I'm interested in buying a "shiatsu" massage chair (or table) and I
would like to hear from anyone who has actually bought one.

Please don't bother telling me that these can't possibly do Shiatsu.
I'm not going to argue.  (I've had Shiatsu.)  They do, however,
provide excellent deep tissue massage over the entire back and neck.
(Which just happens to be what I need.)  I've tried lots of masseurs,
chiros and PTs, and this chair is just amazing.  It makes me feel great.

The nicest ones I've seen are from Panasonic.  They provide very good
control over where pressure is applied, although of course, I think
they could have done even better.  Unfortunately, I've only been able
to try out a "nonprogrammed" chair - I haven't found any stores that
have the programmed chair or the table on display.

Sharper Image has a massage chair and table (brands unknown), but they
don't allow any width adjustment and there are some other aspects I
dislike.  In all, they are quite inferior to the Panasonic units.

The exact models I'm considering are:

$1224 EP-585 chair w/leg massager
$1924 EP-588 same as above but with fancy programming
$1410 EP-547 table

Yes, these are expensive, but considering how much I am investing in
massages, it will pay off quickly.  Even the price of the fanciest unit
buys only 32 massages.  (I pay $60 for a 2-hour massage.)  At two a week,
this is only four months, while the chair is guaranteed for 3 years.
Plus, I can have it every day, I won't have to drive to get a massage, etc.

I'm interested if you have bought one of these units, and if you have
any opinions on them, such as why you bought the chair over the table
or vice-versa.  Also, tell me if you've seen any other units that
compare favorably to the Panasonic.

And tell me soon - I think I'm {*filter*}ed!

I have a Panasonic shiatzu lounger that I've had for years.  I love it.
Although I originally bought it for my business (I used to have a side
practice in massage therapy), the main use of it was to massage the
masseuse!  I still say nothing beats a skilled set of hands, but since
you can't always find someone (or afford them) when you need them, it's
good to have this chair around.

I don't know what you mean by "programmed".  The optimal use of the
chair that I have involves giving yourself a massage by varying the
settings every couple minutes.  I start and end with the rolling massage
up and down the length of the spine, and then switch to the stationary
kneading; I start at the base of the neck and work down in tiny
increments, spending a minute or two at each place.  At around T4, I
widen the rollers and hug myself to let the rollers get at the rhomboids
(covering the whole area between/under the shoulder blades).  Lumbar
area requires three passes for me, getting different portions of the
longissimus.  I don't think I'd want someone programming it for me -
every day, your body is different, and only you know how long you want
to massage in one place before moving on.

I find the width adjustment critical.  If the rollers are too far apart,
you're apt to bruise your ribs after a while; if too narrow, you won't
get all the bands of muscle, especially in the lower back.

I think this is the model I have.  I tried a few different ones in the
Better Back Store, and the Panasonic shiatzu lounger was the only one
worth the money (speaking both as a professional massage therapist and
as a connoisseur of massage).

The leg massager is worthless - just your basic vibration.  However,
you do need at least an ottoman or footstool to elevate the legs so you
can have maximum release in the lower back while being massaged.

Don't know.  But if it's the one that is advertised with built-in
stereo, save your money.  Your own stereo, or a walkman in your lap,
will be better.

Haven't tried this.  The advantage of the chair is that you can throw
a pillow on it and use it as a chair as well; the table requires more
space, or the willingness to set it up and take it down again each time.

By the way, I found that the optimal amount of padding (for me) between
the rollers and my back was to dispense with the quilted pad piece that
comes with the chair, and throw a large sheepskin rug over the chair.
This also adds an incredible feeling of luxury as you sink into the
fluffy depths for the massage!

Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
        "wake now!  Discover that you are the song that the morning brings..."
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