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Maciamo
Dec 14, 2006, 05:06
Massages are very popular in Japan. I have heard some people say that they found massage to feel so good that they thought it was better than sex, or any other sensual pleasure. Women are muc bigger fans of massages than men, and this the world over. East Asian people have a long tradition of massages, and it still has a much bigger importance there than in the West or anywhere else in the world. Could it be that Mongoloid people have genetical predispositions that makes them more receptive to the sensual pleasure of massages ? That's a possibility that should be investigated...

Personally I have always hated massages. I have tried different ones : hands, feet, shoulders, back, Japanese-style, Thai-style, reflexology... No matter which one it is, it hurts. I can't understand how people can enjoy it, even less pay for it. Usually I have to tell the masseur/masseuse to stop after a few minutes (or seconds) because it hurts too much. Maybe I am too tensed, but massage certainly don't help; the only idea of it stresses me more than it relaxes. When it doesn't hurt, I don't feel anything special. I have feel no benefit afterwards, just muscle ache. Am I normal, or are there other people here like me ? It is true that as a child I had a particular reluctance to being touched, by anybody. I was even uneasy about cheek-kissing relatives or friends... This has changed a lot since then though.

RockLee
Dec 14, 2006, 06:56
I just LOVE massages!! I had my first massage last year in China, and boy was it good! Thai-massage and Chinese massage. Although the Thai-massage was a bit rough, I enjoyed every second of it :p (Maybe because the girl was a cute one ;-)?)

I'm thinking of going to get a massage in Finland too, depends if my girlfriend wants to go :)

About the benefits: I feel much more relaxed afterwards, and my muscles don't feel so tense anymore. When my gf massaged my neck a few weeks ago, she did it too hard and the day after my neck felt really painful.

Goldiegirl
Dec 14, 2006, 08:56
I love massage. After my car accident it was the only way to relieve the pain in my neck and back. I can say though, that massage can hurt, which is sometimes good, but sore areas should only be worked on for very brief moments; you shouldn't be in agony for an hour that's not good mentally or physically. I had a great massage in Japan, but I didn't like the way they washed your feet...I am ticklish!

As for being touched by strangers I can understand peoples feeling of being uncomfortable. You are being touched in a very personal way and you have to be able to let go and just let another human touch you. For me massage is almost spiritual, I have cried just from the feeling of relief and like a giant weight was lifted from me. My massage therapist who I have known for over 2 years says that people have all different emotional reactions to massage and being touched. I didn't suprise him with my tears. He said to just let them happen.

yukio_michael
Dec 14, 2006, 12:44
"I don't think I like massages... anymore..."

A little joke there... I DO like the massages you get when you get your hair styled in Japan. That completely caught me by surprise!

Iron Chef
Dec 15, 2006, 01:27
From what you've described Maciamo sounds like you were on the bad end of a deep tissue massage. If done properly, you should feel quite rejuvenated after the session and any soreness or muscle aches should dissipate (quite the opposite from what you wrote, heh). I find them to be quite relaxing from time to time especially if done on my off-days when i'm not working out. One possibility is it could be that you simply have a low threshold for physical pain so things like a deep tissue massage could be experienced as perhaps painful to certain parts of your musculature.

thistle
Dec 15, 2006, 23:11
I don't like massages much either, who in their right mind would want their feet massaged!
BUT I also DO love the massages you get when you go to the hair salon's
here, I wonder if you get that treatment in any other countries. In Britain
you don't even have time to take a sip of the coffee they give you.

Goldiegirl
Dec 15, 2006, 23:49
At the elite salons you get a hot oil scalp massage before your haircut...and they massage your neck and shoulders. At least that's how it's done where I live.

Kinsao
Dec 16, 2006, 00:29
@ Thistle : I get my head massaged after they wash my hair at the salon... it is in England but i do now go to a more expensive one than i used to. :erm: :rolleyes:

I've never actually had a proper massage... http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/sad/429.gif

Satorian
Dec 16, 2006, 01:51
I don't really get how anyone could not like massages. :?

