title: Muscular and postural demands of using a massage chair and massage table.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the difference in muscular and postural demands of performing manual therapy using a massage chair and a massage table.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve female senior massage therapy students performed two 10-minute regional back massages on a fully clothed client using both a massage chair and massage table. The root mean square was used to determine the mean activation from the electromyographic signal collected from 8 upper extremity muscles. Integrated electromyography was used to compare activation between the 14 massage techniques used. Eight electromagnetic motion capture sensors were attached: the head, trunk, and upper arm, forearm, and hand bilaterally to track segment kinematics and determine total time spent in different postures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was higher activation in lumbar erector spinae when using the table and anterior deltoid when using the chair. The anterior deltoid showed a significant condition x period interaction for mean muscle activation for 6 of the 14 massage techniques. The therapists spent significantly more time in mild trunk flexion when using the massage table and significantly more time in severe radial deviation and mild shoulder flexion when using the massage chair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The chair and table were more demanding of the anterior deltoid and lumbar erector spinae, respectively. Therapists adopted trunk and wrist postures that would increase the risk of upper extremity injury while using either the massage chair or table.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance Lab, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
authors.forename: Fearon A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kuruganti
authors.forename: Wayne J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babineau
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orser
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Currie-Jackson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008405:Massage / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology*