Massage in Hillsborough

At Wat Po Thai Spa, a 2010 nominee for Best Day Spa by Best of LA, technicians bolster well-being with services that range from traditional Thai massage to skincare. The house-specialty Thai Combo fuses Thai massage, Swedish massage, and reflexology into an international amalgamation of relaxation similar to naptime at the UN. Thai massage harnesses compression, stretching, and rocking techniques to improve circulation of vital energy along the body's pathways, and Swedish massage encompasses gentle strokes such as gliding, kneading, and stretching to increase oxygen flow in the blood and forge full-body tension relief. Patrons walk away from massage sessions with relieved stress, allayed aches, increased internal alignment, and enough flexibility to fold bodies into an empty Pringles can at the first sign of danger.

The Kneaded Spot specializes not only in familiar massage styles such as the Swedish technique, but also BowenWork, a three-decade-old therapy style invented by famed practitioner Tom Bowen. The outfit's massage services tend to privilege relaxation over pain relief, though massage can still lead to side benefits such as more restful sleep and an end to screaming matches with your trapezius muscle. BowenWork, on the other hand, focuses on alleviating pain, realigning and resetting the body through gentle rolls over precise points in order to aid in recovery from accidents and sports injuries.

Informed by fitness-heavy interests, including competitive bicycling, jogging, and research in sports injury and recovery, the licensed massage therapists at On Balance Massage and Bodywork draw upon their massage training to relieve injury and pain. They treat clients ranging from athletes to chronic-pain sufferers with massage modalities such as myofascial release, which targets pain with gentle, sustained pressure on the connective tissues. They also practice deep-tissue massage, which involves the sublayer manipulation of muscles to reduce inflammation-related pain and locate embedded spinach cans. For bodies tense from work or minds reeling from stress, therapists pore over musculatures with relaxing Swedish, hot-stone, and reiki techniques.

During his time as a certified massage therapist, Carey "Kari" Hassinger has developed his own style. He works deep into muscles, using Thai yoga’s stretching techniques and deep-tissue’s intense pressure to release tension and restore the body's balance and range of motion. Working out of both San Francisco and San Mateo, Kari treats one or two people at a time. His couples massages are interactive and involve teaching duos how to massage each other at home or massage the people in front of them at the symphony. Kari also travels to homes to perform outcall massage services.

Traditional Thai artwork brightens the dark-mahogany walls of Thiparpa Thai Massage in the light of chandeliers and flickering candles. From the floor of this flower-studded haven, therapists perform traditional Thai massages atop soft mattresses separated by opaque, glittering curtains. In their signature style, therapists use their bodies to move clients through positions that compress muscles, exercise joints, and mimic the poses of the therapist's childhood rag doll. Therapists can also incorporate Swedish massage and whiffs of aromatherapy. Thiparpa stays open until 9 p.m. daily, which provides patients ample time for a massage after work.