A Chinese Massage Takes a Painful Turn
Massage in China is plentiful and fairly cheap -- anywhere from $10 to $20 for a 60- to 90-minute, Western-style oil massage. It costs less for a traditional Chinese massage, where you keep all your clothes on, have a sheet placed over you and get manipulated in ways that aren't necessarily relaxing but can be quite beneficial. Foot massages are popular as well, especially among women.
There are also many massage joints that are actually fronts for brothels, but luckily they are generally easy to pick out. One solid clue is an attractive young woman in a white leather miniskirt running out of a storefront, grabbing you by the arm and saying, "You need very relax massage!" I have actually had to pry their hands off, while firmly saying, "bu yao" (don't want) and moving on.
I have a persistent ache in my left shoulder. It's usually dull and only mildly bothersome, but every once in a while it flares up badly and seems to lock me up from my neck to my elbow. One such day a while back, I was sitting in a Starbucks pecking on my laptop, increasingly distracted by the tightening on my left side. Realizing I wasn't going to get much work done, I decided to try to work the kink out at the traditional Chinese massage place down the block, which I knew to be both legit and first-rate. On my sole previous visit, the masseuse immediately found my sore spot, put her finger on it and said, "Pain."
I was pleased when the same woman appeared. I said I wanted an oil massage, focused almost exclusively on my left shoulder. I used my usual blend of Chinese and charades and hoped that she understood. Lying face down on the massage table, I felt pleased with my communication skills as she dug into my left upper back, hitting the right spot and staying there for a good long time.
I could feel the knot opening up and dissipating when she suddenly stopped and poured extra oil on my shoulder. I then felt her put a hard and warm object on my back, and imagined she was using a device to exert extra pressure. Then she started moving the thing up and down the scapula. It felt great at first, but as she continued to move, the oil seemed to dry up and the pressure intensified to the point of pain and then beyond.
I yelped and craned my head backward, trying to see what was going on. She said something I didn't understand and turned toward a table behind her. I still felt an intense pinching and pulling on my left shoulder as she turned back to me holding a glass jar in her hands, leaning over to place it on the right side. I yelped and groaned but she just shoved my head back down, saying something that I took to be, "It will be good."
After having slid the jar along my left shoulder blade for quite a while, with increasing pain, she removed it, then put it back down about half way up the shoulder. I now had jars on each side, which remained in place while the masseuse worked my lower back. It hurt. A lot. Imagine two high-suction vacuum cleaners clamped onto your back. I just lay there and groaned. I'm still not sure if my silent submission means I am a very strong man or a very weak one.
When my hour was up, she removed all the jars and washed my back with hot towels. I was dazed and stiff, and unable to determine how my normal shoulder ache felt -- it was replaced by a whole-back soreness.
That night, I related this tale to my wife and asked if I had any marks on my back. I pulled my shirt up and she screamed. I ran into the bathroom, craned my head toward the mirror behind me and took in a rather grotesque sight -- my entire left shoulder was black and blue, while the right side bore a perfect black and blue circle.
"What did they do to you?" Rebecca asked with alarm.
"I'm not really sure," I meekly confessed. "Something with heated jars."
The next day I showed a friend my back and learned that I had "been cupped." Googling "massage cupping," I stumbled onto a wealth of information, largely written in a New Age patois that I found impossible to penetrate. Seeking enlightenment, I called Dr. Barry Disch, a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor at Beijing's United Family Hospital, who was one of the first Westerners accredited to practice acupuncture in Beijing.
"Cupping is very popular here," said Dr. Disch. "I am not a big believer, because I think you can use acupuncture and some massage techniques and get the same results without ugly octopus-like bruises. But I don't think it does any harm and some people really believe it."
Okay, but what exactly is actually happening? And what is supposed to happen? I looked on
www.massagecupping.com and it said something about "draining fluids and toxins" and "lifting connective tissues," but it sounded like mumbo jumbo.
"Basically, they are using suction to take the evil chi out of your surface channels," Dr. Disch said. "In scientific terms, it's hard to say what is happening. You are breaking some vessels and creating circulation and bruising and that may have some anti-inflammatory effects."
So the bruise is supposed to be a good thing?
"Basically, yes. It's a very common belief in Chinese medicine that bruising proves that you had some kind of pathogen there."
To me, that sounded dangerously like the old practice of determining whether or not someone was a witch by pushing them underwater -- if they drowned their name was cleared but their life was lost. I didn't really need to have my shoulder beaten to a pulp to know there was something wrong with it.
For about two days, I felt like someone had beaten my back with a baseball bat. When that pain receded, I suddenly realized that the shoulder was largely ache-free. It was a strange and welcome sensation, but I hesitated to credit the cupping because I thought perhaps I was merely relieved to have the bruising pain recede. Within a day or two, everything was back to normal, a mild ache returning to its rightful perch in my left shoulder.
