After a personal experience in Phuket, Thailand, I'll tell you whether a 500 RMB dragon-tendon pulling is worth doing

"Dragon-tendon pulling," a Thai specialty massage program said to improve male X ability. Years ago, after the family leader saw this program online, she began researching materials and self-teaching techniques, recommending it to me and using me to practice. But after all, she wasn't professional, and there was no obvious physical sensation, but the seed was planted.

In early January 2020, a family of three traveled to Thailand. Because we brought the child, many Thai specialty cities or tourism programs were impossible to visit, so we finally settled on a 5-day Phuket and 3-day Bangkok itinerary focused on natural scenery (as a result, we went out to sea for 3 consecutive days and got directly nauseated...). In Phuket, the homestay owner for several days was Chinese. Because we communicated many times when booking, we were too lazy to make a guide, and directly consulted him about food and entertainment programs. The night before checking out and leaving Phuket, my wife gave me special permission to choose one experience between an adult show and dragon-tendon pulling. Of course I chose the long-coveted dragon-tendon pulling, since I could actually feel it with a real person; things like adult shows are already on my computer...

Searching "dragon-tendon pulling" on Baidu Maps, Phuket has two shops right next to each other. Afraid of going wrong, I asked the owner, who said one shop had already closed and the legitimate chain store was the other one. It happened that he was going out to pick someone up, so he gave me a ride. In the car, I asked the owner if he had done dragon-tendon pulling. He sighed: "Your wife is so good! Whether it's dragon-tendon pulling or adult shows, my wife won't let me go. I estimate I'll never have the chance to experience it in this lifetime..."

At a street corner, I saw this shop, and only later learned that "Heli" is a quite famous chain. He briefly spoke with the front desk, asked if I needed pickup, and then left. Leaving me alone to be taken upstairs...

Regarding dragon-tendon pulling, I looked up some materials. Some entertainment programs or certain bloggers present it less objectively for effect or attention, but some write truthfully and neutrally. Combining with my actual experience, I strive to be objective. Regarding the shop situation, it only represents the Phuket Heli store and cannot fully represent dragon-tendon pulling in other cities or brands.

Let me explain the process in more detail

1. Choose a program, pay first

There are several types of programs. I did the therapeutic-style ancient-method dragon-tendon pulling. Duration 90 minutes. Store price 2200 Thai baht. At the exchange rate when writing, that's 483.41 RMB. Prices on Taobao are relatively stable. There are also therapeutic dragon-tendon pulling, phoenix-tendon pulling, and higher-end herbal compress or aromatherapy massage. In memory, the programs quoted online were similar to what I saw in the store at the time. Remember, dragon-tendon pulling, phoenix-tendon pulling, and one essential oil massage were all 2200 Thai baht.

2. Technician assignment, to the room

If for other massage services a younger technician is better, then for dragon-tendon pulling it is absolutely not. The older the technician, the more experienced, the better. But customers have no right to choose. Technicians are randomly assigned by the owner, and presumably whoever is free goes. As for the online claim that technicians are certified,

I did indeed see such certificates beside the counter. But whether the store has uncertified trainee technicians or mismatched people and certificates, there is no way to know.

I was assigned the technician who appeared by eye to be the youngest in the store, not an older auntie, and this became a knot in my and my wife's hearts.

Led upstairs by the technician, there were several rooms, presumably single, double or multi-person. Mine was a two-person room, but only I was in it. The pictures on Taobao also show two-person rooms. This room type should be the majority. When few people, one person uses it; when many people, curtains are drawn to separate.

The room had a massage bed and a bathroom for showering. The decor was normal, not luxurious, but quite tidy.

3. Preparation
You must first take a full-body shower, and it is recommended to go to the bathroom beforehand to empty yourself. Then lie naked on the bed, completely bare (the technician's exact words: take off all) and wait (first lying face down, then face up).

