Digital Nomad Cures Aches with a 25 cent Coin in Bali

Healing on the fly

In my quest to discover alternative healing therapies and drug-free cures. I tried a treatment in Bali called kerokan.

The treatment dates back to China around the fifth to seventh centuries. It’s used for many ailments like the common cold, and body wind.

My favorite ache is Jet Lag.

Despite lacking scientific evidence kerokan remains popular across Indonesia. It is a technique used to scrape the back with a coin (or a different blunt instrument).

Before the treatment begins the back is lubricated with massage oil or balm.

I grew up brainwashed by American big Pharma TV commercials to reach for pills. After taking medications I had no idea what was in them. I was willing to try something new.

Kerokan did not fit with any Western medical philosophy I had ever heard of.

While I was on a mission to discover alternative medicine, I suspected kerokan might be based on ignorance. It was a belief in magic?

My first experience with kerokan changed my mind.

For about 30 minutes, the Balinese masseuse scraped a coin over my whole back. I could hear the coin scrapping my skin. I thought I was being skinned alive.

After she finished, I felt weightless. My skin tingled. Not a painful sensation, but a curious one.

My skin also turned dark purple later which, as many Indonesians believe, shows when kerokan is working.

Indonesians refer to kerokan as a traditional Javanese healing therapy. One of its remedies is to treat masuk angin (translating to “wind has entered the body”).

The masseuse used a worn coin with smooth edges to ensure the pain was minor. She acknowledged that kerokan might cause harm due to its scraping method.

Is it safe?

The masseuse said some people should not receive kerokan as a treatment as it might harm them.

“People with medical conditions related to their skin or blood vessels should not get kerokan.” She added that some people might bleed and thus kerokan was not recommended for them.

“Scraping the skin with an object with rough edges — such as a coin — in reality, causes skin inflammation. It causes the outer part of the skin to become open and damaged. This is what causes the skin to go red. This condition might allow bacteria and viruses to enter the body.”

Describing her method of kerokan, she always began by scraping the left side of the back with a slow and smooth movement with a coin or a tool. She then does the same thing on the right side.

“Pressure should be added to increase blood circulation. Never kerok [scrape] on bones — but between them,” she said. Adding that she always prayed before giving kerokan for positive affirmations.

For a traveler on a small budget, I would recommend kerokan to anyone who has an experienced person offering it.