Scary massage! Asia's snake beauty treatment reaches Egypt

Ophidiophobia, the extreme fear of snakes, is one of the most common phobias around the globe, biting nearly one-third of the world's adults. This non-surprising fact did not, however, deter the owner of a spa in Nasr City, Egypt, from introducing one of the scariest massaging methods ever seen: the snake massage.

As seen on Wednesday, physiotherapist Safwat Sudqi uses non-venomous snakes of various sizes in the spa. The reptiles work by applying pressure on the body to restore 'vigour and vitality.'

“Snake massaging has several benefits including stimulating nerves which activate Endorphin hormone and eventually Dopamine, also known as the 'feel-good' hormone, as well as stimulating blood circulation, improving blood flow in the body, removing tension and anxiety and restoring self-confidence,” Sudqi explained.

One of the customers shared his experience after the session saying, “At first I was tense because this is the first time I feel like a snake crawling on my back; by then I could not feel the massage. But afterwards, I began to feel it. The tension was gone and I carried out normally, enjoying the session more and more.”

Snake massage became very popular in Asia during the past ten years, especially Indonesia and the Philippines, but now it is gaining popularity in other countries such as in Brazil, Russia the US and, finally, Egypt.

*SOUNDBITES*

SOT, Safwat Sudqi, physiotherapist (Arabic): “We don’t have the culture of snake massage in Egypt so we wanted to introduce it to be available for all. So far, the feedback is just great. Snake massage has several benefits including stimulating the nerves which activates Endorphin hormone and eventually Dopamine, also known as the “feel-good” hormone, as well as stimulating blood circulation, improving blood flow in the body, removing tension and anxiety and restoring self-confidence.”

SOT, Safwat Sudqi, physiotherapist (in Arabic): “The idea came from snakes so we can circulate this massage culture and also introduce something new that make people contemplate and search for these snakes; their benefits and importance. This is our starting point.”

SOT, Customer (Arabic): “At first I was tense because this is the first time I feel a snake crawling on my back; at the start I could not feel the massage. But afterwards I began to feel it. The tension was gone and I carried out normally; enjoying the session more and more.”

Video ID: 20201216-032

Video on Demand: https://ruptly.tv/videos/20201216-032
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