Thai Massage: sometimes pain can lead to good things

Thai massage is famous all over the world and the quantity of good and affordable massage salons in Bangkok is breathtaking. Thanks to a trapped nerve I can now tell you about how good it actually is.

Thai Massage: complete relaxation after the pain subsides (Photo credit: Vivs View)

Just when I got to Bangkok (BKK), my sciatic nerve was trapped. For anybody who has the pleasure of never having experienced this: congratulations and let me explain how it feels: Aaahhhhhhrghh! That’s how it feels. Lower back and butt seem like they have a fireball of pain in them that shoots lightning up and down the (in my case) right side of your body. NOT pleasant. I actually started limping and looking grumpy from trying to walk without a limp (if you’d given me an eyepatch people would’ve probably started looking for my parrot and pirate ship).

Luckily my friend Jen came to visit me in BKK and what I didn’t manage to arrange for ‘just myself’ I did the very next evening after she landed- a Thai massage. Thai massages are usually not using oil and the best way I’ve heard it be described was: ‘it’s like somebody is doing yoga to you!’

Thai Massage is not only affordable but also very good in Bangkok  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After slipping in funny fisherman trousers (watch out, once you put them on you never want to wear something else-screw the fashion police!) I explained the masseuse that I had ‘big pain’. No matter the language barrier, my face when having to turn around on my back told her all she had to know.

After the usual yoga stuff you get during a Thai massage, she put some refreshing Thai tiger balm on my lower back held on to a hand rail at the ceiling and pushed her foot into my butt cheek until I nearly screamed. People who know me know I am not very good at expressing physical pain, even a five-hour very painful tattoo session didn’t see me crying (but that’s another story).

Alas, after she was through with me the searing pain was gone and I only felt sore, as if somebody had repeatedly kicked my in the butt (which is pretty much what she did, though very purposefully). But it hurt in a way that felt as if it would go away. And that it did. I am happy to say, I am finally walking without a limp and the massage lady now has a new regular.

Thai massage is like somebody is doing Yoga to you (Photo credit: Wikipedia)