Foot massage used to emphasize the idea of "no pain, no gain." You would often see people crying out like babies and unintentionally kicking their masseurs. Frequent customers would require stronger and stronger pressure to maintain the same level of pain, with the result that the masseurs 'fingers would easily grow misshapen and customers' feet could get injured.
早年腳底按摩曾強調「越痛越有效」，因此常見有人被按得哇哇大叫，甚至忍不住對師傅又踢又踹，而熟客則要一次比一次更大力才能維持相同的痛感。