The best way to end a hectic week is to head down to a trusted massage place to have a good rub down. It was the end of the week and we decided to head down to Xin Hua TCM Therapy after surfing the web. A quick look at their online booking, there was a SPECIAL PROMO column. After clicking into it, the page is filled with $10 deals.
It wasn’t stated clearly that the $10 was merely a downpayment, you will be suckered into heading down to the outlet. A smart way to attract unknowing customers to make appointments with them. Since we don’t have a problem with paying $49 for the one hour massage, we headed into the therapy room.
Before we went in.
Metropolitant: We asked if it was a male therapist? And you said yes?
Front Desk Lady: No, no, only the female. They strong!
In the room (conversations in mandarin)
Therapist: You feel pain? (while using her elbows on the nape of my neck)
Metropolitant: Yeah, can you go lighter?
Therapist: I not using strength, you are weak.
Metropolitant: Oh, maybe it is due to the lack of sleep
Therapist: Oh, you scream. I can go hard!
After 5mins of using her elbows on my neck and head
Therapist: You should add 1/2 hour more. Not enough time to do your body.
Metropolitant: Huh? Nope. We are in a rush, just 1 hour.
Therapist: Then you enjoy the pain. And we cannot finish in 1 hour.
After 15 mins of using her elbows and still determined to injure me
Metropolitant: Can you go lighter?
Therapist: You can just scream if you want.
Metropolitant: No, your elbows are hurting me.
Therapist: Oh, my thumb injured. I don’t want to use my hands.
After an agonizing 30 mins, I was sniffing due to my sinus.
Therapist: Told you to scream, dont have to cry.
Metropolitant: The extended period of facing down will make my nose water.
Therapist: You must learn from your friend, he don’t have such problems.
Metropolitant: This is a biological reaction of my body. Not about tolerance.
After being totally abused for 40 minutes
Therapist: You want extend 15 mins more?
Metropolitant: No.
Therapist: Fine (and she proceeded to drive her elbows into my lower back) What about Gua Sha?
Metropolitant: No.
Therapist: Or you want Zou Guan? (cupping on the back)
Metropolitant: No.
Therapist: Pfft, everything don’t want.
*According to the Massage Establishment License, they cannot upsell when you are having the treatment/in the treatment room.
The massage finally ended and it was a terrible experience. I visit TCM massage pretty often (once a month) and I am very familiar with the methods that the therapist uses to alleviate the knots in our body. The entire process was a torture.
Took a day to see what happens before I wrote this review and I have bruises on my back, thanks to the painful ordeal. I understand that pain tolerance level varies from individual, but the therapist should have listened and employed other methods to help my problems.
I ended the massage with a terrible headache and backache the day after.
Free cupping!? I rather not. I don’t want her to burn holes in my body, and what Sea Salt Therapy? All she was concerned with was if I will pay extra for a 1.5 hour massage. Relaxation? I felt like dying. Thanks, but no thanks Xin Hua TCM Therapy. I need to tend to the INFLAMATION this massage caused me.
This is an incognito review and we paid for the “painful” services.