Orthopedic chairs - Therapy chair

A therapy chair, sometimes called a multi function chair or even a spa chair, is a chair that a patient sits on whilst some kind of treatment or therapy is performed on them. In other words it is a chair that will be used in some kind of medical or treatment capacity rather than for a task (i.e. office use) or relaxation.

The therapy in question may be a massage in an alternative therapy clinic, or a medical procedure like dialysis. However in all cases there will be some requirement for the chair to have multiple adjustments, either to ensure comfort (if prolonged sitting is required), or to facilitate access to parts of the patients anatomy (or in some cases both).

Most therapy chairs will be sectional with separate and adjustable components making up the headrest, backrest, seat, armrests, leg rest and foot supports. More complex chairs may have these elements split into two or more “position changeable” sections to maximise their user customisation.

The majority of basic therapy chairs are manually adjustable and they will have levers and locking mechanisms for the adjustment of the chair’s support. The more expensive chairs, normally those used in medical procedures, can be electrically adjustable and in some cases they may run on casters for ease of movement.

Movements and functions of a therapy chair

Different therapy chairs, and the different practitioners who use them, will have different functional requirements and positional capabilities. However in most cases this kind of chair will have a range of movements and adjustable positions that will see it cover all support options. These will range from being seated in an upright posture through to lying down in an outstretched horizontal position.

Many practitioners will initially have the patient sit down on the therapy chair, following which they will change its position and support to so that the patient feels comfortable and relaxed.

Other important features of therapy chairs are their strength and stability. Both of these features are important as certain therapies, e.g. chiropractor, osteopathy etc, can involve the application of physical pressure on a patient and the chair must be secure and strong.

Components like arm rests will be adjustable for height and angle and they will remove or fold out of the way if their presence becomes obstructive.

When there is electric control of the therapy chair adjustment, a remote control will be used to vary its positions. Pre-settings and programmable settings will usually be available.

Therapy chairs come in a range of finishes, but most have easy clean fabrics, plastic and metal components for low maintenance.

Portable therapy chairs

Some practitioners, e.g. those performing massage, Reiki etc, may undertake the therapy at the patients home. When this is the case a lightweight therapy chair that can be quickly folded and stored will be required.

Chairs of this kind can still be strong and highly adjustable, however practicality prevents them from having motorized adjustment. Portable therapy chairs can weigh less than 20 pounds and they normally fold flat and are transported in their own carry case.

Cost and buying

The price of different types of therapy chair varies considerably and the biggest single cost factor is remote control electric adjustment. Manually adjustable therapy chairs can start from less than 200 UK pounds or US Dollars. Electrically operated models can easily exceed 1000 US Dollars or UK pounds.