. Well, very few experienced traveling in space, but research indicates that being in that position helps better circulation of blood and a majority finds that position comfortable and helpful in relaxing.

A nice feature of this chair that you generally don’t find in other machines of the same price range, starting from $250, is the inclusion of heating arrangements. HoMedics AG-2101 is the basic model that comprises of the chair and simple vibrating massage. You can recline in the chair to a comfortable angle by operating the lever provided. It offers ten easy basic massage programs and has an easy to use hand control.

You may upgrade to the AG-3000, AG-3001 and AG-3000S models- for a maximum of $380. Their designs are still more interesting with a shiatsu massager on the back. But, then, that’s not a real shiatsu massage!

On the whole, HoMedics AntiGravity is an economical massage recliner. It would be worthwhile to buy the basic AG-2101, as the more expensive models don’t offer anything of much significance.

The HoMedics eLounger massaging recliner has the looks of a traditional massage chair. Its black faux leather would generally get along well with the looks of most homes. The four massage functions it provides include: kneading, tapping, kneading and tapping and rolling, the last offering 3 programmed sessions of Upper and Lower Back Upper and Full, each lasting 15 minutes. Depending on the model, the price varies from $500 – $800 and is flaunted as the HoMedics shiatsu massage chair, which isn’t really true. A good shiatsu massage chair costs upwards of $1800.

However, the quality of massage provided is good. The massage chair from HoMedics is better that the competitor make, iJoy, as far as design, functions and ease of operation is concerned.

On top of one of the armrests is the control unit, while the other armrest has a cup holder. Some users may not feel comfortable with the control unit on the arm set and may like the arm to rest there all the time, but you can remove the control. I really don’t see the purpose of a cup holder on the other armrest, unless you intend having a beer or coffee in the course of your massage? It looks quite shoddy.

My favorite is the HoMedics Scandinavian heated massage recliner chair and ottoman.
It has a simple and graceful style, is reasonably priced at about $550. I like it for its features and functions. I am fond of heated massages and the chair provides three heat zones, for lower back, seat and calves. Look at the massage modes that include: kneading, tapping, rolling, and combined kneading and tapping. Apart from the variety of massages, it allows you to select a partial massage that would focus on just a four-inch range area of your body or you may opt for spot massage that concentrates on just one spot for kneading or tapping and kneading combined. It provides three massage speeds, whereas intensity can be controlled from low to medium to high.

Personally I would recommend Scandinavian recliner and ottoman, of all the three models of HoMedics massage chair, because of its excellent features with great looks that come at an affordable price.

Research and studies point towards the healing effects of massages on body and mind, both. Historically, massages have been treated as a kind of medication. Almost everybody would have experienced the relief that massage provides to aching neck or back or to painful joints.

Ever since the inception of massage, application of oil to the affected part has resulted to having relaxed muscles. You may realize that the style of applying massage and the consequences of that have remained unchanged since ages. Massage therapy is still used to treat chronic pain of the joints and muscles.

Using a Hand Held Massager to Fight Pain and Stress

Massage is proven to be an effective means of relieving stress. While you are facing stress and getting tense, the muscles get knotted and that causes additional pressure on your bone framework. Those suffering from stress, muscle or joint pain will feel relieved on getting a massage.

Apart from providing relief from muscular pain or pain of the joints, having a personal massager has many additional facilities and advantages. At the outset, you don’t have to depend upon on another helping hand to massage your affected area. That’s a big help, considering everybody is hard pressed for time these days. Another equally helpful feature of owning one is that you may use it anytime convenient to you. And, the best part is that a hand held massager allows you to adjust the massage pressure to your most comfortable level. Further, you can apply the required pressure to any part of the affected area.

Some of the Options Available in Hand Held Massagers

Modern hand held massagers come with flexible heads, meaning these can be used to reach different contours of your body. They are also designed to induce vibrations that cause a pulsating effect to the painful areas. Quite a few of them have the option of a heated pad, thereby simultaneously applying heat to the affected area while massaging. Heating, as we know, helps to provide additional relief to tired muscles. It amounts to having the same effect as that of a heating pad.

There are many massagers that offer different attachments. The attachments are designed for being used on different parts of the body, like legs, neck, face and scalp.

All the various functions mentioned above that a hand held massager could provide, are electronically controlled. It will be good to have a massager that has an easy to understand and operate control panel. Of course, brand and warranty can’t be ignored. Like any other electrical equipment, you should buy a dependable brand so that you can put it to effective use for long.

