Massage Hurts, But Hurts So Good

Jo McCarroll

I am a bit of sadist when it comes to having a massage, which might sound like a non-sequitur but it isn't really. Because while there is a wide variety of massages on offer, in the end there are only really two - hard massage and soft massage.

Some people like those fluffy soft massages, all tinkling music and feathery stroking.

Me, I'd rather chew glass. If I'm having a massage, I like a bruising deep tissue massage right on that edge of pain.

I am already a fan of Thai massage, which is usually, in my experience, quite exquisitely agonising (don't be fooled by the often tiny therapist - they often have superhuman upper body strength). However, I had never tried a Thai herbal hot compress ($200 for 90 minutes), an ancient form of massage and one of the signature treatments at Senses Spa at the Westin Hotel.

It uses a "massage ball", a poultice stuffed with lemon grass, plai, soap pod, turmeric and kaffir lime (among other things), soaked in hot oil and then rubbed onto your skin, followed by a full body massage.

The massage ball looks exactly like a larger version of one of those money balls you get as part of a mixed entree platter at a Thai restaurant - in fact, the waft of lemon grass that pervades the room is quite reminiscent of Thai restaurants as well (in the most pleasant way, I hasten to add).

Lemongrass, apparently, helps you relax - and the herbs that make up the compress all have healing or soothing properties. Plai, which is from the same plant family as ginger, combats joint and muscle problems; soap pod, a Thai herb similar to tamarind, improves the texture of the skin; turmeric is good for skin problems; and Kaffir lime works on skin tone.

The essential oils in the plants are released into the heated massage oil - devotees of this treatment claim it has a number of health benefits, in particular relieving muscle sprains and joint stiffness.

But the health benefits, for me, are not the point of having a massage, what I want is to de-stress and relax. And, my God, after an hour-and-a-half of being rubbed with this hot massage ball (and be warned it is hot, almost to the point where it's uncomfortable) I felt like I was practically liquid.

Having (rather swaggeringly) told the therapist I liked my massages fairly hard, she more than took me at my word: ow, ow, ow, ooo, ooo, ooo God yes.

At the end my arms barely had the strength to lift my cleansing ginger tea. Those of you who like your light ticklings and barely-there back rub, steer clear.

But for the rest of us it's best summed up in just three words: hurts so good.

Sphere: Related Content

How To Reduce Stress

“AMERICA’S #1 Health Problem.” So reads the headline of an article published by the American Institute of Stress that claims the biggest threat to health today is neither cancer nor AIDS. The report says: “It has been estimated that 75-90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related problems.”

It is no exaggeration to say that people today are being assaulted by stress. According to the National Consumers League, “work is the top source of stress for adults who have problems and stress in their lives (39%), followed by family (30%). Other sources include health (10%), concern about the economy (9%) and concern about international conflict and terrorism (4%).”

However, stress is hardly unique to the United States. A British survey in 2002 estimated that “over half a million individuals in Britain believed in 2001/2 that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill.” As a result of “work-related stress, depression or anxiety,” there are “an estimated thirteen and a half million reported lost working days per year in Britain.”
The picture is no less bleak in mainland Europe. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, “work-related stress has been shown to affect millions of European workers across all types of employment sectors.” One survey revealed that there are “about 41 million [European Union] workers affected by work-related stress each year.”

What about Asia? A report issued by a conference held in Tokyo concluded: “Job stress is a common concern among many countries in the world, both developing and industrialized countries.” The report observed that “several countries in East Asia, including China, Korea and Taiwan, have rapidly industrialized and economically grown. These countries now have a lot of concerns on job stress and its adverse effects on worker health.”
However there are a few things you can practically do to reduce Stress:
* Give your body sufficient rest each day
* Maintain a reasonable diet. Avoid overeating
* Engage in proper and regular exercise, such as brisk walking
* If something worries you, talk to a friend about it
* Spend more time enjoying your family
* Delegate or share household chores
* Know your own physical and emotional limitations
* Set realistic goals; do not be a perfectionist
* Be organized; have a balanced, reasonable schedule
* Cultivate godly qualities such as mildness and patience
* Set aside some time for yourself

Sphere: Related Content