250 Dollar Thai Foot Massage

[kolah]

Normally a Thai foot massage in Bangkok costs about 250 baht for one hour. Here is the story of my 250 US Dollar Thai Foot Massage.

On Monday, November 17, 2014 my buddy and I decided to recover from our full lunch at Terminal 21, by enjoying a foot massage at one of the massage establishments on Soi 18. For the uninitiated, a foot massage involves not only the feet, but also the calves and thighs. On completion, even the shoulder and neck are massaged as well.

As a 25-year veteran of Thai massages, I have come to enjoy the foot massage because it is the laziest form of participation for the "massagee". There is no need to change clothes; no need to lie down on a mat on the floor; no need to flip over; no need to have your spine twisted while in a full-nelson hold. Just lay back in the reclining chair and enjoy.

The downside of the foot massage, for me, is that they use a rounded, wooden stick to probe between your toes and into the sole of your foot. Also, the masseuses often possess amazing hand strength which they use full force on your feet and legs, if you allow them.

Some people like a hard massage. If so, the word to tell the masseuse is “nak” (rhymes with back). If you prefer a gentle massage you tell her “bao bao” (rhymes with plow). I dutifully told my masseuse “bao bao” and she was moderately gentle on my feet. However, when she got to my calves, she used considerable force to massage my calf muscles. I was too lazy to say “bao bao” again and tolerated it. I paid the 250 baht per hour fee plus a 50 baht tip and left feeling good.

The next morning upon awakening and walking to the bathroom, I noticed a severe pain in my left calf. It was not there when sitting or lying down, but became a 9 out of 10, on the pain scale, when walking. Because of my severe pain and consequent limping, I was concerned that a deep leg venous thrombosis (clot in leg vein) might have occurred.

I went to Bangkok Hospital for a duplex ultrasound scan to check for such a problem. First, I was seen by the orthopedic doctor. He then sent me to the circulatory clinic where I was seen by the specialist there. The circulatory specialist, in turn, sent me to the radiology department where the ultrasound was done by the radiologist.

The duplex ultrasound is a painless procedure where a device that looks something like a barber shop electric hair clipper is rubbed over the various parts of your leg while the radiologist observes the image on the video monitor. After about ten minutes of this the radiologist pronounced me clot free.

This was great news since I was due to leave on my long jet flight back to the USA in only a few more days. A clot would have meant anti-coagulation therapy for a year, a short hospitalization and no air travel for at least two weeks.

I went to check out at the cashier. The total price for 3 doctors and a duplex ultrasound came to the baht equivalent of $250 USD. In the USA, no doubt, it would have been a lot more.

I subsequently found out, that in the past, my buddy had experienced calf pain following one of his foot massages. My son has also experienced something similar but less severe in the past.

Now,armed with this knowledge, I would have to question the wisdom of any foot massage, for me, in the future. At the very least, I will be more adamant in my demand for a “bao bao” massage and avoid the muscle-crushing version at all costs.

It is now December 5, 2014 and I still have a 2 out of 10 pain in my calf when walking. The soreness is way better than at first but it still has a way to go to feel normal again.

A word to the wise…

Edited December 6, 2014 by metisdead
Please do not post using all caps, this includes topic titles. Topic title edited to remove all caps.

[NamKAheng]

I must have 100's and 100's foot massages in Thailand, usually the nak ones, never had this problem.

[kolah]

I suspect like many medical events, this may be some sort of unusual occurrence. It is even possible that the sore calf muscle was a coincidence.

However, millions of people may drive a defective car but only a few ever have an adverse event as a result.

Part of the reason I posted was to see if any other TV members may have experienced anything similar.

Thanks for your interest and observation namkaheng.

[Sheryl]

While I have not had this exact problem I can well believe it as I have often been left with bruises all over my calves as a result of these massages. They do tend to be way, way to hard on the calf area IMO. Personally I like hard on the soles of the feet, but I am constantly having to tell them they are hurting me when they get to the legs. (Same thing in body massge -- its the calf area where it is so hard it hurts and leaves bruises whereas the same masseuse is fine working on my back).

[circusman]

Your lucky it was your calf. I had a ill-done neck massage in Mexico and I was stiff necked for 10 days. Just think of the danger.

[IAMHERE]

You got better, do you think it was the passing of time or amount of walking that improved your calf ?

