An Open Letter to Chiropractors: Your Practice Can Benefit from the Addition of a Massage Chair 

Dear Doctor of Chiropractic,

When asked what he attributed to his youthful vibrancy, the late great comedian Bob Hope (who lived until 100) said, “among other factors…I have a daily massage!” If you ask us, chiropractors and their patients deserve to enjoy as much youthful vibrancy and good health as Bob Hope did. 

You invest a great deal into your practice. Your patients count on good docs like you to relieve pain and discomfort. The services chiropractors offer hold the promise of improved health and well-being. While chiropractors may feel inundated with information about the latest and greatest gizmos and gadgets to help restore your patients’ energy and optimism. There is one piece of equipment based on the healing power of massage you can rely on for results.

If you currently have a massage therapist on staff or use a robotic massage chair in your practice, you know how positively people respond to massage therapy. You’ll FEEL the palpable sense of release in tense muscles when you perform a chiropractic adjustment on someone who has warmed up in a massage chair before seeing you. 

There is a growing body of research on the benefits of massage therapy. Incorporating it into your practice with a robotic massage chair is a win for you (additional revenue line without additional staff), a win for your patients (see the benefits below), and a winning way to differentiate your practice from a client experience perspective.

A recent Wall Street Journal article cited numerous studies on the benefits of massage. It noted that The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society now include massage as one of their recommendations for treating low back pain.

The article summarized other research results as well: 

• A full-body massage boosted immune function and lowered heart rate and blood pressure in women with breast cancer undergoing radiation treatment.
  • Children given 20-minute massages by their parents every night for five weeks plus standard asthma treatment had significantly improved lung function compared with those in standard care.
• In muscles that had been exercised to exhaustion, a 10-minute massage increased mitochondria production. Additionally, reduced proteins that are associated with muscle inflammation.

Resources on the Mayo Clinic website list additional benefits:

• Pain was decreased in people with fibromyalgia, migraines, and recent surgery. Back pain also might be relieved by massage.
• Massage during withdrawal from alcohol has shown benefits. Combined with traditional medical treatment by increasing feelings of support, safety, and engagement in the therapy.

Chiropractors who have used massage chairs in their practice, such as Dr. Alan Weidner in Utah. Found these studies corroborated by the actual patient responses to massage chair sessions. “Patients started to comment about how wonderful the chair felt. Much of their pain was alleviated even before beginning the chiropractic regimen.” 

Don’t worry, docs, they won’t leave you for the chair. But they will notice physiological benefits from using the massage chair almost immediately. Your customers will probably attribute these to their visit to your office. Back pain and headaches, in particular, seemed to respond well to robotic massage chair therapy.

Dr. Weidner continued, “I also started getting reports from patients who had purchased massage chairs from me that they were noticing all kinds of therapeutic benefits from the chair.” Your patients can benefit from more than just t back pain and headache pain relief. Massage chair usage can also help with sleeping better at night, standing straighter (better posture), improved circulation (manifested by a decrease in ankle and foot swelling in some patients), lower blood pressure, and being able to breathe more deeply to name a few.

Clinics with massage chairs even had a few patients with neuropathy mention that they were experiencing sensations in their feet for the first time in years. Even symptoms that had nothing overtly to do with musculoskeletal issues can sometimes be relieved with regular use of a massage chair. With a massage chair, it’s possible to make people feel better in many, many ways.

Dr. Andy Smith in North Carolina, in practice for 32 years. Had this experience with massage chairs in his practice:

“Integrating massage chair models into my practice has been a tremendous therapeutic addition to our passive rehab care. As well as a very profitable experience…”

• He introduced the chair very quickly and increased fees to $12-15/visit; he started with Medicare patients — and they LOVED it!
• Initially, he had run-of-the-mill massage chairs – not Furniture For Life products – in his waiting room simply as a place for patients to complete paperwork. 
• After using one at home for two weeks, he introduced a high-quality Furniture For Life massage chair to his practice.  
• He was very excited about the chair’s truly therapeutic application for his practice.
• He says, “You MUST have more than just one massage chair in your practice. He recommends three (at least), or you’ll face a capacity/blockage problem.
• His Furniture For Life chairs had kept his practice profitable. Even when the economy was suffering — EVERY patient has an Inada massage chair component as part of their rehabilitation program.

We call on all the good, caring chiropractors out there in the world to incorporate sessions in a Furniture For Life massage chair into every treatment plan you prepare.  You’ll be amazed by the positive results, and your patients will love you for it.

Signed,
Your Friends at Furniture For Life