When The Massage Chair Was First Introduced

The massage chair was first introduced to the consumer market in the late 1980's. Intended to emulate the motions and techniques of an actual masseuse, the goal of the massage chair was to relieve stress, tension, and alleviate back pain.

Although massage chair were initially slow to catch on, after a decade or so, interest in the technology increased, spurring competitors to strive for the most effective models.

Massage chair nodes and rollers - these vary in size and shape, designed to emulate fingers and hands. A massage chair with large rollers and nodes provides a more generalized approach at massaging, while massage chair with smaller nodes and rollers provide the more detailed, point-specific massaging. 

Computer assisted adjustability of the massage chair - This is perhaps the most essential factor. Almost all massage chair are designed to automatically adjust for the weight, height, and width of the selected user. By measuring the pressure on the seatback, the height of the protrusion of the rollers and nodes adjusts. In addition, by locating specific areas on the anatomy of the back, the massage chair makes the necessary adjustments for the height and width of the user. Selecting various inputs on the control pad can also refine these options. They target specified areas of the user's back and can move in a variety of ways, which are pre-programmed into the mechanics of the massage chair. Again, the user can adjust these nodes and rollers on the massage chair to best fit his or her needs.