World's Strangest Spa Treatments

Manaka Tapping Treatment

Where to experience it: The LakeHouse Spa at the Lake Austin Spa Resort (www.lakeaustin.com), in Austin, Texas.

What it is: Similar to acupuncture—but without the needles. During this 50-minute treatment, a wooden hammer called a manaka—used in Japan as far back as the 16th century—is employed to gently tap wooden pegs placed along your body’s acupoints. The tapping, done rhythmically to the beat of a metronome, purportedly provides the same benefits as acupuncture: balanced energy, and relief from both general stress and specific bodily pains.

Best for: Anyone interested in acupuncture (but less interested in playing pincushion).

From the article World’s Strangest Spa Treatments