Engadget gets a BlackBerry massage

The other day I took one for the team and went to get one of those BlackBerry massages everyone's been talking (I know, it's a tough job). There are a few places offering 'em these days, but the one closest to me was a little day spa place called Graceful Services on 2nd Avenue here in Manhattan.

I wanted to be good and ready for my massage, so I made sure to use my Treo a ton to try and get my thumbs nice and sore (I felt a little dishonest being a Treo user going to get a "BlackBerry" massage, but I got over that really quickly).

I was a little sketched out upon arriving at the spa, since the entrance (pictured above) didn't exactly scream "wellness" or whatever you call it, but I was determined to get this story, so I plowed ahead and went inside.

It wasn't the fanciest of day spas, but everything was very professional and after paying my $60 (which I paid for myself, this wasn't a freebie) I was directed into a closed off area for the massage. Turns out that at this particular place you don't actually get the BlackBerry massage in a private room or anything, there's just a curtain separating you from other people getting massages. Not sure how common that is, but it wasn't a big deal so I got on the massage table and then spent the rest of the time trying to ignore the constantly vibrating Treo in my pocket (or at least trying to appreciate the irony of the situation).

So how was the massage itself? Well, it wasn't bad at all, but it didn't seem all that different or special than any other massage focusing primarily on the hands and arms -- it was just clever marketing to rebrand it as a "BlackBerry massage". Afterwards I did feel a lot better -- whatever pain I'd been having in my wrists and thumbs was gone (and hasn't come back) -- but I wouldn't necessarily recommend going out of your way to get a BlackBerry massage. If you're seeking some serious relief from thumboard-induced pain, you could just as easily ask any massage therapist to give your hands and arms some love (you know what I mean!).