The technician placed a speaker outside the room, playing soothing music suitable for massage relaxation (perhaps not inside the room for fear of loudness). Essential oils, bath towels and other supplies were prepared. The technician wore long pants and thin medical-style rubber gloves (gloves throughout), and the timer began.

4. Dragon-tendon pulling process

Here is another actual photo, the store's promotional advertisement. Focus on the blue arrow part.

Therapeutic-style ancient-method dragon-tendon pulling, duration 90 minutes. Divided into two stages.

The first hour is deep meridian combing of the whole body front and back (essential oil massage), letting me fully relax.

While lying face down, the technician covered my buttocks with a towel to keep me from getting cold. Then starting from the neck and shoulders (I forget whether the head was massaged), applying essential oil while massaging the back, shoulders, waist, buttocks, as well as thighs and calves. (I don't recall the feet being massaged.) A relatively soothing, gentle massage style was used, mainly finger and elbow pressing, with few twisting or stretching techniques. When massaging the back, she knelt and sat on me for a little while. The whole process was a relaxing massage method, and for me, who is on the receiving-force type for massage, it felt not quite satisfying enough.

Before preparing to turn over, the first stimulating moment came!!! The technician separated my legs, grabbed the balls from behind and pulled them backward, with force from weak to strong, stretching for a while. Then with the same technique she pulled the little brother once, for less time than the balls. Then she used both feet to press hard against my perineum for about ten-plus seconds, then had me turn over and lie face up. (For the first contact with sensitive areas on the front, some online said it was pressed for about 10 minutes; this time it was not.)

While lying face up, one obviously different part was that the technician covered my eyes with a small towel, not letting me look throughout the front side. I think this played a big role in avoiding embarrassment. The technician continued relaxing essential oil massage of the front torso and limbs. At the abdomen there was a special feature: she used heated energy stones to press acupoints on the belly in forceful circles (online says it presses the lower abdomen kidney-essence pathway area), and for quite a while. My belly felt bloated, uncomfortable, sore and distended with a bit of pain (possibly related to my food not being fully digested). It is said this is a "detox" pressing method, and it is also because of pressing the belly here that it is recommended to go to the bathroom beforehand. After that was leg relaxation massage, but there was no inner-thigh scraping motion that my wife saw online.

The above was exactly 1 hour. From the technician moving the towel onto my belly to cover it and again separating my legs, the formal half-hour "dragon-tendon pulling" stage began.

The focus was massage of sensitive areas and surroundings, with techniques including pulling, tugging, patting, digging, kneading, pinching, point-finger pressing and squeezing between fingers, etc. It felt like the technician was "playing with" my "grapes"... But throughout there was no "stroking" or "jack-off" type technique (which is probably the technique many people want ). The purpose is to open the accumulated qi knots in the meridians and muscle tissues near the little brother, balls and prostate tract, and dredge the meridians, which can be understood as true "targeted health care."

During this period there is tension, and some places really do feel painful, after all, there is stretching and tugging. Gradually you get used to it, and the pain turns into a certain degree of comfort.

Half an hour later, the whole process ended. The technician threw away the disposable gloves. Prepared a cup of hot drink. Packed up. I got dressed and gave a tip. The whole dragon-tendon pulling ended. Retreat!

5. Precautions

Safety: People with heart disease or diabetes should not do dragon-tendon pulling massage; those with high blood pressure must inform in advance.

Experience effects: Do not drink alcohol or alcoholic beverages 3 hours before massage. Do not eat 1 hour before massage, and certainly not too full. Also, as I summarized myself, go to the bathroom to pee before the massage.

6. Answering what you are most curious about

(1) Will there be a physiological reaction during dragon-tendon pulling? Is it normal to have one or not? This I can only say varies from person to person.

Some introductions to dragon-tendon pulling write this part vividly, even with a happy ending... making it sound like only having a reaction is normal, and only then was it not wasted.

