Japanese Adults Are Getting Wrapped Like Babies As A Way Of Reducing Stress

Ever heard of Otonamaki? This therapeutic technique has gotten popular in Japan for the past several years. According to reports, this type of treatment brings several health benefits to patients.

As you can see in the images below, Otonamaki is done by wrapping adults in cloth, similar to how babies are wrapped.

Each Otonamaki session lasts for about 20 minutes.

Orie Matsuo of Kyoko Proportion, one of the Japan-based companies that offer the service, said:

“The reason why Otonamaki was invented was because some people were worried about babies struggling or feeling claustrophobic while being wrapped up.

“We thought if adults were rolled up like them, they could experience how good it feels.”

Otonamaki aims to decrease stress and improve a person’s posture .

A 40-year-old customer at Kyoko Proportion shared:

“It looks cramped but it doesn’t feel tight at all. It’s the opposite of that. Afterwards I felt an improvement in my shoulders and back.”

Meanwhile, another customer added:

“It felt so good I almost fell asleep. My neck and lower back were relaxed. I want my husband to learn [how to do] it.”

However, not everyone is convinced that Otonamaki is good for the body.

A Twitter user, for example, called it “creepy” while another netizen said it looked like something straight from a horror movie.

Furthermore, senior physiotherapist Visvanathan Ravi of Hallmark Physiotherapy warned:

“I totally disagree with the treatment method. They way they were wrapped up may lead to muscle strains if not in the short term, but the long term.

“If a person stays in the position for 30 minutes, I’m sure there will be spine problems. It’s not advisable to do this treatment.”

Watch the video report here:

Otonamaki was invented by Nobuko Watanabe, a Japanese midwife.

Mainly created to help women after giving birth, Otonamaki is seen by many as a good alternative to massage or physical therapy.

In an interview with BBC, Ms Matsuo explained that the therapy method helps develop greater flexibility for customers’ hips, legs, and shoulder muscles.

She said:

“By pushing your shoulders and legs together, your body gets straightened and removes the pain of your back, lower back and hip joint. Some of our clients come to treat their pelvis after childbirth, or others to fix bow legs.”

Since adding Otonamaki to their services in 2015, the company has had about 70 customers who tried it.