When you move to Costa Rica to live or retire, you will encounter a new culture. In order to to adapt and get the most out of the country it is important to learn the language and become familiar with as many aspects of the culture as you can.

One such cultural nuance is the country’s famous sobadores. This practice dates back to the old days in Costa Rica and is traditionally used by many Costa Ricans as a form of alternative medicine. Most commonly this type of procedure is used to get rid of so-called pegas or empachos which indicate that one’s digestive system is not working correctly. The main symptoms are indigestion or colitis-like pains in the abdomen. Although los sobadoders claim that headaches, fevers, nausea, la oss of appetite and even diarrhea can be alleviated by their procedures. Usually oil or hand lotion is applied to the part of the body which is going to be massaged. In the old days pig lard was used as a lubricant. Now baby oil, mineral oil, any type of hand cream or mentholated sports injury cream can be utilized.

What sobadores do is like a type of home-grown acupuncture combined with massage. Certain parts of the body are stimulated and massaged to cure symptoms in another part of the body. The parts of the body that are usually worked on are the inside of the forearms, the outside of the wrists, the calf muscles, the abdomen and the feet.

Physicians warn that if a person presents any of these digestive maladies that it is better to see a regular doctor because these problems could be a sign of a more serious condition like an intestinal occlusion or diverticulitis, etc. Doctors also claim that the treatments given by los sobadores are nothing more than a regular linfatic massage.

Anyway this all food for thought and will help you understand some of the deeply-rooted local customs during your retirement years.