Pressure Points - A 60-minute foot massage can change your mood and your feet.
Swedish massage, hot stone, aromatherapy, deep tissue, shiatsu, sports; there are so many kinds of massages to choose from, it can be overwhelming to figure out what will best suit your needs.
My feet were feeling especially tender one day after continuous workouts, runs, and dance rehearsals, so I decided to head over to Achieve Wellness Spa to give my feet some much-needed love.
I made sure to book my treatment in advance and decided on getting a reflexology massage on my feet. This seemed like the ultimate massage since I was going to get two things from this: First, I was going to get a foot massage. Second, I was going to kickstart my body’s natural ability to self-heal through pressure point stimulation.
It is my personal belief the best kind of medicine is a combination of western and eastern practices, so I was willing to try this. Reflexology has been controversially regarded in studies as to whether it works or not and to what degree. It has been said to help with neuropathy, plantar fasciitis, migraines, stress, depression, and even insomnia. Whether this works because it works or because it is a placebo effect, I don’t care. The ultimate result is relaxation and body equilibrium.
I was lucky enough to have a masseuse who lived much of her life in Thailand. Once I was taken to my room for my treatment, I was kindly and quickly told what to expect. She also notified me she would be using a traditional tool that is used in reflexology called a “foot stick”. To describe it, it looked like a little tapered, wooden dowel.
During the massage, I was treated to a traditional foot massage, which most of us have had by friends or partners. After the basic massage was done, I was treated to the wooden dowel which was strategically pushed into certain parts of my foot and held in place with a decent amount of pressure for 10-15 seconds.
Overall, the experience was therapeutic, and I would do it again. This is the perfect massage to get done if a traditional back massage is too much for you. Some people don’t like to be touched, so this massage can seem less invasive since you can stay clothed and just have your feet exposed.
The point of the spa is to experience relaxation and gain back a normal equilibrium that may be lacking. All I know is that my feet felt brand new, soft and supple, and I left the experience wanting more.