But I have also seen content like this:"Friends, don't worry about the little brother standing up or she issues. A rubbing and pressing with no teasing nature at all, sometimes with a bit of soreness and distension, the little brother really cannot stand up."

To be honest, I had no obvious physiological reaction throughout.

A few key points:

1. Most dragon-tendon pulling technicians are older aunties;

2. During front massage the eyes are covered throughout, with no visual stimulation;

3. The technician wears gloves throughout;

4. There is no teasing technique or movement throughout the massage.

Imagine: resting with eyes closed + soothing relaxing environment + gentle massage techniques + suddenly switching to pulling, tugging and kneading stimulation of sensitive areas causing tension and tightness. Not getting hard is also very normal.

But indeed everyone's constitution is different, and sensitivity is different. Like ticklish flesh, some people react at a touch; I have even seen people react during a bathhouse scrub. Whether there is a reaction or not is normal; if there is, it's either a sensitive body, or one went to dragon-tendon pulling already wanting a reaction, seeking something...

Whether there is a physiological reaction absolutely cannot be used as the standard for whether dragon-tendon pulling is effective.

(2) Can it significantly improve X ability?

Dragon-tendon pulling is divided into therapeutic and treatment types. The 2-hour treatment type must be persisted long-term for possible improvement. My 90-minute therapeutic type dragon-tendon pulling is just an experience. Personally I felt comfort, but it cannot be called a curative effect.  But some people whose function is unsmooth due to qi and blood accumulation may feel more obvious changes.

(3) There is an online claim that dragon-tendon pulling was opened by Chinese in Thailand, specifically targeting Chinese tourists, and locals don't know about it.

I have no way to verify and cannot confirm whether it is a rumor. But after arriving in the big city Bangkok, searching "dragon-tendon pulling" on Baidu Maps showed more brands and stores, so I feel it should not be like that.

(4) Some say dragon-tendon pulling is similar to prostate massage in domestic SPA stores.

Ignorant me has never been to an SPA store and doesn't know what prostate massage is like. But my wife said if the massage store downstairs had a 500 RMB prostate massage program each time, she definitely would not agree to let me go. It was also because we traveled all the way to Thailand and to leave no regrets that this dragon-tendon pulling experience was made possible.

Finally, quoting the question summary image from Taobao.

Dragon-tendon pulling is a traditional Thai massage for male reproductive health (actually transmitted from ancient India).

Traditional Thai dragon-tendon pulling massage dredges the body's meridians, promotes lower-body blood circulation, and thereby enhances male bodily functions.

The correct meaning in Thai should be "kneading and massaging the meridians of the male reproductive system." Many people think dragon-tendon pulling is just kneading the scrotum, but this is a complete misunderstanding.

Dragon-tendon pulling, through massage, kneading the waist, abdomen, kidneys, perineum, scrotum and other areas, achieves the effect of promoting organ blood circulation, expelling the old and taking in the new, and smoothing the meridians, thereby promoting the good operation of male physiological functions.

Thai massage is a very large field. Overall, reproductive system massage (dragon-tendon pulling) is only one part of it. The theories involved in dragon-tendon pulling massage are relatively complex, emphasizing conditioning the meridians and reproductive system, promoting blood circulation, and making related organs operate well. In technique, it is not only kneading the epididymis and other genital parts; the human body is an organic whole, and one should not only focus on one point but pay comprehensive attention, only then is it a complete set of dragon-tendon pulling massage.

Dragon-tendon pulling massage, by massaging the waist, abdomen, kidneys, perineum and surrounding meridians, stimulates blood circulation to achieve smooth meridians. Its greater role is to help the male reproductive system regain vitality; it is a healthy health-care method. During the massage, acupoints such as Guanyuan, Zhongji and Qugu are pressed, which can indirectly act on prostate tissue and offer some help in preventing prostate diseases (such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, etc.). When massaging the scrotum, the focus is mainly on the vas deferens and spermatic cord, so it also has a good effect on preventing and alleviating varicocele.