It is common to relax with a massage by a foot reflexologist, but another way of feeling good is taking hold.
It is hand reflexology, which massage spa owners say is 'cleaner' and more convenient than foot reflexology.
As well as reducing stress, having your hands stroked and evaluated by a practitioner of this traditional Chinese method can also reveal your state of health.
Hand reflexology is becoming popular, with more spas and massage places offering the service as part of their packages.
Come March 29, there will also be a hand reflexology summit at Suntec Convention Hall to promote its use here.
The event is the first of its kind and is organised by Advanced Health Group (AHG), a company that promotes health awareness.
Roadshows at junior colleges and community centres have also been organised to raise awareness about the massage technique.
'Hand reflexology is easy to learn and is convenient enough to do it yourself or for your friends in public,' said company director Dr Chua Ley Shuang, 27, who is also trained in Western medical techniques.
LifeStyle came across at least four spa operators offering hand reflexology. A typical 40-minute session costs $48, the same amount you would pay for a 40-minute foot reflexology session.
True Spa, a face and body wellness centre at Cuppage Terrace, started offering hand reflexology services in September last year.
So far, the centre has seen at least 30 customers asking for such sessions each month, said a True Spa spokesman.
Each session lasts 30 minutes and costs $88.
Over at Lynn Aesthetic beauty and spa, which has branches in Bugis Village, Jurong East and Hougang, owner Lynn Wee said hand reflexology is already a hot favourite among her female regulars, especially those prone to numbness in fingers and hands because of poor blood circulation.
The 47-year-old also said she has seen a 20 per cent jump in the number of requests for hand massages every year since 2004, as customers come to realise the benefits.
These include relieving stiff joints and muscle ache in the upper body.
Regular client Fiona Ho goes for hand reflexology once a week as she believes the improved blood circulation which follows helps boost her overall well-being and looks.
'I sleep better, my immune system is stronger and I look more radiant,' said the sales manager, who is in her 40s.
She also enjoys face and body massages for a holistic treatment that she says helps to relieve stress.
According to hand reflexology instructor Lai Kok Heng, blood circulation is improved by massaging and applying pressure on acupuncture points in the palm that link to problem areas.
So the colour of the palm, along with the shape of the fingers and nails, tell how well your body is functioning, said the 63-year-old, who has been learning traditional Chinese massage techniques since he was 16.
However, he cautioned against visiting inadequately trained massage therapists who do not know the correct techniques and which points to target.
'Hand and foot reflexology is not supposed to be painful. It should be a very soothing and relaxing experience,' he said.
Mr Lai runs a private business, Hand Foot Reflexology Health Institute International, which he set up in 1999.
His company provides hand and foot reflexology for residents at various Residents' Committee centres and community centres in Boon Lay and Lavender.
The going rate for a 30- to 45-minute session is $23, but the elderly pay $12.
He has also conducted classes for those interested in learning massage techniques for body and foot reflexology. His students, some of whom have trained under him for nearly 10 years, also volunteer as massage therapists for the elderly at the community centres.
He has yet to teach his volunteers hand reflexology, but said that classes will start in August. The course of two-hour lessons over six weeks costs $120.
For school bus assistant Lee Siew Kian, the hand, arm and foot massages with Mr Lai and his students are a godsend. Their kneading helps relieves numbness in her arms and stiff shoulders.
The 54-year-old, who visits the King George's Avenue Residents' Committee centre every Tuesday for the massages, said: 'I can move my arms comfortably after a session. It's a relief.'
The Hand Reflexology Summit 2009 will be held on March 29, 7 to 10pm, at Suntec Convention Hall 602. Admission costs $50 per person. To buy tickets, call Jonathan on 9739-7847 or visit www.handreflexologysummit.com
LIKE A PALM READER...
Confession 1: I am usually sceptical about the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine methods such as massage and reflexology.
Confession 2: A session with hand and foot reflexologist instructor Lai Kok Heng almost turned me into a believer. When I went to him for a consultation last Wednesday, he asked me to stretch out my hands. After a glance at my left palm, he said my digestive system was 'heaty'.
This was because the fleshy area on my palm under my thumb was red. He advised me to stop eating too much fried food. I thought back guiltily to the fried minced beef patty Japanese curry rice I ate the night before.
He went on to press the fleshy top part of my palm and said my shoulders were stiff and that I had not been getting enough sleep because that area was firmer than usual.
Bingo, I thought. I had gone to bed at close to 1am for the past few nights. He prodded a point close to the right side of my palm and said my 'heart was weak' and that I 'did not do much sport'. Bingo again. I had given up my athletic days.
But his last diagnosis made my jaw drop. Applying pressure on the bottom-right edge of my left palm where my little finger is, he looked at me and said: 'You hold your bladder and put off going to the toilet. That's why this part is swollen.'
I burst into embarrassed laughter.
I had indeed been holding my bladder during the interview.
