Our discerning team of health and wellness researchers head to the south side to check out a sports massage therapy treatment at Thrive Health with Ron Alexander, who has over 30 years of experience working with elite athletes such as the Australian National Ballet and Melbourne Football Club.
The Buzz
Although we’re no massage novice, we’re usually indulging in a bit of hot stone or aromatherapy. Sports massage, on the other hand, is uncharted territory. This form of massage is designed to help athletes of all levels, targeting muscle systems to promote blood flow, prevent injury, and, in the case of strain, aid healing. Concerned about a possible injury that we’ve incurred from training, we head to Thrive Health, an integrative musculoskeletal clinic in Wong Chuk Hang, to see how they can help.
The Treatment
Upon arrival, we’re sure we’ve died and gone to heaven; we’re ushered into a room with a top-of-the-line massage chair for us to wait in! After some automated prodding and pummelling, we meet our sports massage therapist, Ron. We tell him about a small back pain that we’re concerned might be a herniated disc, but he puts our fears to rest with a series of mobility tests that indicate it’s unlikely. Ron gets to work on our back, quickly identifying the root of the problem: an enormous knot right next to our spine. He gets deep into the tissue with strong, sometimes uncomfortable pressure, and provides clear guidelines throughout on how to communicate our pain threshold to him.
The Verdict
No oils, no candles, no Enya playing in the background…and yet, this was one of the best massage experiences we’ve ever had! Our range of motion was much improved at the end of our one- hour session, and the mid-back discomfort we’d been struggling with was reduced significantly. Absolutely worth the moments of pain for the blissful release that came afterwards, and a happy return back into our fitness-filled lifestyle.
Cost: $950 for 60 minutes
2106, Global Trade Square, 21 Wong Chuk Hang Rd., Wong Chuk Hang, 2522-6972, thrivehealthhk.com
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