Jules NYC wrote:
Scope Groupon and spend 20 bucks more and get her an 1hr deep tissue (or whatever) massage.

The only place I ever had an actually good massage was at a swanky sports club in Boston. The guy buried his elbow into the space where the scapula lifts away from the back and would press so hard, he was lifting off the ground. He sort of dug his hands into certain areas of my back and it felt like the air was being pressed out of me. The night after that, my neck back and shoulders felt almost "bruised," but I had absolutely no pain in my neck and shoulders for several days. That was before I had surgery to correct a sports injury, and was the first time I'd been pain-free in several years. It was like my head felt "lighter" and was floating above my body for a few days afterwards, rather than the usual sensation of it being too heavy for my neck.

I went to probably five different massage places after that, and all were basically a waste of money. I'd tell the people to please, please put all their weight into my back. I even specified that I wanted "deep tissue." For the most part, it felt like someone was carressing me, and felt like nothing. Waste of money. Just did nothing, and I left feeling in exactly as much tightness and discomfort as I'd come into the massage session feeling.

I've been doing self foam rolling for years, and also roll golf balls around my scapulas, while lying flat in the floor. If someone can't give me at least as much muscular tension release as myofascial foam rolling, it's not worth paying for.

My boyfriend, after a year, has finally learned how to give me an effective back massage. He's 300 pounds and to get my shoulders to relax (even now, after having stuff surgically repaired in there) exhausts him physically. If he puts all his force into it and uses his elbow along the top of the shoulder blade, to compress the muscles hard against the bone, my neck will relax after about 30 minutes and I wake up feeling light the next morning.

Honestly, if someone gave me a massage certificate, I'd see if I could trade it for a facial or something. You might as well have a cat walk on your back. It's about as effective.

Koryn wrote:
The only place I ever had an actually good massage was at a swanky sports club in Boston. The guy buried his elbow into the space where the scapula lifts away from the back and would press so hard, he was lifting off the ground. He sort of dug his hands into certain areas of my back and it felt like the air was being pressed out of me. The night after that, my neck back and shoulders felt almost "bruised," but I had absolutely no pain in my neck and shoulders for several days. That was before I had surgery to correct a sports injury, and was the first time I'd been pain-free in several years. It was like my head felt "lighter" and was floating above my body for a few days afterwards, rather than the usual sensation of it being too heavy for my neck.

I went to probably five different massage places after that, and all were basically a waste of money. I'd tell the people to please, please put all their weight into my back. I even specified that I wanted "deep tissue." For the most part, it felt like someone was carressing me, and felt like nothing. Waste of money. Just did nothing, and I left feeling in exactly as much tightness and discomfort as I'd come into the massage session feeling.

I've been doing self foam rolling for years, and also roll golf balls around my scapulas, while lying flat in the floor. If someone can't give me at least as much muscular tension release as myofascial foam rolling, it's not worth paying for.

My boyfriend, after a year, has finally learned how to give me an effective back massage. He's 300 pounds and to get my shoulders to relax (even now, after having stuff surgically repaired in there) exhausts him physically. If he puts all his force into it and uses his elbow along the top of the shoulder blade, to compress the muscles hard against the bone, my neck will relax after about 30 minutes and I wake up feeling light the next morning.

Honestly, if someone gave me a massage certificate, I'd see if I could trade it for a facial or something. You might as well have a cat walk on your back. It's about as effective.

I say don't go to a spa... go to a Doctor's office where someone really knows what they're doing.  It's good your boyfriend knows how to give you a proper massage!  I'm the same way, feeling as if the massage is doing 'nothing' if not truly a deep tissue.  I always try to get a guy as women are not strong enough to do what I want done.  Unless a woman is seriously strong, just no.

I have also tried getting a foot massage for an hour.  Just um, Wow.  Yes, try that one day.

Massages are the BEST!!!!
*if done properly

Jules NYC wrote:

I say don't go to a spa... go to a Doctor's office where someone really knows what they're doing.  It's good your boyfriend knows how to give you a proper massage!  I'm the same way, feeling as if the massage is doing 'nothing' if not truly a deep tissue.  I always try to get a guy as women are not strong enough to do what I want done.  Unless a woman is seriously strong, just no.

I have also tried getting a foot massage for an hour.  Just um, Wow.  Yes, try that one day.

Massages are the BEST!!!!
*if done properly

I vote foot spa.