Long ago when massage chairs were introduced they were simply lounge chairs that had built in vibrators. They have come a long way since then. The innovations and improvements have added to the therapeutic value of these machines. There is little doubt on the physical and psychological benefits of massage to almost any age of the user. The incorporation of so many facilitating features has certainly added to the complexities of this equipment. That makes it very important for the consumers to know what they are getting from a machine they might intend buying. So, here are a few things you would find interesting and helpful while choosing a massager.

Generally, a modern massage chair is designed to offer different types of motions during massaging. You should look for one that provides these three forms of massage. One type of massage is generally known as Shiatsu. Such a massage horizontally kneads your back muscles from side to side on both the sides of your backbone. Though real Shiatsu is a very complicated technique, the basic idea is that only. Further there are many kinds of Shiatsu. You should try to understand the maximum of what the Shiatsu mechanism of the chair is going to do to your back.

The second kind of motion offers mild pounding and drumming up and down the back like little chops or a shower massage.
The third style of motion is a roller motion that goes up and down on both the sides of your spine. This goes to lengthen and relax the muscles of the spine and back.

Most chairs have automated programs to combine all three motions. Some of the programs are for changing the intensity of the massage while others are for changing the type of massage, so you should understand the functioning of different programs.

Some of the latest massage chairs provide leg and foot massage. They certainly deliver good results and are worth having. Some are provided even with arm massage devices. However, these do not prove to be as effective as the leg, back and foot massage. Most of the massage chairs have tilting arrangements so that the chair could be inclined to different angles. This feature heightens the effects of massage. Some of them are designed to recline up to full 180o to get the best out of massage.

You may wonder that all the good quality hairs are made from leather, but as a matter of fact they use vinyl and synthetic leather. But, there are technical reasons for not using leather. You see, most of the massagers are provided with built-in heaters. Leather can’t bear frequent changes of temperature and will get dried and crack ultimately. Likewise, leather is unable to withstand the constant motion of the back rollers. Rather than having spoiled and cracked leather that spoils the looks and gets uncomfortable for the user, the manufacturers use specially made synthetic materials with natural looks that can withstand temperature variations and constant motion, the necessary features of any good massager. It’s just a sales gimmick if the company claims to be using natural leather. As you can understand, leather is not functional for such applications and it’s good to rely upon good quality vinyl or synthetic leather, which you may find difficult to differentiate from natural leather.

It’s of utmost importance to understand the warranty clause of the provider. You should understand that all the movements are controlled electronically, though the main source of motion is an electric motor. Generally, you won’t have any major break down, but it is good to know how to tackle the situation arising out of any breakdown of whatever type. Suppose you main motor stops working soon after you bought the equipment! Wouldn’t you like it getting repaired at your place rather than sending it back to the supplier and bear all the expense of shipping and connected bother? So, you are better prepared to handle such situations if you know what all is covered by warranty and for how long.

Monsieur Henri Cuinier in France first introduced G5 in the 1950’s. It proved to be an amazing device for providing relief to sore and tired muscles. And, now all over the world more than 100,000 G5 are sold.

My first experience with this equipment was in the office of chiropractic. My father was chiropractic and my mother would assist him. As a matter of fact she was the one handling G5 and would use it to bring relief to patients thru that. She narrated me how patients would come in anticipation of being relieved and were required to be on a table with face downward and she would massage the back muscles with G5. At the end of the massage the patients would feel so relieved and felt that they were not required to have even “adjustment” from the doctor. The deep tissue massager helps to relieve tired and strained muscles by moving out unwanted fluid and thus making room for fresh blood and collagen. That’s the characteristic of G5 that goes deep into the unhealthy muscle and helps its quick healing.

The G5 find a wide acceptance with medical and health professionals. One is no more surprised to notice a G5 massager being patronized by a local massage therapist, respiratory therapist, Chiropractic and Sports Medicine. You would often find it at most of the Spa’s and Beauty Salons. It’s a model device that many professionals make use of to relieve patients of sore muscles. But, it has other benefits too. New models of G5 are used for cellulite reduction to help its control. These are being exploited for skin toning, body contouring and lymphatic drainage.

The older versions of G5 were generally hand held devices, were rather heavy with unappealing looks. But the modern designs are easy to handle and carry; being portable you can conveniently shift them to any room for your use. They come with an accessory tray that makes their shifting still more convenient.

