In an Egyptian spa, a masseur uses fire to relieve the muscle pain of his client.
Abdel Rehim Saeid, 35, applies the ancient Pharaonic technique.
He starts by using the “fiery towel” for a standard massage.
He uses oil and camomile, to stimulate blood circulation and alleviate some of the pain in affected areas.
“It is a type of massage which is called fiery massage. It means rubbing, I communicate with the human body, coming to close contact with the body of the human in front of me”, Saeid said.
And then comes the heat. Saeid places several layers of towels and other isolating materials on the client’s back.
After this, a towel soaked in alcohol is placed on top and set on fire. It burns for roughly a minute before the flames are put out with a wet towel.
“There are some prohibitions that we always warn about. We check the client’s medical and health condition. If the client’s condition allows us to apply the method, we do it. If we found out that their health condition does not allow us to use this method after studying their case, we don’t carry out this method”, he added.
Clients who visit Saeid’s spa in the Nile Delta governorate of Gharbia are satisfied customers.
“My condition improved 100 percent, thank God. Before, I could not stand up to pray. I couldn’t stretch my back when I get out of the car. Now, after the second session, my body is getting better and my movement is better. I used to be lazy but this is no longer the case”, Mohammed Al-Shaer said.
Saeid said he trained under an expert in the fiery towel technique in Morocco.
He had earned several massage certifications from institutions in Egypt.