When should a pregnant woman completely avoid the use of a massage chair?

Your pregnancy is a very demanding time on your bodies, back, knees, joints and muscles. Hormonal changes happen in your body that can also affect the mother’s mental state.

Roller Coaster mood swings are easy to come by and certain health conditions and other concerns will not allow expectant moms to use massage chairs without the approval of their healthcare professionals.

• If you are obese and having difficulty fitting into any portion of the chair, including the arm rests or shoulder pads you should avoid using the massage chair.
• If you are suffering from preeclampsia it is advisable to avoid using our massage chair and massage devices.
• If you are a high-risk pregnancy you should avoid using our shiatsu massage products.
• If you are suffering from oedema or extreme swelling it is unsafe to use our massage chair and foot massage products
• If you have a history of preterm labor or miscarriage you should not use our massage chair
• If you have severe headaches you should not use our shiatsu massage products.
• If at any time you use our massage chairs or shiatsu massage products and you are inducing stress on your body, then you should avoid using those products at all costs.

Things to Remember Before Using Our Massage Chairs and Products

Our Home Suite, Massage Chairs and Shiatsu Massage Products offer many medical health benefits. However, there are a few things one must keep in mind while pregnant.

• If you have any health concerns like swelling, severe headaches, history of preterm labor you must avoid using these products
• Limit the time spent on these massage products no matter what trimester or combination of health issues you may be facing. No matter how tempting, do not spend more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time using our massage products.
• During the third trimester avoid squeezing in the massage chair if you happen to be too big for it.
• Do not use the chair during the first trimester, when the body is making its early-stage changes chances for miscarriage are at their highest level.

Our Home Suite, Massage Chairs and Shiatsu Massage Products are handy effective products at relieving your aches and pains. They are medical grade massage products meant relieve your clinical pain. Though there are many benefits to using our products the risk during pregnancy is too great to ignore. You must consult your health care provider before purchasing and using these products.

Using your HSA / FSA

An HSA and FSA account are a great complement to your existing health insurance plan and coverage. It empowers you to take your health into your own hands and allows you to take advantage of alternative pain relief options. At Zarifa USA we pride ourselves on stocking a full complement of Class 1 and Class 2 medical devices that are covered by HSA/FSA accounts. However, there can be some misconceptions in use by our customers.

The health insurance market is a diverse and vast convoluted mix of various plans, policies and insurance carriers. We are not health insurance experts and do not retain the ability to determine your HSA/FSA eligibility. We are certified Durable Medical Equipment holders and do go through the process of making sure our devices are registered as Durable Medical Equipment. In most cases your HSA/FSA will cover our products.

What is the HSA and FSA buying process?

These things being said we always recommend you consult with your doctor regarding any pre-existing conditions to determine eligibility. If at any time before purchase you are unsure about your HSA/FSA compatibility, you can always consult with you doctor first, receive a pre-authorized note of medical necessity and then proceed to make your purchase.

Zarifa USA is not responsible for unauthorized HSA FSA purchases. You are responsible for determining your own eligibility before purchase. We hope this guide is helpful in determining and guiding your purchase decisions.

What are the Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage?

Each of our deep tissue massagers are designed specifically to alleviate chronically sprained, knotted and sore muscles. As such they are strong tools in our pain relief arsenal of products. Each of our Home Suite, Massage Chair and Shiatsu Massage tools utilize the power effects of Deep Tissue Massage and offer many great medical benefits.

Our Deep tissue massage products usually focus on specific problems such as injury rehabilitation or chronic muscle pain. The list of conditions that can be treated with Deep tissue massagers is quite extensive and includes IT band issues, upper back strain, muscle tension and spams in the glutes, hamstring sprains, quads and rhomboid strain, repetitive strain, postural problems, sciatica issues, sports injury, recovery injury from falls, and even whiplash.

Deep Tissue Massage Tool Therapy has been found to be more effective in relieving osteoarthritis pain and a wide range of alternatives, including pain medication, opiates, over the counter drugs, acupuncture treatment, chiropractic care, physical therapy, exercise and even diet and glucosamine.

It is also recommended improvement of range of motion, fibromyalgia pain, and more. Deep Tissue massage is good for the mind and body and is great for helping you to relax.

• Reduce Pain
• Stress Relief
• Lower Heart Rate
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Breaks up Scar Tissue
• Increase Range of Motion
• Reduce Arthritis Symptoms
• Rehab Injured Muscles

Who Shouldn’t Use Deep Tissue Massagers?

