Questions about massage therapy and AT

[lobster]

1. Have thru-hikers received massages at trail stops diring their treks?

2. What type of massage did you receive? Sports, deep tissue, Shiatsu, Thai massage, Swedish, etc. Of course these overlap.

3. Does Damascus have any decent massage therapists?

4. Has anybody ever given massages at shelters or hotels while they hiked and received money or bartered(free food or hotel room in trade, etc.) for their massage services?

[rambunny]

It's a beautiful thing when they hike the trail-just off hand i know you can get one in Hot Springs-if not Damascus-nearby Abingdon-East Andover Maine-i believe Erwin had one, hostle owners in Caratunk used to. I never took advantage but wanted to. I'm sure there's lots more,esp. near larger cities. I always felt the rocks in Pa. massaged your feet fairly well i think it was called Hot Rock therapy.

[orangebug]

Another option is to get a pedicure, pretty available in most small towns, and get a good leg and foot massage as part of the deal. Waynesboro, VA and NYC have been my favorite trail towns for this.

[johnny quest]

my wife is a massage therapist and ive learned quite a bit from her. im thinking that i can trade massages for pogey bait on the trail when i thruhike

[lobster]

I am a massage practitioner and like to hike on the AT, so I was curious about the possiblility of drumming up some work either while on the trail or in a trail town.

[Kerosene]

I've never received a massage while on the Trail, but I frequently get one after one of my section hikes (sports massage). I'd probably take advantage of it if I was confident that the massage therapist knew what they were doing and it wasn't overly expensive (for a massage). I really appreciate therapists who know how to massage leg muscles and re-align the hips (there's one in Ann Arbor who is the wife of a soccer player who has a lot of practice).

[Oracle]

I think that you could probably get free stays in hotel rooms with others without too much difficulty if you give massages. Who wouldn't spring for that?

[Just Jeff]

Seriously...at a going rate of about $60 for an hour massage, that's easily half the price of a hotel room. Guess you'd have to get by with cheap hotel lotion, though.

[DMA, 2000]

In any of these places mentioned, do the massages include a happy ending?

[Uncle Silly]

I did... at a music festival in Wind Gap, PA, a massage therapist had a booth set up. My shoulder had been killing me, probably from walking over PA rocks with poor posture, and the massage didn't cure everything but put me well on the path to getting those kinks worked out for good.

I'd probably take advantage of a massage therapist in a trail town, especially if they were flexible about walk-ins. Unless I was planning on being in town for a couple of days, an appointment might be hard to keep.

[Newb]

1. Have thru-hikers received massages at trail stops diring their treks?

2. What type of massage did you receive? Sports, deep tissue, Shiatsu, Thai massage, Swedish, etc. Of course these overlap.

3. Does Damascus have any decent massage therapists?

4. Has anybody ever given massages at shelters or hotels while they hiked and received money or bartered(free food or hotel room in trade, etc.) for their massage services?

What goes on the trail stays on the trail

However, I did meet one gal whose trail name was Happy Finish....

[VBMassageInc]

In any of these places mentioned, do the massages include a happy ending?

Licensed massage therapists are healthcare professionals. What you are asking about is illegal. You are looking for a prostitute, not a massage therapist, but prostitution is illegal, too.

[Hikingjim]

i would imagine you'd find some people willing to pay (or at least exchange some ramen noodles at the very least)

I typically am too cheap to get massages, but if there was one at a hostel or somewhere on the trail at a decent price, it'd be hard to resist

[SkeeterPee]

Licensed massage therapists are healthcare professionals. What you are asking about is illegal. You are looking for a prostitute, not a massage therapist, but prostitution is illegal, too.

While true, I find it interesting you joined today so you could post it.

As for giving massages, I would think you would want to do in town after a good shower, not while out on the trails for days. Hygiene before a massage is important.

[Alligator]

Zombie troll thread.