"Indonesian icons" is a series offering in-depth explorations of figures, elements and events that have defined the country, from noteworthy people and culinary delights to historic locales and unforgettable moments.

A traditional healing therapy for the common cold, kerokan remains popular despite lacking scientific evidence.

Thirty-four-year-old Joe Coffey first heard about kerokan – scraping the back with a coin (or other blunt instrument) after lubricating it with massage oil or balm – when the American lived in Thailand.

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After moving to Indonesia in January last year, Coffey’s girlfriend Rusti Wigati, 29, who is originally from Jakarta, made him try kerokan for the first time.

When the masseuse came to Coffey’s place and spoke with Rusti in Indonesian, he did not realize they were talking about giving kerokan at the end of the massage – despite the “scraping tools” being ready alongside her massage equipment. As instructed, Coffey sat up – thinking he was about to get a regular shoulder rub after a one-hour full-body massage.

“I guess I agreed to it unintentionally, and before I knew what was happening, I was getting my first kerokan done,” said Coffey – who resides in Bali.

Coffey said that since he was from the United States, kerokan did not fit with any Western medical philosophy he had ever heard of. While he is open-minded to alternative medicine and treatment after experiencing Thai massage, he suspected kerokan might be based on ignorance and a belief in magic.

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