• People with Brittle Bones or those suffering from osteoporosis
• Those with thin skin.
• Anemic Individuals
• People with Blood Clots
• People with excessive bruising or people that excessively bruise
• People with Hernias
• People with Tumors
• If you have recently had surgery
• If you are currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy

Please check with your doctor before using our Deep Tissue Massagers.

Edema and Foot Massagers, who Should and Shouldn’t use them.

Edema is a very common issue among pregnant women but affects a wide range of people of various shapes and sizes. Edema is generalized swelling of the body tissues and occurs when fluid is trapped within said body tissues. The human body is designed to eliminate excess fluid but there are several things that can this water retention and swelling.

Typical causes are listed below: Kidney Disease, Liver Damage, Heart Disease, Sitting or staying in one position for too long, Eating too much salty food, High blood pressure medications, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Steroid Drugs, Estrogens, Diabetic Medication, Ill Fitting Shoes, Long work hours on your feet, Other lifestyle factors.

The following are Typical to Severe Edema Symptoms. If you are suffering from any of the following it Is recommended that you do not use our Foot Massager:
Stretched Shiny Skin, Broken Skin with ulcers, Skin appearing to be suffering from rashes or blisters, Difficulty Walking, Painful Swelling, Infected Skin, Blackened or Heavily Scarred Skin

When to See your Doctor

Each person suffering from edema is different. Depending on the cause of your edema and associated symptoms some of our Foot Massage Products may or may not be effective all or part time for everyone. If you are not seeing results or are hesitant to use our foot massage products, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor at any time before making a purchasing decision. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms as listed in the Typical to Severe Edema Symptoms section, we recommend not using our Foot Massagers until you consult with your doctor. As per usual when using Any Zarifa USA medical device, please do not use the massager for longer than 15 to 20 minutes per session.

Should People with Sensitive Feet or Nerve Damage use the Zarifa Foot Massager?

When it comes to sensitive feet there are two distinct groups of people. Those with pre-existing medical conditions and those without medical conditions, that are not use to the medical intensity of our massage instruments. Deep tissue massage in the soles and tops of the feet stimulate the muscles and nerve endings and cause a variety of weird sensations if one is not accustomed to them.

It is important to differentiate between sensitive feet users and those with actual medical conditions. We do not recommend people with Nerve Damage, Diabetic Neuropathy or Plantar Fasciitis use our Shiatsu Foot Massage Products. These products knead, cushion, press and rotate to provide instant muscle strain relief. However, if you suffer from the previous listed conditions these foot massage motions can have negative painful effects. For people that suffer from Nerve Damage, Diabetic Neuropathy are suffering from broken bones or broken tendons.

Or even Plantar Fasciitis we recommend you consult with your doctor before use. Some of these conditions would benefit more from a TENS/EMS unit. As per usual please consult with your medical professional before using either type of massage device. Reference our TENS/EMS guidelines here before use.

Our foot massage products are designed to work with most size feet, feet widths, shapes and sizes. Every foot size is different and as such we do not guarantee a perfect fit with each use. However, If you are a Mens 13 or Womens 14 (US) your feet should fit in most of our foot massage products.

Who Should and Shouldn't Use a TENS / EMS Unit

Our TENS and EMS combination units are powerful devices combining the very best in Electronic Muscle Stimulation and Transcutaneous Electrical nerve Stimulation (TENS). They act as Noninvasive methods for relieving pain and help in the recovery process. People who utilize TENS and EMS devices can supplement or reduce their Pain medication intake and use the device to curb the addictive and adverse side effects of opiates and other pain relief medications.

Adverse Side Effects that effect some people:Our TENS and EMS units are rigorously tested, DME and Class II FDA certified and proven to be safe for most people. The electrical impulses can be uncomfortable and cause a buzzing or tingling sensation for some that Is not pleasant or pain relieving. Some people can be allergic to the adhesive oxygen sensor pads included with all our units and may experience skin redness and irritation. We recommend using hypo-allergenic pads in these circumstances.

Never Place the TENS and EMS Pads on the following:

• Do not place on the front of the neck
• Do not place on your eyes or temples
• Do not place directly over our heart
• Do not place over any open cuts, bruises or openings

When to avoid TENS and EMS Units

As always please consult with your doctor before using our TENS and EMS units. There may or may not be medical conditions and cases specific to your medical condition that are not listed in the prohibited list. A practicing medical professional or doctor will be able to assist you better in device selection and use if this is the case.

• If you are an expecting mother or are Currently Pregnant: Avoid the use of TENS and EMS units in the abdominal and pelvic regions
• People with Epilepsy: Avoid placing the pads or electrodes on or around your head and neck as they may or may not induce seizure
• People with Heart Conditions
• People with Pacemaker or another type of electrical or metal Implant