THis might sound trival but I cannot find a good full massage chair which is pacemaker /DBS friendly. They all exclude people with these devices. Same goes for vibration plates. I get it, they both emit electromagnetic fields. So does my microwave and phone. Any suggestions for
Massage chairs (Europe) which work with DBS
It has been suggested to cover the vibration plate with material that blocks these emmissions. Would this be acceptable. I have a device that measures emmisssions and the fabric does appear to block some emmisssions not all. The microwave is 30 years old so will need changing but emmissions are all around us. I pick up background emmissions from my wifi!
Hello Almaininitaly
I am no expert but your question intrigued me so I have been having a bit of a look to see what I could find. There seems to be a generally held view, these are 3 such articles, that people with pacemakers are able to use massage chairs but do carry a low risk and all recommend consulting your doctor and the chair manufacturer for advice particular to the individual’s condition before purchase and they also generally advise such chairs are used sparingly. This all made sense to me on one level but i am not sure I would want to try it even if I had consulted my doctor and the manufacturer - but I guess it depends what ‘low risk’ means and if this is acceptable. Low risk doesn’t mean no risk but then again many things in life are not risk free, so it could be argued this is no different I’m afraid this won’t help much in that there is no definitive answer but maybe these will help clarify your thinking regarding the level of risk, given there doesn’t seem to be a specific reason why such chairs can’t be used with pacemakers. There may be an element of erring on the side of caution, by the manufacturers at any rate. I couldn’t find anything relating to DBS specifically but I would imagine the advice would be much the same.
I think it is really just a matter of trying all the manufacturers to see if you can find one with a more flexible view of the risk. One of these articles does recommend 2 chairs but the article is American, I haven’t looked to see if they are available in the UK but you may choose to follow this up.
Tot
It’s not trivial at all—finding a pacemaker/DBS-friendly massage chair is really important for your safety. Unfortunately, most massage chairs and vibration plates do emit electromagnetic fields, which can interfere with these devices. I haven’t come across any massage chairs specifically designed to be safe for people with pacemakers or DBS, which is frustrating.
As for covering the vibration plate with material that blocks emissions, it’s a creative idea, but I’d be cautious. Even if the material reduces emissions, if it doesn’t block them entirely, there could still be a risk. Since this involves your health, I’d strongly recommend discussing it with your doctor or a medical professional who understands how your DBS interacts with electromagnetic fields.
For everyday things like microwaves and phones, it’s true that emissions are everywhere, but the intensity and proximity matter. You might need to consider alternative relaxation options, like manual massages or other therapies that don’t involve electromagnetic fields, to stay on the safe side.
