I like to give them, and receive them if I get the chance. A free massage from a friend can be just as therapeutic as an expensive professional massage. And I use them for headaches, which I get a lot.
I was once at my friend's house when his younger sister came home stressed from work. She had just started working at a restaurant, and she hated the way her manager and customers were treating her. Since I worked in customer service longer than she had, I knew how much she had to put up with. Hoping to cheer her up (as a surprise to her), I placed my hands on her shoulders and started massaging her shoulders, shoulder blades, arms, and upper back. The moment I placed my hands on her shoulders, her demeanor suddenly changed from angry and annoyed to cheerful and happy as she exclaimed, "Ooooh! Thank you! I could use a back rub right now!" I could tell from her cheerful positive feedback and occasional giggles that she was really enjoying the back rub I was giving her, and it was causing her bad day to dissipate. Finally when I was done, I wrapped my arms around her for a hug, made eye contact with her, and asked, "Feel better?" "Yeah," she said with a cheerful smile. "Thanks so much for the back rub! I needed that!"
