Healthy Individuals Do Not Need "Massage"
Many people today are fond of visiting "massage parlors" or "foot spas" for recreation, intending to treat ailments. However, under the rough and unqualified "massages" by practitioners without proper licenses, their conditions often worsen rather than improve. Experts warn that healthy individuals do not need massage at all. The massage establishments are often chaotic and far from genuine therapeutic massage; improper manipulation may harm the body. Massage requires high skill—techniques should be gentle yet firm, with appropriate force. Excessive pressure may cause soft tissue or joint injuries, turning treatment into further illness. Those performing such therapy must master medical knowledge including anatomy, physiology, and nerve-muscle pathways. Experts emphasize that before any massage, a proper "diagnosis and differentiation" must be conducted. Generally, patients with specific conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, hemophilia, or thrombocytopenia should not undergo massage. Massaging individuals with infectious diseases may also pose risks. In many places, rough techniques and improper methods easily lead to soft tissue injury or joint dislocation in recipients. Large-scale rotation or twisting may even cause extensive fractures. High-quality massage therapy must follow natural progression and established principles. The correct method is: first locate the "pain point"—the most painful spot during a particular limb position. The practitioner presses this "pain point" with one hand while using the other to perform traction, rotation, or flexion-extension on the affected limb, altering muscle fiber and tendon direction and position, thus relieving pain until it disappears. Once this pain point vanishes, move on to the next less severe one. To accurately track the movement of pain points, mark them temporarily during treatment. This improves efficacy and achieves twice the result with half the effort. Experts therefore caution: always seek qualified doctors from orthopedics or physical therapy departments, or licensed massage therapists in hospitals. Using massage purely for entertainment is unwise. Before any massage, act scientifically and cautiously—never sacrifice long-term health for short-term comfort.