If Anything, This List Will Give You A Newfound Appreciation!

Some times we forget just how important massage has been to the human civilization. In fact, history shows that massage dates back as long as 5000 years ago. Ancient civilizations used massage as a form of natural healing to treat pain, illness, and even injuries (source: naturalhealers).

Fast forward to 2018 and massage is more popular than ever. There’s a massage establishment pretty much everywhere. Let’s pay tribute to this holistic, natural form of healing by looking at 15 interesting, weird massage fun facts!

Prepare to be blown away!

Fun Fact #1—Nothing Says Deep Tissue Like A Python Around Your Torso!

That deep tissue not deep enough for ya? Don’t fret cause our friendly neighborhood python got you covered, literally! Yup, there is such a thing called snake massage, believe it or not. How does it work? Well it’s actually pretty simple.

You lay down, take a few deep breaths, and then a couple hundred pounds of pythons are laid on you. At that point, they kinda do their own thing like crawling and wrapping around your body. Eeek!

“But isn’t it dangerous? Can’t they kill you?” Umm yea there is always that risk of being squeezed to death, but other than that you’re all nice and dandy!

Fun Fact #2—Massage Is Much Bigger Than You Think!

If I asked you to guess how big the massage industry is, what number would you come up with?

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and other various US statistics, massage therapy was a staggering $16 billion dollar industry in 2017 in the US! (source: amtamassage).

And that’s only projected to grow over the next 5 years. The way I see it, this is a win win. An increased number of massage establishments means consumers get more choice and competitive prices. On the flip side, business and job security remains stable for qualified therapists!

Fun Fact #3—Less Than $10 Is Frowned Upon!

Our 3rd massage therapy fun fact has to do with tipping.

According to one massage therapist, a tip less than $10 for an hour session is considered a bad tip! (source: instyle)

Guys and gals, if you enjoyed the massage and it made you feel good, tip your therapist well!! You have no issue tipping in bars and restaurants when the service and food is sub par, so why not instead tip someone who’s actually doing something to improve your well being!

Fun Fact #4—Stuffy Sinus? Try A Foot Massage!

A foot massage can cure your stuffy sinuses. You think i’m a lunatic? Watch the video below and see if you change your mind!

The concept is called foot reflexology. It’s a therapeutic, pain relieving treatment that involves stimulating various pressure points on the feet. Each area of the foot corresponds to a certain part of the body. For example, the big toe corresponds to the head (nose, brain etc.).

Fun Fact #5—Your Pets Benefit From Massage Too!

So you thought massage therapy was limited to homo sapiens (fancy way of saying human!) only?

You’ll be intrigued to know that our canine friends benefit from massage therapy as well!

How so? A massage to your furry dog promotes pain relief, emotional well being, flexibility, and lots more (source: caninejournal). How do you massage a dog? Well there’s 2 options:

Fun Fact #6—Massaging While Drunk Can Make You More Drunk!

Almost sounds like I speak from experience huh? I’m not, sorry to burst your bubble! Haha!

Massage, in essence amplifies the effect of being drunk, so if you’re tipsy at the start, you could end up drunk at the end! (source: zeel)

The article linked above explains in greater detail what happens when you massage while drunk. Definitely worth a read!

Fun Fact #7—There’s A Thing Called Cactus Massage!

What’s the first thing you do when you spot some cactus in the desert? If you said “stay the heck away!”, you’d be like most people, myself included.

The others say something along the lines of “bring that bad boy over for a tingling massage!”

Apparently cactus massage doesn’t hurt, although I do find that extremely hard to believe. Supposedly a cactus massage is great for hydrating the skin. Not sure this is true, not sure I wanna find out!

Fun Fact #8—Then There’s This (Which I Have No Words For!)

I’ve seen a lot of weird things on the internet, but this one always blows my mind. I think it’s because of how serious everyone in the video seems to be. Enough talking, watch the video below!

What do you guys think? Would you consider doing this at the end of a long stressful work day? Who knows, maybe it’s actually super relaxing. What the hell do I know!

