Fancy footwork
This was our first experience of pressure-point foot massage so we were unsure what to expect. We had heard that this type of massage is very relaxing and can be used to treat health problems. We do suffer from shoulder pain but apart from that we are fighting fit and healthy, so in the end we go along for more of a pampering session.
Our therapist, Nina, trained in China almost 27 years ago and has been practicing ever since. She shows us to a small private room with Asian style décor, the lights are dimmed and relaxing mood music plays. We're used to public treatment areas typically found in nail spas, so Foot Print’s use of private rooms is a nice touch.
We collapse into a snug recliner and place our feet into a bowl of hot water. Nina begins by washing and massaging our feet, then pats dry our feet and rubs in organic anti-stress oil.
“Each foot has 64 pressure points and every point corresponds to a certain area of your body,” Nina tells us.
She holds our foot steady using one hand, and clenching her other hand into a fist shape, she uses her knuckles to apply gentle but firm pressure to the sole of our foot.
“Ma’am you sleep too late. You need to get more sleep,” she announces while pressing our heel.
This comment takes us by surprise because she’s spot on; we rarely go to bed before midnight and rise early. We wonder how she can tell this by touching our foot. Nina explains that she can sense problem areas because the corresponding point on the foot feels different to how it should feel. “The point feels softer, like a balloon or perhaps the client will feel pain when I touch it,” she explains.
Nina continues using rhythmic controlled movements on our feet and we close our eyes, relax and enjoy the treatment. Afterwards, Nina tells us that we suffer from shoulder and back pain, and advises us to come back for more treatments of pressure-point foot massage or a back massage.
We certainly don’t need an excuse to return to Foot Print Spa!
Catriona Doherty
What? Pressure-point foot massage
Where? Foot Print Spa, Al Wahda Mall
Cost: AED 125 for 30 minutes, AED 240 for an hour
We say: Relax and put your feet up
Contact: 02 443 7375
