Massages are always an excellent way to tap into that inner relaxation you never really get a chance to connect with. Not only are they a glowing moment of calm freedom, but there are many ways getting a run-of-the-mill Swedish massage can improve your health and we’ve rounded up the Top 7 Bizarre Massages For The Adventurous Spa Lover.
Besides the fact that 92% of massage recipients report that massages can reduce pain, there are legitimate studies to back it up.
A recent study showed that shoulder pain is reduced by massage, and range of motion can see improvement.
Physical pain, especially when it is tendon or muscle related, is the obvious domain of the massage, but a 2010 meta-analysis of 17 massage-related studies found that massage therapy might actually reduce emotional pain and depression in some cases.
There’s a good reason 94% of massage therapists have taken continuing education classes. They put serious effort into their work.
Now that you’re sufficiently sold on the health benefits of massage, let’s look at some of the most fringe massage practices aka the Top 7 Bizarre Massages For The Adventurous Spa Lover
- Snake Massage: A zoo in the Philippines offers the third scariest massage in the world. Pythons are laid over your back and left to do their work. Depending on how big they are, the massage can actually reach surprisingly deep and have a positive effect.
- Elephant Massage: The second scariest massage is actually done by a professional elephant. A Thai elephant is trained to step on you just the right amount.
- Percussive Massage Therapy: A device that looks like a power drill with a ball for a head is gaining popularity with athletes due to its reported success at treating common sporting sores on the spot.
- TENS Units: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is not so much a massage as it is electrical shock therapy. It is completely safe and TENS units are very cheap, but it provides pain management and similar sensations to a traditional massage.
- Venice Style Massage: This is where you get a massage on a gondola in Venice.
- Snail Facial: Spas put snails on your face which they slide around on picking up dead skin particles.
- Fire Massage: This is the scariest massage out there. You are lit on fire. A blanket doused in a flammable liquid is put on your back. The blanket is lit on fire. Then another blanket is quickly thrown over you, and the fire is put out.
Half of these bizarre and not very relaxing massages are probably also not very healthy. That said, there is a lot of history in the art and science of massage, and new data is coming in all the time about how beneficial it can be for your health.
Oh wow. I appreciate those who are adventurous enough to try some of these, but I think I’ll stick to the tame stuff. LOL
I have my own TENS machine and it’s really not scary. I’d probably try the percussive one or sign me up for the Venice one lol. But the rest, I think I’ll leave those for more adventurous types. Oh and the fire one – ummm I don’t even understand how that works.
It would definitely be an experience trying the fire massage. It’s interesting that people will try so many types of massages for pain relief!
Wow, those are bizarre, and no thank you to any of them. I do get massages on a regular basis and I love them!
No thank you to the snake one! That is wicked scary and would stress the life out of me.
An elephant massage?! I already don’t really enjoy too much pressure on my Swedish massages. I didn’t know about any of these adventurous massages before but that was fun to learn.
Those all sound like they’d make my uncomfortable. Give me an old-fashioned shoulder rub and I’m good!