After a day of traversing cobblestones, what could be better than getting jabbed in the back and pummeled on the head? Prague residents with that thought in their heads are in luck: the city is enveloped in a Thai massage craze.
There are more than 40 Thai massage centers in the city, about half of which opened in the last five years. One such venture is Sawasdee , which has opened four locations since , the latest in April near the Charles Bridge. During a recent visit, I lay back on a leather chair under the scrutiny of passers-by while a hospital-trained Thai massage therapist performed some foot reflexology, with the help of a menthol mixture called Tiger Balm and a bit of prodding with a sharp stick.
So why has Prague become an epicenter for Thai massage? The centers are nearly all Czech-owned, but the therapists are exclusively Thai. There is also a longtime Czech affinity with massage therapy in general. But Czechs also particularly may be drawn to the somewhat aggressive approach of Thai massage.
Known as nuat in Thai, the techniques use yoga-based twisting, pushing and pressing to enhance physical and spiritual well-being. The massage centers are quick to emphasize that they do not offer sexual services. Other chains offering a variety of massage services include Thai Fit and Sabai. There are many people who do massage but few who do it correctly. Be careful, whether in Thailand or elsewhere. It is also common to use various tools during other modalities such as trigger point therapy, personally during deep tissue sessions my elbow is my best tool to break down tough areas.
You can easily afford to get two hours of pampering twice a week. But leave a nice tip. The girls work hard and do an excellent job. The stick is NOT to be avoided. Now, RSI stands for repetitive strain injuries, which reflexologists often acquire in their thumbs, and it is exactly that stick that you warn people to stay away from that prevents those injuries. Personally, I would say go back to Thailand and this time pay close attention to things, do some research and then warn us of the real dangers if there are any.