I have considered going back for another session, but can't quite bring myself to do it. As shocking as it was to be cupped out of the blue, I find it impossible to walk in fully aware of what's to come. At least I don't have to fend off any cuppers on the street.
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Readers Respond
Write to me and I'll post selected comments in a future column. Please let me know if you want to share your thoughts but don't want your letter published. Below are selected, edited responses to my previous Expat Life column, on the transient nature of expat life
Rather than respond to each letter, I would just like to say thank you to everyone who wrote in and sent best wishes to my son Jacob and his departing friends Javier and Andrew. Many of you had good suggestions to help the boys adjust and remain in touch, several of which we will be employing.
I was an expat kid in the 70s and 80s, and I identify with many of the observations you make in your column. Reading this week's column, in particular, brought back a flood of memories of what it was like to leave behind friends.
As difficult as Andrew's and Javy's departures will be for your son, they will have the much more challenging transition. The good news is that they, and Jacob, when he makes the transition home, will almost certainly be more sensitive to the issues faced by subsequent new kids to their schools, whether they be from one town over or overseas. The other good news is that my extensive experiences relocating amongst various countries and states in the U.S. have brought me all sorts of people/coping skills, and now in my work life I find myself commended for the ease with which I relate to others at all levels of the company.
Whenever someone pays me a compliment like that I have to smile -- I was told as a kid that this would be a good side effect of all the pain I went through each time we moved, but at the time I couldn't have cared less.
-- Anonymous
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Those who think they are just putting life on hold for a few years till they can get "home" to the U.S. usually find that their transitions are not any easier then those of us who love to live abroad. They expect it to be easier because they want to go back but some of these people will realize that you can never go back, things change -- kids grow, so do communities and so do we when we live away. All of this affects us and who we grow into -- and that effects us on our return to 'home'. It's a hard adjustment -- especially when we expect it to be easy
-- Chrissie
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I have a 9-year old son, and my heart went out to Jacob. I realize it is a part of life, especially expat life, but it doesn't make it any easier while he's going through it. Days will seem like months for awhile. Good luck. Your columns provide a fascinating insight into expat life.
-- Mike
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A thought in regard to Jacob and his relocating friends Javy and Andrew: After a period of months to allow the boys to make new friends, it might be nice for all 3 sets of parents to give them Web cams as gifts, to allow them to see and talk to each other again.
-- Jud Fink
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I cannot begin to express how much I enjoy your column. My children were 2 and 4 when we were expats in Bangkok. Many of your experiences I can relate to -- from the British Schools to getting your television fixed.
We recently returned from a week vacation in Beijing. I pulled up your columns for my children (now 10 and 12) to read. They especially enjoyed your column about the zoo and found their experience very similar to yours. My 10 year old with her strawberry blonde hair was as much an attraction as the animals. There are many tourists from Beijing going home with pictures of her for their albums.
-- Lauri Van Eyl
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My heart goes out to you and your family, especially Jacob, as close friends are leaving. I remember when our oldest was eight and his best friend, who lived next door, moved away. That was painful -- for years they had been inseparable. And your son had four leave at once. My hope is this: First, it helps him grow and doesn't scare him from building deep friendships with others. Second, that all our instant messaging, emailing, etc., that has shrunk our world allow these boys to stay connected so that, someday, they might rekindle their relationships as young people visiting each other on vacation or in college or as young adults living in the same community.
-- David Lewis
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Your column really hit close to home. My dad's job took us away from home for about a decade and as exciting as it was to meet new people and learn about new culture, it was tough to see close friends go.
I now look back on my years at the International School with fondness, and I will forever be grateful for the experience. It was an eye opener and it taught me so much about people and the world. I hope to give my future children the same opportunity someday.