Fun Fact #9—Massage Robots Could One Day Replace Therapists!

Just to be clear when I say massage robots, I don’t mean massage chairs. Ever heard of Emma before?

Emma is a robot masseuse based out of beautiful Singapore! Emma has sensors that can measure how stiff a client’s muscles are. Once it knows this, Emma can intelligently determine how much pressure should be applied to the patient (source: alphr)

But can Emma actually replace a massage therapist entirely? Umm probably not. It’s very likely to see both working together i.e. therapist and robot. Who benefits the most from this sort of setup? We the consumers do!

Fun Facts #10—Massage 24/7? Not As Far Fetched As You Think!

Ever dream of massaging 24/7? Not literally obviously, cause that would probably be bad. I mean like getting a massage while driving, mowing the lawn, or just walking down the street even.

Well believe it or not, there is such a contraption that does all these things. It’s called the AiraWear massage jacket!

I spoke about this in my 7 tips to massage while flying post. AiraWear is a startup that has come up with the idea of a compression style massage hoodie. It has several nodes inside that provide a back massage. Intensity and control is done directly on your smartphone. To read more about AiraWear, click here.

Fun Fact #11—Virtual Reality & Massage Is No Longer A Fantasy!

The only thing better than an actual massage is the feeling of getting a massage while laying on a sandy beach!

This sort of thing is now a possibility. The setup involves a VR headset and a massage chair.

How does it work? You sit back with a VR headset that’s pre-programmed to take you somewhere exotic and warm, like a sandy beach with clear blue water, and lush green trees in the backdrop. Then the massage chair kicks in, and does its thing.

I’ve never tried this sort of thing, but from what people say, it’s freaking incredible! Here’s a write up on Mashable that shares an experience.

Fun Fact #12—Estimated 26,000+ Therapists Working In Canada!

Massage therapy fun fact number 12 may be surprising to some, but not so much to others.

Did you know there were a total 26,000 therapists practicing in Canada in the year 2011? (source: National Household Survey & The Globe And Mail)

By 2018, one would imagine these numbers would have drastically increased given the sizable industry growth.

Fun Fact #13—In Some Parts Of The World, Massage Costs Less Than A Starbucks Coffee!

Where! Where! Where!

Shop around in Thailand and you’ll find some insanely cheap massage shops. I’m talking $5 Thai massage for an hour long. Maybe skip your skinny latte for an hour long sesh?

According to this article, an Ayurveda massage in India can cost as little as $3.63 an hour. Talk about bang for your buck! Most people in the west would pay a hundred or more for such experiences.

At this rate, I may have to reconsider my retirement!

Fun Fact #14—Snakes On A Plane? Nah! More Like Massage On A Plane!

That’s exactly what Air Malta were thinking when they decided to launch the first ever on board spa experience. Sensational!

How did it pan out? Pretty awesome as you can imagine! 2 professional therapists performed hand, neck, and foot massages to a few very privileged passengers. (source: airmalta)

I wouldn’t bet against more airlines doing this sort of thing in the near future. Talk about luxury flying!

Fun Fact #15—Poor Massage Form Can Lead To Spinal Cord Injury Or Even A Mini Stroke!

The chances of this happening are incredibly slim, but they have happened before.

This sort of thing is common when neck massage goes horribly wrong. The neck is a vulnerable area that should be treated with delicate attention. Failing to do so could result in tearing an artery that goes to the brain. (source: painscience)

Bet that’s a massage therapy fun fact you had absolutely no clue about! For more information, check out the linked article above.

Hypothetical Weird Scenario For You To Think About!

Since this post has been bizarre and weird, I figured what better way to end it than to make it a little more weird! Consider the following hypothetical situation:

You have no option but to choose from one of the 3 massage scenarios:

What would you choose? Leave it in the comments!

If you enjoyed reading or this made you chuckle, please consider sharing on the socials. Stay safe and happy massaging!