Massage Throwdown: LPCH vs. ESSJ

One of the many perks of being in the hospital (yes, there are many, though it’s much easier to find and appreciate them when you’re not feeling that crummy) is this wonderful thing called Massage Therapy. Translation: 30 minute to 1 hour massages specifically aligned to your needs provided by highly trained and experienced massage therapists for free. Technically my insurance company is paying them, but I don’t see the bill so it feels free :).

Now to this throwdown business. First, ESSJ stands for East Side San Jose, which I’m proud to say I’m from (actually south side, but I went to school in the east side district, so I still count it). And LPCH is Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where I’m staying. During a massage I had last week, the massage therapist and I somehow got on the topic of the training hours that are required to practice massage therapy in various parts of the state. I won’t go into it here, but let’s just say the requirements are WIDELY different from city to city, which seems bizarre and even dangerous! I mentioned to the massage therapist that I have gotten several massages at a place in east side San Jose, and she started asking me a few questions. She was appalled at some of the things I told her, including the price, which is less than a quarter of what she charges! Long story short, I’m going to have to bust out my best persuasive skills to convince Zack to let me go back to this spot.

So who wins in the massage throwdown between LPCH and ESSJ? In the cost category, east side wins easily, and they also soak your feet in hot water during the first part of the massage, which I have to say is really nice :). But in every other category, LPCH massage therapy throws down. I must conclude with a shout out to my fellow Bobby Flay fans.

“So to all you massage therapists out there, keep doing what you do. But ask yourself this: are you ready for a throwdown?”