Spot Tries: The PhysioSpa in Banawe

(SPOT.ph) The moment you hit 30, back aches become a constant companion—resulting in almost-weekly trips to the spa for help soothing the pain. You've likely tried all the possible massages and whatnot, from hot stones to ventosa and more, and while it does get better for a bit, there are some pains that just keep coming back (no, we're not talking about your ex, stop that). Looking for a way to make the pain go away for good and finally move on? (Still not talking about your ex here). It might be time to give physical therapy a try.

We know what you're thinking. The term "physical therapy" brings to mind images of athletes and professionals in sterile, medical settings with fancy machinery and tools. But one spot along Banawe in Quezon City is looking to bring high-grade treatments to the public, a.k.a. all the titos and titas like you or me.

What to know about the PhysioSpa in Banawe

The PhysioSpa tells you all you need to know in the name alone. Started by Roman Ang in 2023 as inspired by his own personal experiences—including chronic back pain, which, while he went to get a massage twice or thrice weekly for, did not fully go away until he finally went to a licensed physical therapist. 

It was at the medical clinics that he became acquainted with the machines made specifically for the issues that he had. And when he realized that like him, a lot of people didn't know about it either, he set to make it more accessible. And what better way to do so than by mixing it with the service a majority of us would think of when we get body pains? "I combined them," Ang tells us during our visit. 

Ang invested in different machines, from those that use shockwaves to laser therapy and more. While the massages and spa treatments may help lessen the pain temporarily, it's really guidance from a licensed physical therapist and help from machines that can reach deep into your muscles that will really get you long-term results. 

"My market here are tito, titas, my age bracket. Sila 'yung mas maraming body pains," he explains. "But surprisingly, there are people who come na young as 20s." And true enough, he's seen all sorts of clients who are happy to finally get easier access to their treatments, from a 94-year-old who was able to regain movement after a years-long frozen shoulder, to a 20-something looking for help with their sciatica.

The Physical Treatment point

We entered the PT room where we worked with a licensed physical therapist to get at our pain points. It always starts with a consultation about what it is you need addressed and what can be done, and yes, depending on your condition, there will be exercising and stretches involved. We were ushered into a spacious room which had a consultation area in one corner, a small gym setup with mirrors in another, and the machines and treatment space on the other side. It was a lot more comfortable than the usual medical clinic setup.

I end up sitting for most of the day due to my line of work, so that means I've already got lower back pain before the age of 30. As physical therapist Chloe told me during our session, "sitting is the new smoking," so we're gladly reminding you, too. She took me through a series of stretches that I can do at home as a way to get me out of my chair. She also took the time to explain things to me and answer any questions I had, which I really appreciated. For my partner, who works out a lot, they took the polar opposite consultation as opposed to my sedentary lifestyle. Hey, at least we got to see the two different sides, right? They talked about the obstacles to his workouts, and when it came to their exercise, she showed him new stretches and warmups he could do to address where he felt tightness and less mobility.

After two surprisingly tough mini-stretching sessions customized to each of our issues, it was time to test out the machines. I tested out the Deep Tissue Laser Therapy machine that targets the muscles with lightwaves. She used it on my back muscles, applying the machines wandlike apparatus directly and smoothing it over my skin. It was pleasantly warm throughout and felt a bit like an ultrasound, minus the aggression those treatments sometimes have. Of course, even these machine treatments are not a magical solution that immediately cures you, but I did feel relief and even a little more mobility in my right shoulder, which has always felt tighter in the muscles than my left, right after.

My boyfriend tried a more intensive treatment on his calves. You can think of Shockwave machine as a sort of deep-tissue massager, but can reach deeper into tissue than human hands can with the help of soundwaves. You can definitely feel this one way more than the lightwaves machine, with my partner reporting a strange but not totally unpleasant electric-like current going through his muscles.

As Chloe explains to us, PhysioSpa already has a pretty varied bunch of regulars, consisting mainly of elders who didn't even know about the possible machines and treatments they could get via physical therapy. What's great is that her clients are usually more than willing to go through her treatments because they know that after the exercises or machines, they get to go to the other side of PhysioSpa where, you guessed it, they can get whatever relaxing treatment they like. "Parang reward," laughs Chloe.

The Spa Treatment

We got to experience the reward, too, thankfully. What's great about PhysioSpa is that they take both sides of their services very seriously. While the PT part is well thought-out and truly aimed at long-term solutions for your problems, the spa also has many choices for however you want to relax. If you'd like some quality time with your SO, definitely give the VIP room a try.

This spacious room comes as part of different package treatments as it has its own separate bathroom with a sauna and waterfall shower. We were instructed to spend 10 minutes in the electric sauna and then take a cold shower to prep our bodies for the massage. Both appliances worked without a hitch and we really appreciated the heat of the sauna after the PT session.

Once we were refreshed, we headed into the massage which included really relaxing techniques and a little more stretching. They even put a face mask on you to round out the pampering sesh. You can also add on all sorts of treatments to your package; I tried out the cryo sticks for a refreshing facial, while my boyfriend got a hot pack to further ease his muscles. 

The PhysioSpa is at 2/F, R Center, 89 Banawe Street, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City,