-- Tricia
接受中式按摩的痛苦记忆
按摩服务在中国既普及又便宜──几乎任何地方都能花上10至20美元享受60到90分钟的西式推油按摩。而传统中式按摩的收费更低，接受这种按摩不用脱衣服，你被一块单子盖著，由按摩师任意摆布，这种按摩未必能使人放松，但却很有益。足部按摩也很流行，尤其受到女士们的喜爱。
还有许多按摩场所实际上是隐蔽的妓院，不过好在它们一般都很容易识别。如果你看到一位身著白色皮短裙的年轻美女从店里跑出来拉住你的胳膊，说“你需要非常放松的按摩！”那这家按摩院就铁定是挂著羊头卖狗肉了。遇到这种情况我不得不把她们的手推开，坚定地说“不要”，然后离开。
我的左肩总疼。虽然通常只是隐隐作痛，但疼痛偶尔也会加剧，这时我从脖颈到肘部会疼得动弹不得。曾有一天，我正在一家星巴克咖啡馆里在笔记本电脑上敲著文字，此时身体左半部一阵紧似一阵的疼痛越来越使我难以专心于手头的工作。想到这样硬挺下去也做不了什么事了，我决定到附近一家中式按摩院去，看看那里能否帮我消除疼痛。这家按摩院既合法又上乘，我曾去过一次，当时一位女按摩师迅速找到了我的痛处，她把手指放在我疼痛的部位，说：“疼。”
很高兴这次又遇到了那位女按摩师。我说我想要推油按摩，基本上只需按摩左肩就行了。我像通常那样中文、手势并用，希望她能明白我的意思。把脸贴在按摩桌上，我对自己的沟通技巧感到得意，她选中了我的左上背，这里正受我疼痛的地方，她在那里按摩了很长时间。
当她突然停下手来并又在我的肩膀上敷油时，我能感到自己肩部的紧缩感缓解并消失了。此后我感到她把一个坚硬而温暖的物体放到了我背上，心想她这是在用一个器物向我背部施加更大压力。这时她开始在我肩胛骨处上下移动这个器物。开始时我感到很受用，但随著她不断移动那器物，肩膀处的油似乎蒸干了，压力都集中到痛处，然后开始向四周扩散。
我疼得直喊，努力把头转过去，试图看到背上到底怎么了。女按摩师说了些我听不懂的话，然后转向一张她身后的桌子。我左肩的剧烈压迫感还没消失呢，她又拿著一个玻璃罐回到我身边，俯身将罐子放在了我的痛处。我大声呻吟著，但她却只顾将我的头推转过去，嘴里一面说著据我猜测是“会好的”一类话。
在把那罐子沿著我的左肩胛处滑了好长一段时间后，她把罐子拿开了，然后又把罐子贴了回来，这次的位置稍稍靠上些。我这时左右两背都被贴上了罐子，女按摩师没把它们拿掉就开始按摩我的下背部了。这滋味真不好受。想像两台高吸力真空吸尘器夹在你的背上是什么感觉。我只剩下趴在那儿呻吟的份了。我至今无法确定，我当时默默承受这一切是显得很“男人”呢，还是显得很软弱。
治疗结束时，女按摩师拿走了所有的罐子，并用热毛巾擦洗我的背部。我这时被搞得昏头转向，已记不清肩膀原来是怎么个疼法了──现在是整个背都疼。
那天晚上，我把这一幕讲给了我太太，询问她我的后背是否有什么印记。我把衬衣拉了上去，随后就听到了她的尖叫。我冲进浴室，背对镜子转过头去，结果看到了令人惊奇的一幕：我的整个左肩青一块，紫一块，而右边则是青紫色的圆圈。（应该指出的是，所附的照片是至少3天候照的，当时痛疼消失了很多，这才使我感觉了整个事情有趣的一面。）
白佩琪惊恐地问道，“他们对你做什么了？”
我有点难堪地说，我也不太清楚，是用热罐子搞的。
第二天，我让一位朋友看了我的后背，才知道这是“拔火罐”。用谷歌(Google)搜索了一下“拔火罐”，我竟然找到了大量信息，不过多是用新生代的晦涩语言写的，让我根本无法理解。为了消除困惑，我给北京和睦家医院(Beijing's United Family Hospital)的中医大夫巴里?迪施(Barry Disch)打电话，他是获得在北京针灸资格的首批西方人之一。
迪施说，“拔火罐在中国非常普遍。我不是非常相信，因为我认为你可以用针灸或其他按摩方法获得同样的效果，又不用留下难看的伤痕。但我认为它不会带来什么伤害，也的确有一些人很相信它。”
好吧，但实际上发生了什么呢？原本应该发生什么呢？我浏览了
www.massagecupping.com，这上面说能够“祛湿排毒，舒筋活血，”但这听起来像天书一样。
迪施称，一般而言，这是为了吸出穴道内的毒气。从科学角度很难说清发生了什么。这是通经活血，会出现瘀肿，这具有消炎的效果。
那么，这种瘀伤是好事了？
总的来说，是这样的。中医普遍认为，瘀肿说明那里出现了病变。
对我而言，这听起来有些恐怖，就像过去把一个人推到水中判断此人是否是女巫一样。我不想让我的肩膀被折磨成这样，来证明那里有问题。
在大概两天的时间里，我就感觉好像有人拿棒球棒打我的后背一样。当痛疼减轻后，我突然发现肩膀基本不痛了。这是让人惊喜的感觉，但我不敢相信是拔火罐的结果，我想也许只是那种瘀痛减轻了。又过了一、两天，一切都恢复正常了，我左肩的老地方又出现了轻微的疼痛。
我一直考虑再去做一个疗程，不过又没有这个勇气。对又青又紫的情形仍心有余悸，在不充分了解会发生什么的情况下我不会再选择这种治疗方式了。不过，至少我不再对街上的所有拔火罐场所都持抵触态度了。
ALAN PAUL
（编者按：本文作者Alan Paul是《吉他世界》(Guitar World)的高级编辑，同时也为美国篮球杂志《灌篮》(Slam)撰写文章。因妻子工作需要，他举家从美国新泽西迁住中国，现居北京。）