But then again I am told I have magical hands and fingers myself. A girl I once gave a friendly 10-second backrub to told me we should meet for a massage. :blush:

Maciamo
Dec 16, 2006, 08:54
From what you've described Maciamo sounds like you were on the bad end of a deep tissue massage. If done properly, you should feel quite rejuvenated after the session and any soreness or muscle aches should dissipate (quite the opposite from what you wrote, heh).

If done badly, I have been known to scream uncontrollably (hurts more than falling from a bicycle or cutting myself with a knife, for which I have never screamed of pain). If done properly it is very disagreable and slightly painful. The point is I never had muscle ache before a massage (always during, and to a lesser extent after). It does't matter which part of my body it is, but my hands and feet seems to be the most sensitive. It's funny because my hands are so tough that I have mounted DIY furniture screwing tilll I got open blisters, and I hardly felt anything. Try to give me a hand massage and I scream of pain. Strange ? Any medical explanation ?

craftsman
Dec 16, 2006, 09:12
For me there's nothing like a good massage. The best kind for me is a Thai massage and I used to regularly go to the temple in Thailand where an old monk would dig his elbows, knees and heels in as far as they would go and twist and stretch my body like a pro-wrestler.

Maciamo, you're not alone. Out of all the patients I've ever had, I can think of a handful who had a similar aversion to massage and even soft touch. It's a particular sign of imbalance in the body whereby the muscles and ligaments are not properly nourished by the blood. It's a more extreme version of something very common especially in people who overwork, overthink, are stressed or have sedentary jobs.

Maciamo
Dec 16, 2006, 17:40
It's a more extreme version of something very common especially in people who overwork, overthink, are stressed or have sedentary jobs.

Then it must be me...

Kinsao
Dec 17, 2006, 00:17
Perhaps Satorian should give you a massage, Mac. The man with the magic hands........... :haihai:

RockLee
Dec 17, 2006, 00:46
I had the best footmassage ever when I was in China, although I'm sensitive under my feet I didn't feel anything of it. <3 massages!

Satorian
Dec 17, 2006, 04:49
Perhaps Satorian should give you a massage, Mac. The man with the magic hands........... :haihai:

As unpaid amateur I reserved the right to limit my efforts to women.

nurizeko
Dec 17, 2006, 05:53
A little joke there... I DO like the massages you get when you get your hair styled in Japan. That completely caught me by surprise!

Same. :)

I like massages, a good massage can get you right relaxed.

The best massages can make you feel reborn, if only for half an hour.

But I've always liked that, when I was little, when i still went to church, I;de lay my head on my mums lap durring the boring churchy rants, and she'd stroke my ear, it was very relaxing!.

My girlfriend plays with the little point of hair at the back, and the neck bit just below the base of the skull, thats pretty nice aswell.

I can agree though a bad massage does worse then how you felt before.

Apollo
Jan 3, 2007, 03:55
I simply love massages!!!:cool: Especially I think it is important for me since I work behind the desk in front of the computer, so often my neck gets stiff. At my workplace, we are often offered 20 minutes massages by a physiotherapist, and I never say no! My neck feels better after a good rubbing, and combined with workout it is good for the muscles :-)

misa.j
Jan 3, 2007, 04:15
Wow Miss apollo, nice to see you!!! How have you been?

Once, I had the whole 15 minute session by a massage therapist, but I wasn't really tired enough to fully enjoy it. She told me my muscles were soft for a person who were in that job I had at the time.

It feels good to have my head massaged by my husband, though.

Live91
Jan 3, 2007, 04:28
I love massages, especially in the legs and back! It feels awesome and relaxing.I wish I could get one everyday!

ArmandV
Jan 3, 2007, 04:51
Don't know, never had one before (from a professional).