Thai massage is one of the oldest types of massage (a healing art) in human history, it has been around for over 2,500 years, and has gradually become a popular treatment in almost every spa across the world. From the most luxurious, lavish, and acclaimed spas in Paris and New York City to the local but humble massage spas scattered throughout the streets of Thailand, it is almost a guarantee that the menu is graced with Thai massage.
If you are reading this then you must be on the verge of giving Thai massage a shot, but you can’t help but wonder what happens inside Thai massage, is it worth the hype? Revealing what happens during a Thai massage is the primary objective of this article.
In contrast to the usual western-type massage, Thai massage does not require taking off your clothes and lying on a massage bed while a masseuse works your pressure points and muscles while applying oil.
Thai massage features influences from both traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The entire body is being worked by a massage therapist who utilizes a pattern of movements that are almost identical to yogic stretch. In addition to being twisted and stretched into various positions, palms and fingers are used by a massage therapist to apply firm pressure to your entire body. A Thai massage is done with your clothes on, you can choose to wear comfortable, or loose clothes.
Pulling, stretching, and rocking techniques are the basis of Thai massage. These techniques help relieve tension, improve circulation and flexibility, and promote relaxation. Thai massage concentrates on improving the circulation of energy throughout your entire body. For this reason, sometimes it is referred to as ‘assisted yoga’.
Instead of a massage table, a massage mattress or mat is where you will lie. Once on the mattress or mat, your body will be moved slowly through lots of stretches by your massage therapist, their body weight and pressure will be used to assist you as you stretch.
Comparing a Thai massage to a Swedish massage, oil is not needed in a Thai massage, and in some cases, your muscles aren’t kneaded. Instead, your massage therapist will use thumbs, elbows, knees, and hands to rock and pull different body parts. Some may even sit on you in an attempt to stretch into certain positions.
The Benefits of Thai Massage
Thai massage can’t be this popular and preferred by many only by having different techniques from the typical western-type massage. It is popular for its scientifically proven benefits, so the next big question would be what are these benefits? This section will reveal the science-backed benefits of traditional Thai massage.
There are numerous health benefits associated with Thai massage and a lot of them are scientifically proven, below are just a few of them.
It alleviates headaches
Traditional Thai massage is linked with easing the symptoms of individuals who experience tension headaches or have migraine. Several small studies conducted amongst patients with chronic headaches by researchers revealed that Thai massage decreased the intensity of both tension headaches and migraine (1).
It will interest you to know that the benefits of Thai Massage could last for several days to 15 weeks, a perfect nonpharmaceutical remedy for migraine and tension headaches.
Thai massage reduces back pain
Thai massage may be an effective means of reducing back pain. In Thailand, researchers (2) closely studied the after-effects of Thai massage on 120 persons who had non-specific low back pain. Thai massage was a means of treatment for half the number of persons, other conventional management techniques that involved joint mobilization were used as a means of treatment for the other half persons. Treatments in both groups were done twice a week and lasted for 4 weeks, this resulted in both groups having significant pain relief.
Other studies (3) have proven that Thai massage reduces back pain caused by painful, tight muscle clusters mostly found in the upper back.
Thai massage relieves joint pain and stiffness
If you experience stiffness and pain when you go about your daily activities Thai massage may help revamp your joint function. In a study (4) that involved 60 persons who suffered from osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers discovered that 3 weeks of treatment using Thai massage resulted in the same pain relief as using ibuprofen as a means of treatment for 3 weeks.
