Offered by the Okura Spa in the heart of Bangkok's downtown, the "Hot Bamboo" massage may be new to Bangkok but is in fact an ancient treatment common to both Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine. In Japan, it's called "Take" massage and it remains popular with both men and women.The sticks themselves are about 30 centimeters in length and made from a golden species of Japanese bamboo only found in deep forest.
Once heated, the therapist uses the sticks to apply deep tissue pressure without physical exertion. The temperature of the sticks is not too hot but warm enough to penetrate and soothe. That's similar to the hot stone treatment but while the stone can burn the skin if the therapist isn't skilled, the sticks tend to quickly cool off.
When the bamboo sticks are rolled on the back or shoulders, they are quite rigid. Applied with essential oil, they become slippery cylinders and it's essential that the therapist is trained in controlling their motions. The focus is more on a full body massage than one specific tension area, since the stick allows for a greater surface area.
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