Overall Rating: 2
Cost: 4
Quality: 3
Experience: 3
Experience: 3
Effectiveness: 0
Price: R150, You can view the company's website here
For those who know me personally, you will know that recently I have been experiencing really bad swelling on my ankles, in my last month of pregnancy (hence I have been so quiet on my blog). Although this is considered normal, the doctors have been concerned as the swelling has been painful and when you press down it leaves indents which isn't the best of signs. I have literally tried everything to help, from bed rest to drinking more water, to soaking my feet in such cold water that I think I may have gotten nerve damage in the process! Nothing helps and as a suggestion, my gran thought that perhaps I should try the Soft Touch Wellbeing Healthcare Centre. She had attended before and was happy with the results that she received. I called Ushua, the owner and after deciding that Reflexology would be too risky in my last trimester, (you can induce labour) we agreed that a good foot and leg massage would be the best treatment.
Ushua specialises in several holistic treatments such as reiki and crystal massages, different detoxes that make use of natural minerals and if you have an hour to spare, why not have an angel reading?
Upon arrival, the heat had already drained all my energy and unlike day spas that have a welcomed air-con, the store was very hot and humid as the fan had broken, earlier that day. Regardless, I started my treatment with a 10 minute foot soak which, was a bucket filled with luke-warm water and a little Himalayan pink salt. Incase you were wondering, Himalayan salt is known for many healing qualities, some include: removing toxins from the body, helps to lower blood pressure, strengthens bones and improves circulation.
[If you would like to know more, I found this article on Himalayan Pink Salt which I found interesting]
After 10 minutes, I went through to the back of the store to a closed off room which was fairly dark but still very humid. It proved difficult to find a position that I would be comfortable to lie in, as when you are pregnant – you are not allowed to lie on your back and you can’t exactly lie on your swollen belly – so we settled on a relaxed, upright position with pillows to support my legs. I found great relief in something as simple as a cylinder shaped pillow which seemed to fit perfectly under my legs.
In the beginning, I had to warn how sensitive my feet were and that even pressing gently on the swelling brought me close to tears. Ushua softened her grip and worked her massage from my toes and feet, up my calves and to my knee. While she did this, she explained the simple areas of reflexology and how my kidneys and digestive system were clogged up, causing the problem. In all honesty, it is very common for pregnant woman to experience constipation in their final weeks and I find it hard to believe that my kidneys are battling when I drink about 2 litres of water, on average, during the day.
Through the massage, I started relaxing and found that even though Ushua was becoming firmer with the massage, the pain was easing off. My feet were still feeling tired, but there was nowhere near as much pressure as when I arrived. The swelling seemed to be reducing and I could move my toes, for the first time in a week. I thoroughly enjoyed the firm massage up my calves, this relaxed me and I even managed to close my eyes.
When I was done, I was set for another appointment, for the coming Monday, as she believed that I needed to come in weekly until baby makes his arrival. Although the centre looks and feels nothing like that of a day spa, I was sold by the mere fact that my toes could move and I thoroughly loved the foot massage! You have to have a certain mind set when you go to the store as if you are not firm on your, “no, thanks”, you may land up booking all your relatives in, for the following day, or walking out with an entire supply of holistic and natural alternatives. All that a side, I enjoyed my visit and was even amused by the approach of Ushua.
I wish that I could draw a line and end this review with a, “I am excited to be going back on Monday.”
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| I have a thing about my feet, but decided I would need to overcome that in order to validate this review. |
After my visit to the centre, I met up with my husband and his family for dinner, we left early as he wasn’t feeling all that well. In the car on the way home, I started noticing the rather uncomfortable pressure on my feet and by the time I got home, I could not get out of the car to open the gate. We were both shocked to find that my feet had swollen far worse than before my visit and that I had extreme bruising to the tops of my feet. I can’t put down into words how immense the pain was other than saying it brought tears to my eyes and the only relief, as little as it provided, was ice packs that made my feet numb from any feeling.
The following morning my legs were stiff, right up to my knee. My body was aching and my feet look as if they were slammed in a door. They are very tender and swollen!
In my opinion, I don’t fault the spa – I believe that with such an approach, everyone’s bodies will react differently and especially with pregnancy which is different to every woman. I do wish that Ushua had a better idea of how it may affect me or that it may cause bruising as bad as it has. I honestly and truly believe that such treatments are unpredictable and you also need to have an open mind with such a controversial type of treatment. With all that being said, I won’t be returning as I fear it may cause further damage or worse – induce an early labour. I hope to find something that will help me through the next +/- 3 weeks while we wait for the arrival of our baby boy, but for now – I will stick to bed rest!
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