Karada!

Following my recent post on having good posture to avoid stiff necks and shoulder pains, another way to relieve them is to get a good massage.  A few months ago my friends introduced me to Karada. 

 

I did a little bit of research and found out that Karada means Body in Japanese. It was founded by Mr. Koyasu Yuki. After he was successfully treated through Chiro following a car accident, Yuki-san decided to merge the science behind Chiro treatments with the relaxing nature of getting a massage . This resulted to what Karada is offering today.

 

What differs Karada from a regular Spa is that it does not only relax stiff muscles, hence providing temporary relief, but it also addresses the source of the problem which , in most cases, is improper bone alignment.  

 

My research convinced me enough to give it a shot. I visited the Greenbelt branch which was very easy to find and conveniently located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 1.

The place is clean and simple. Do not expect zen interiors and relaxing music. Karada claims that they are not a place for relaxation anyway but for revitalization.

Here is a list of services that Karada is offering. I opted for the AP (Atlas & Pelvis) Balance for 60 minutes which costs P1,195. This included assessment and 30 mins of muscle treament (a.k.a. massage) and another 30 mins of bone alignment.

Before the treatment, you will be asked to change into more comfortable clothing. It's basically a black shirt and drawstring pants available in various sizes.

They will also provide a large basket for your things which will be kept safely under your treatment bed.

So this is me in my Karada outfit. Oh, by the way, they also provided rubber slippers which I really hesitated to wear. But then again, my heels did not match well with the Karada uniform. Oh well.

The place has several office-like cubicles with treatment beds inside. It does not offer much privacy but everybody is busy with their own treatment so nobody is snooping around anyway.

The initial assessment proved that my bones were not aligned.  This reflected in uneven leg lengths which was corrected immediately after the treatment.  It was pretty cool to see results after only an hour.  But then again I also know that the results will not last long since I cannot commit to completely avoid bad habits that may result to poor bone alignment. My biggest ones are sitting cross-legged and frequently carrying shoulder bags.

My overall assessment of Karada is that the treatment felt great but was not long-lasting. The therapist told me that they usually advise regular treatments for the first few sessions (i.e. once or twice a week) and then longer intervals after that.

Try it and see if it works for you. A lot of my friends swear by it. Some of them experienced long-lasting releif even after only one session. That may happen to you too. Let me know how it goes, okay?

You can learn more about Karada through their site.