For procuring a model of your liking, you may go online and compare various models and their features with prices. It’s also available in many stores and would make a pleasant gift for your spouse who is sure to be delighted by its utility and the relief it provides.

Good shower is a great way of feeling relaxed. Because of the good effects of a shower, every household necessarily has a shower in its bathroom. The feeling of water falling on your body and face is almost a tranquilizing experience. You may not have realized, but showers can be used to massage your body if water pressure is raised. Waterpik makes use of this fact by producing showers that enable raising of water pressure within your bathroom to have the added benefits of a shower massage. Technocrats at Waterpik have exploited hydraulic technology to produce most effective and durable massage showers. Waterpik has been in this business for more than twenty years and the performance of their products is unparalleled. They keep introducing new and improved designs enabling the consumers to delightfully experience the advantages of massage showers.

Taking a shower is almost a daily routine for most of us. Good prolonged shower is known to have therapeutic benefits as it relaxes the mind and body. But, there is a significantly added pleasure of having a high-pressure shower. Waterpik produces a variety of showers that offer incomparable performance. They come in impressive attractive designs that not only enhance the experience of a shower, but also add to the elegance of bathroom. The design and technology of Optiflow model from Waterpik raises the water pressure by thirty percent. This was the first company that started production of massage showerheads and they continue to introduce varied models with dependable quality that they are known for.

We have all experienced the pleasure of powerful shower. In 1992, when the United States Government declared a cut of forty percent in the pressure of showerheads, the engineers at Waterpik accepted the challenge of making showers that would yield high pressure despite the announced cut. Their efforts bore fruit when they introduced OptiFlow showerheads. The design and technology applied for making this showerhead delivers water at thirty percent higher pressure than any other showerhead. Shower massage by Waterpik delivers water at enough pressure and gives you a feel as if you were using lots of water, whereas it’s the technology that raises water pressure.

Waterpik massage showers are available in a number of designs. Though all make use of the same technology, each offers different functions. For example, some of the models offer different modes of spray. Some have only four modes, while others are designed to provide six sprays. In effect, they allow you to change the manner in which water gets sprayed on your body. The handheld showers release water under pressure and offer the choice of a light or pulsating massage to the user. At the end of the day nothing provides better relief than hot water massage. The user may keep varying the pressure to have a more comforting shower. Some of the showers are designed to provide full body coverage with strong or light pulsating massage while others offer a central concentrated spray.

Waterpik showers may be viewed at a nearby store or you may check those at their official website. Choose one of the many available designs and enjoy the pleasures of a high-pressure shower while the showerhead makes an impressive appearance in your bathroom.

For a company that has only been around for just over 20 years, Homedics has quickly come to set the standard in the health and wellness industry. They carry an extensive line of personal wellness products for various areas of your life, including relaxing your body, renewing your spirit, to promote your general well being and to help simplify your life.

Homedics was founded in 1987 as a family owned business, and remains so today. Though located in Commerce Township, Michigan, they now encompass an international team of marketing and engineering experts; people who care about developing innovative and high quality products that make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Lets take a look at their main category of products and some of the offerings found in each one.

* Massagers – this is where Homedics got started, with back and body massagers. Some of the massage products that they carry are back massage cushions that fit on a chair, massaging mats that are used lying down, foot massagers, neck and spot massagers, hand held massagers and massage tables. They also provide full massaging recliners at affordable price points. These deluxe chairs feature multiple massage functions, including kneading, tapping, and rolling. Some of their smaller massage products include massaging slippers and a massaging pillow, so you can get a massage wherever you go!

* Foot Baths – which feel great to help relax after a long day on your feet.

* Sensory and Relaxation products- this includes small table top fountains to bring the relaxing sound of water inside; iPod docking systems and sound spas which provide gentle nature sounds to help you sleep more peacefully at night and wake more rested in the morning.

* Weight Management products – these include digital, analog and profession scales.

* Sleep Solutions – for a more therapeutic sleep, Homedics provides mattress toppers (memory foam, smart foam etc.), regular and contour pillows that are made of special materials, as well as pillow and mattress protectors that provide allergen protection, especially important for serious asthma sufferers.

* Diagnostic Healthcare products – these products include thermometers and blood pressure monitors, many that give a reading in one second, and special wraps (for wrist, back, ankle etc.) that can be used for heat or cold therapy or magnetic wave technology.

