The Benefits – How Thai Massage May Help
Unlike Western massage styles, the Thai version focuses on circulation and pressure points, promoting internal health as well as muscular flexibility. Treatment often begins with the feet and gradually moves upwards towards the head. The body is gently arranged into four positions (face-down, face-up, side, and sitting position), which enables the masseur to perform a variety of exercises that would be otherwise unworkable.
Rhythmic compressions, rolling of limbs, and gentle rocking are Thai massage methods employed in order to relax and realign energies in the body. Varying amounts of pressure are applied to energy lines (or ‘Sen’) along the body in accordance with the Ayurvedic principles of balancing one’s energy.
Elbows, feet, knees, and forearms are used to execute certain strokes and manipulations, making the experience quite physical for both parties. Finding oneself in the lap of a masseur, though occasionally surprising, is not uncommon and serves to augment a deep stretch.
Traditional Thai Massage technique is known as the most holistic type of therapy. It combines modern scientific knowledge of anatomy of physiology with the disciplines of traditional oriental medicine. It employs combinations of rhythmic acupressure, body rocking and deep assisted stretches to relieve muscular tension and enables more blood to be carried throughout the body.
A number of gentle techniques are carried out on the floor using the feet, knees, elbows, palms, forearms and thumbs. Treatment generally falls into one of two categories; full body routines and localised therapy and may last between 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Thai Massage is a therapeutic massage and a traditional treatment for relieving stress and tension, and for the treatment of back pain, stiff neck, shoulder pain, and sports injuries including muscle and tendon strain.
Thai Massage vigorously treats many areas of the body, using hand pressure and the masseur’s own body to apply forces that aim to work pressure points, and re-align energy lines in the body. Ideally, this process takes at least one to two hours and can be a little uncomfortable at times, but leaves you feeling very relaxed.