Massage has been around for a long time and is often used to soothe aches and pains. Just think about how good it is to rub your own feet when they’re hot and tired. Like many things, if it’s done properly it can work wonderfully, although you may have trouble massaging your own back, if it’s aching. And it costs money. Professional masseurs may charge 40 and up and for some people it can be too expensive to have done on a regular basis.

So what can you do if you’d like the benefits of a massage every week – or even every day – but you can’t afford the regular cost of treatment? Well, there are a number of things you could do, but one of the easiest and cheapest over the long term is to invest in one of the growing selection of home massage ‘chairs’, such as the SBM-500h, especially if you get a homedics shiatsu massage cushion at a good price.

What a massage chair is for is to give you varying levels of massage intensity and, sometimes, to add heat to the massage. Different models ,of course have different features, but common to all of them is the concept of “zones”. There are usually at least a couple of zones of massage, which may be independently switchable and controllable. That means you choose the area where you need the massage the most.

Quality models, like the homemedics massager, or Homedics shiatsu massage cushion offer independently controlled back and shoulder massage. Once you’ve tasted the facility to choose the area that gets massaged, just by flicking a button you’ll be reluctant to revert to a basic model.

Models with heat output are also lovely to sink into on a cold winter’s day. Sitting on a chair that gently warms and massages your back and shoulders combining it with a gentle de-stressing massage, is a lovely way to relax and unwind after the tensions of the day.

If you have any health issues, or joint, back, or heart problems, consult your doctor for professional advice before self-administering any massage.