[kolah]

It's hard to do a controlled study on getting well especially when it is a one person study.. I needed to walk, so i did so with a limp. Now it is December 6, 2014 and my pain has gone. This is 18 days after the pain started. I would figure this would be compatible with a small muscle tear or contusion.

The general advice for injuries such as this are rest, elevation and anti-inflammatories.

I did none of those except for the first day when I took a couple ibuprofens.

[konying]

OP consider yourself lucky.

Few years ago i had a neck massage after waking up with a stiff neck.

After receiving my great Thai style neck massage, i lost all feeling in my left hand, all the way down to fingers.

Now years later, i still do not have full feeling in half of my fingers, -its just numb

Aside from loosing the feeling and numbness, i could not move my left hand because of severe pain.

Hospital, EU doctor, American doctor, UK doctor and none could pin point the source of problem but all thought it was the nerve.

None could find the exact location, so 6 month of tramadol and pain,

That was the last time i ever had Thai massage and when anyone asks me i always tell them my story and show them medical bills to consider.

Point is, these "trained" service providors do a 1 week course if that where they learn very little, elbow is not suppose to be used just for starters.

[2fishin2]

Lol wusses

[inzman]

Hypochondriac I think.

[kolah]

konying, I wonder if the doctors considered Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Your description of your symptoms fits the bill.

2fishin2 and inzman, I am not responsive to trolls, but thanks for your interest.

[2fishin2]

Ive had countless Thai massages over the years. And actually mostly foot massages. Ive never heard of such displeasure that a person has to go to the hospital. MAN UP! Lol

[puukao]

This is definitely a risk, and maybe, just maybe this is why a massage back home is exponentially more expensive. I only blame the masseuse 80%, since I do think we are not perfect specimens before we enter. Of course there are exceptions where they are 100% at fault, but when younger and a little more athletic, I could recover much easier from injuries. i did have a girl (20) from a massage school give me a massage and i was bruised all over. hurt for maybe 1-2 days and i was fine. now i might be hurting for weeks. anyhow, it is important to stick with your regular masseuse if possible, unless super bored and need that random feel.

Edited December 6, 2014 by puukao

[Sheryl]

I would hardly call someone who sustained injury in the course of Thai massage a "wuss" etc simply because it hasn't (knock on wood) happened to me.

Masseuses vary greatly in how much training they have had so it is definitely "buyer beware" when it comes to this (and I say so as a regular consumer of Thai massage). Areas to be particularly cautious about are:

1 - neck manipulation: it is possible for an unskilled person to do real and even permanent damage with this. This includes not only massuers/euses but also chiropracters. There are cases of permanent paralysis that have resulted from chiropractic manipulation. I haven't heard of it in regard to Thai massage but in theory it is possible.

2 - the "snapping" of fingers and toes which many masseurs/euses are so partial to does sometimes lead to fractures/bone dislocations. Not permanent damage but certainly painful and worth avoiding.

3 - manipulation of any area of the body where you have a current or past medical condition. Massuers/euses proceed on the assumption you are healthy. If you have spinal spondylosis, osteoporosis, a recent sprain /tear or fracture or history of one, etc etc the burden is on you to (i) get trained medical advice about what sort of manipulation is safe and (ii) instruct the person doing the massage accordingly. It is also a good idea in such cases to stick to massages by people with appropriate training not only in massage in general but in massage on people with medical problems. A good source of this is your local government hospital or health center. Some of the private hospitals also offer therapeutic massage and are likewise likely to have practitioners trained/sensitized to these special issues

[konying]

konying, I wonder if the doctors considered Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Your description of your symptoms fits the bill.

2fishin2 and inzman, I am not responsive to trolls, but thanks for your interest.

NO idea, but tried everything, including chiro,acupuncture, deep tissue, medication, muscle relaxers, i did it all.

Doctors ran some tests, but again could not pin point the problem.

Eventually, what helped with pain was deep muscle relaxant injection in the back of the neck, very risky but by that time i could not care anymore because pain was unbearable.

Now all good, no pain, but numbness in 2 fingers remains and i can live with that

[Kitsune]

There is a rising trend among the therapeutic /serious /real massage community that a "good" massage is a massage that hurts.

It comes from China where foot massages are an actual torture (I could not go through the whole duration) believed to be necessary very painful.

The harder it is, the more "serious" /no happy end/ more medical it is perceived.

Just avoid them

[BangkokHank]

"Nak" doesn't rhyme with "back". It's more of an "ah" sound, much closer to "knock" than "back".