Chair Massage Duration: How Long Is a Chair Massage? - People outside getting chair massages

Chair Massage Duration: How Long Is a Chair Massage?

Amelia Wilcox
January 8, 2017
October 9, 2022
Body

Seated massages can last anywhere from 5 minutes up to an hour, though people tend to prefer a chair massage duration of 15-20 minutes.

What happens during that time? Let's run down the numbers.  

how long should a chair massage be?

Like any time of therapeutic bodywork, each seated massage session will be customized for whoever is sitting in the chair. If you have an area that is causing you pain, your massage therapist can focus on it. But if you're looking for just an overall relaxation massage, that can happen too.

Each massage therapist will have their own routine for a standard massage, and every massage client will have different health needs.

So this guide won't work for every massage. Instead, this guide offers a look at one possible routine of a 20-minute massage session.

Here's what you might expect:  

A Minute-by Minute Guide to the Ideal Chair Massage Duration

chair massage duration

Minutes 1—5

Your massage therapist will greet you and ask if you have any health concerns or injuries, they should be aware of.

Some health issues mean that massage is contraindicated, and your therapist will be able to work with you to figure out the best next step. If all is well, you'll sit down in the massage chair -- and your massage therapist will show you how if you've never done it before.

Your therapist will start with some introduction work, by gently warming up the muscles of your back.

The massage strokes may get a little firmer and your massage therapist may be noticing areas they will focus on, such as knots or tightness in upper back, shoulders, along the spine, or in the low back along the top of the hip bones.

Your massage therapist will start working on these areas to warm up the tissues, preparing them for deeper work.  

chair massage duration

Minutes 6—10

By now, your chair massage is well into the therapeutic aspects. Your muscles are warmed up and starting to relax more and more.

Your massage therapist will have worked out some smaller problem areas and may be starting to focus on larger knots or areas of tension.

Related: Trigger Points: How Massage Can Help

If you have any old injuries, you may have areas where scar tissue has built up. Scar tissue is a tough, fibrous tissue that can cause further stress on the muscles and tissues surrounding it, so work done on scar tissue may take a little longer for the tissue to soften up.  

Minutes 11—15

This is usually the sweet spot of the massage session, when the nervous system has fully decided that it can relax. Don't be surprised if you start to lightly doze off a little at this point (your massage therapist will probably expect it -- there's no need to be embarrassed!)

Your therapist will continue working through areas of tension, which by now will have relaxed much more, making it much easier to work out tough knots.  

Minutes 16—20

As your session nears to a close, your therapist may spend a little time on your arms or even legs to make sure you have a well-rounded session.

Related: Can You Do Chair Massages on Legs and Feet?

To wrap up, your massage therapist may do some compression on major muscle groups of the back or do the famous "karate chop" method to complete the session.

At the end of the session, your therapist may have some recommendations for stretches or light exercises to do at home that will help alleviate your problem areas. They'll likely recommend that you drink some water following your session.

Disclaimer

By participating in/reading the service/website/blog/email series on this website, you acknowledge that this is a personal website/blog and is for informational purposes and should not be seen as mental health care advice. You should consult with a licensed professional before you rely on this website/blog’s information. All things written on this website should not be seen as therapy treatment and should not take the place of therapy or any other health care or mental health advice. Always seek the advice of a mental health care professional or physician. The content on this blog is not meant to and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Amelia Wilcox
Amelia Wilcox
Amelia Wilcox is the Founder and CEO of Nivati, a leader in corporate massage and employee mental health support since 2010. Her high-growth B2B company provides employee stress management tools that arm businesses with actionable data and positive employee experiences to improve wellbeing, boost morale, and increase engagement. Amelia has exponentially grown her company from a solo living-room service business to an international technology brand.