Two Your Health, giving barefoot massage a "Tri" - KTUU.com

[massage]

EAGLE RIVER (KTUU) Client, Tyler Stephenson is greeted by his massage therapist, Kristin Tri. Behind the closed doors is everything you need to get one. There's the low lighting and soothing music and most importantly, two bare feet.

Licensed massage therapist Kristin Tri giving a barefoot massage to her client.

Kristin Tri is a licensed massage therapist. The only difference is she uses her bare feet to massage rather than her hands. It's a technique called Barefoot Massage.

"It's a deep tissue technique, but it doesn't poke and jab the way that thumbs and elbows do. For me, I can do 8 hours of massage in a day and I go home and I feel like I got a nice workout," said Tri.

Tri said gravity does all the work. She holds onto two overhead bars to moderate and control the pressure allowing it to support her so that she can do one or two footed techniques.

"I can do a full stroke across the body and get that myofascial stretch in there that just makes people feel taller," she added.

Stephenson who's been getting barefoot massages for more than a year said in the first few minutes, it was life changing.


"I'm constantly in and out of a truck hauling freight. Some days my upper back I just couldn't stand it, my lower back it just I had to do something. I would say definitely give it a try, for me it was life changing, you can't judge a book by its cover, you have to give it at least a shot or two," said Stephenson.

Barefoot massage is ideal for people that have healthy bones, but might also have chronic pain.

"We've done a demo before where we push on a scale with your thumb and your elbow versus your foot. Standing on one foot I can deliver about 117 pounds of pressure," said Tri.

She also added for people who are turned off by feet or think it's gross, if you can get past the mental state, a lot of times people don't even know that it is feet.

"People are shocked by how it feels. Most people say it feels like hands, it's just more pressure," said Tri.

Because when it comes to your health, you want to put your or perhaps "her" best foot forward.

Tri doesn't work on pregnant women and barefoot massage is not recommended for those who have Osteoporosis or weak brittle bones. She gets professional pedicures one a month and does a lot of self care at home. As with any type of physical therapy or massage, check with you doctor first to make sure it's right for you.


Email health topics and ideas to 2yh@ktuu.com.

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