History Channel Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Massage Chair

03/15/2016

A 10-part History Channel documentary series titled Million Dollar Genius will feature a story about the invention of the first massage chair.

David Palmer, the “Father of Chair Massage” and co-designer of the first massage chair, was interviewed for the story, along with his co-designer Serge Bouyssou.

The episode featuring the story of the first massage chair is scheduled to air April 1, 2016, at 11:00 p.m. ET.

To mark the massage chair’s 30^th anniversary, David Palmer says he is collecting stories and pictures about the earliest days of seated massage for his website (www.touchpro.com). According to Palmer, “The collection will serve as the permanent archive dedicated to the original massage chair and the pioneers of seated massage.”

Read more about the History Channel’s Million Dollar Genius here.

For Massage & Bodywork's cover story on chair massage and fainting, click here.

UPDATE April 4, 2016—History recently aired Episode 7 of Million Dollar Genius (entitled "Bigger is Better"), which contained the segment on chair massage. It was the last, but longest, of the four stories featured that episode. David Palmer has uploaded a 12.5-minute clip from the show to YouTube, and you can go to this page on his website for instructions about how to view it.

Ohio Adopts Interstate Massage Compact

06/28/2024

The Ohio legislature adopted Senate Bill 56 on June 21, becoming the second state to enact the Interstate Massage Compact. Massage therapists will soon be able to obtain a multistate license that will reduce holdups and delays that often occur when moving to a different state.

US Department of Education 150% Rule Update

06/24/2024

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that halts the enforcement of the US Department of Education’s new Bare Minimum Rule, also known as the “100% rule,” until the court takes further action. This is the first step in what could be a lengthy battle to ultimately delay enforcement of the rule, providing schools more time to adjust their programmatic standards, or overturn the rule altogether. Find out more and what your school needs to do to prepare.

Colorado Bill Requires Local Background Checks

06/21/2024

Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 24-1371, requiring local government (counties, cities, or municipalities) to conduct periodic criminal background checks for massage establishment operators, owners, and employees.