The Benefits of Thai Massage: A Comprehensive Guide

Thai massage is an ancient practice with many benefits that are backed by modern science. It can reduce the intensity of headaches, reduce pain in the lower back and joints, increase flexibility, calm anxiety and energize the mind and body.

Thai massage

is not a passive treatment; it combines compression, acupressure and passive stretching to increase the range of motion of the joints and muscles. This can also improve your posture.

A study of 34 soccer players analyzed the effects of Thai massage on their sports performance and found that after receiving Thai massages three times in 10 days, they showed a significant improvement in their ability to do sitting and stretching exercises. Some people may experience muscle pain after a Thai massage, but given the high impact of the treatment, this is normal and usually nothing to worry about. Thai massage has many benefits for the individual, as it uses gentle pressure on energy lines and yoga-like stretches to relax your entire body on a deeper level. This deeper level of relaxation improves people's personal perspective and emotional state, as well as promoting a deeper and more restful night's sleep.

This deeper sleep allows your body to physically heal and allows you to feel more refreshed when you wake up. Thai massage also helps to reduce an individual's stress levels and improve their overall circulation. This is achieved by gradually moving the person through different positions similar to yoga, which will improve people's flexibility, allowing for a greater range of motion. This greater range of motion and flexibility reduces muscle stress and tension, and helps prevent accidents due to trips and falls.

Thai massage has its origin in Buddhism; Buddha's doctor invented it about 2,500 years ago. Since then, it has spread to different areas of the world and, over the generations, several elements became part of the tradition and philosophy surrounding the practice. There are influences from China, Japan and India on this body, but it is still an independent method. Scientific and clinical research doesn't support the benefits of Thai massage 100%.

Some call it a placebo and nothing else, and there is no doubt that there is a very subjective element in the technique. When it comes to the connection between the mind and body, there are no metrics with which to quantify success and positive outcomes; therefore, the benefits of Thai massage are controversial. In Quintin Tarantino's classic Pulp Fiction, two characters debate about the nature of a foot massage and whether that justified a jealous husband throwing his friend out a four-story window. Well, with a Thai foot massage, the chances of someone throwing you out the window are probably much lower; I would say that you have a better chance of relaxing and feeling truly at peace.

Others may feel it more after receiving a massage, and some may still discover that there is no real attribute of rest that can be associated with the technique, at least not in the traditional sense of rest. Thai massage tends to focus on areas that may contribute to back pain, such as the inner thigh and abdomen. The Thai massage is also performed fully clothed on a padded rug on the floor with an agile therapist who will guide you. Because of the way Thai massage can reduce stress and encourage relaxation, it should come as no surprise that it can also help you sleep well.

As the receiver of the massage, you notice that you twist, stretch, feel pressure, bend, move - all while fully clothed in loose fisherman pants and a top. In fact, the U. S. National Institutes of Health has found that Thai massage therapy can reduce fatigue and improve the quality of sleep.

A 90-minute or 2-hour massage is highly recommended for a full body treatment as one hour is not enough to feel the full benefits and allow the therapist to actually work on every part of the body. By disconnecting from the hustle and bustle that surrounds you and the sensory overload of life, receiving a massage in Thailand gives you the space and time to let go of stress and tensions; a meditation therapy that guides you to experience the “now” in a liberating way that resonates with your whole being. Traditional Thai massage is an ancient healing practice that requires a touch of more active participation than other types of massages; rather than being seen as a spa treat, Thais consider native massage to be an essential therapy for promoting well-being; a practical way of completely relaxing that is in line with the main pillars of Thai medicine and is considered a healing practice rather than a simple spa treatment. Thai massage is ideal for everyone as sessions are personalized for each individual with their body type and age.

Whether you get a massage on a regular basis or not, Thai massage therapy is something to consider at least once if only for the experience - there are many qualified and licensed traditional Thai massage therapists here in the United States although it is considerably more expensive.

Dora Peckens
Dora Peckens

Typical web fan. Proud music advocate. Hipster-friendly zombieaholic. Devoted music nerd. Award-winning web advocate. Evil travel scholar.