Traditional foot massage

Practitioners of traditional Chinese foot massage say it helps people relax, improves their physical fitness and helps treat diseases.

A typical foot massage lasts around 100 minutes. The lowest price is 150 yuan at Liangzi.

The massage begins with soaking feet in a wooden barrel with liquid containing 28 kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs.

The heated medicine warms the feet, causing the body to sweat. Usually, a masseuse serves men customers while a masseur serves women clients.

After a customer's feet have been cleaned, the masseuse spreads a thick layer of lotion on the feet and calves, and then rubs and kneads every point of the soles.

Chen Hong, vice-director of Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine University's Human Function Department, says the feet are an important, but often ignored, part of the body.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine suggest there are 62 reflex points on the soles of the feet that correspond to different parts of the body.

"Since the feet are the furthest part of the body from the heart, acid metabolizes in the blood, which causes unused calcium and other organic substances to settle in the feet, where they form tiny air bubbles and nuggets," says Chen.

Applying pressure on the points will help remove harmful matter. It is also a good way to prevent illness, he says.

(China Daily 02/25/2008 page12)