* Home Environment products – their primary focus here is an air filter that removes up to 99% of odor causing bacteria. This is great for removing household smells such as smoke, pet and cooking (burning!) odors. But the Homedic Air Revitalizer does more than filter your home, it also can fill your home with aromatherapy scents, maintain humidity levels and add ambiance to any room with its soothing blue light. This category also includes an aromatherapy oil diffuser.

Homedic has done a great marketing job to make them a household name. You know that with their products you are getting high quality components that are crafted for years of dependable use, products that are warranty backed. Their “revolutionary products and ideas have transformed the world of personal wellness for consumers worldwide.” In today’s hectic world, it is nice to be able to relax in your own home and enjoy some of the benefits of a spa, such as a massage, foot soaks, aromatherapy, and natural sounds.

After a long day at work or perhaps at the gym, your neck muscles can become tight and begin to ache. Even worse, when left unchecked an aching neck will travel to other parts of the body like the shoulders and cause further discomfort, or travel up the neck into the base of the head causing a nagging headache. The best thing that you can do is to massage your neck, but a trip to the Massage Therapist is not cheap and not always convenient.

For far too many people, neck pain is just a way of life and something that they deal with on a daily basis. Without health insurance going to a massage therapist on a regular basis is out of the question and often those same people believe that they can do little about their neck pain. Fortunately for those people, inexpensive neck massagers are available to relieve the pain and tension in the neck. Beyond pain though, new studies have shown that regular neck massages can lead to lower blood pressure and overall better health.

The best solution to a sore neck is to purchase a neck massager for use at home. After the initial cost of the neck massager there’s no appointments to make, no more money to spend and no need to leave your home at all. Ask just about anyone who has used one and the answer is a resounding yes! Neck massagers come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. They can range from small simple handheld devices to larger wrap-around units that fit the contours of your neck. Depending on the price you want to pay and the options that you want, neck massagers offer relief from neck pain and tension. Some neck massagers are quite effective and only provide vibration or deep muscle massage, but other effective neck massagers combine the the movements with heat, which can also help to relax muscles.

Overall, it would be foolish to not purchase a neck massager if you are one of the millions of people that suffer from “a pain in the neck”!

As a person who spends most of her waking time sitting, having a product such as a Therapist Select Shiatsu Back Massager by Homedics is a necessity. For someone like myself with chronic back pain, I keep mine secured to my office chair and turn it on about once every hour and let it run for about 5-10 minutes while I continue to work. All models come with an integrated strapping system, which makes it conveniently and easily attachable to almost any chair. Rather than invest in a very expensive office chair, you can transform almost any chair into an incredible massage chair. On chilly days, I use the heat option to warm-up my muscles before stretching, which I must do several times a day. The heat helps ease muscle tension, while the massage mechanisms help to stimulate circulation. The Shiatsu back massager takes under a minute to warm-up to full heating capacity.

Since the Therapist Select series is flexible, I also lay it flat on my bed – a great way to relax myself to sleep. I can lie on either my back or side and then set the controls for a full or a spot massage. If you want to be creative, you can wrap the massager around a specific body part – such as your leg, if that is where your body needs attention. The independent controls allow you to turn on and off specific areas of the massager as well as adjust intensity levels. The Shiatsu back massager is designed to work your lower back all the way up to your shoulders. As a bonus, at any given time, you can alternate between two massaging styles – either Shiatsu or rolling massage. Even more incredible is that you can adjust the massager dials to conform to your height!

Most working people today hardly have any spare time for themselves, and going to a health spa is not always very convenient or affordable. The cost of one Shiatsu back massager is approximately equal to 1-2 hour massages at a health spa, and is therefore very cost effective. Homedics currently offers five different Shiatsu back massager models designed specifically for chairs. They also have a specifically designed rectangular, portable massage mat. Actually, all of their models are portable, soft, and lightweight.

For even more portability, try the Shiatsu Portable Massaging Cushion, which although marketed as a Shiatsu back massager, can be used as a seat cushion to massage those sometimes very tight gluteal muscles. The gluteal muscles consist of a group of three muscles in the buttocks, which when tight or stiff can cause lower back pain and hip pain. Tightening or stiffening of these muscles can occur even with the average person, such as me, who leads a more or less fairly sedentary lifestyle, as well as athletes and professional dancers who are sometimes prone to overwork their muscles. Using any of the Shiatsu back massager models will do wonders, in most cases, to relieve pain as well as help in the recuperation process. However, as with any product, always consult your doctor before use.