Thai Massage on Koh Phangan
What are the health benefits of Thai massage?
Thai massage uses gentle pressure and stretching techniques to relax the whole body. This is an ancient healing practice that originated in India. It dates back to around 2,500–7,000 years ago.
The technique that Thai massage practitioners use is very different from what people in the West may be accustomed to. Unlike Swedish or shiatsu massage techniques, in which a person passively lies on a bed, the client lies on a matress on the floor and participates more actively in the massage.
This article will look at the benefits of Thai massage, how it can help athletes, and some of the side effects that people may experience.
Health benefits of Thai massage
Thai massage has many health benefits, from lowering stress to relieving muscular tension. It can even increase energy. Below, we discuss five health benefits of Thai massage.
1. Lower Stress
Stress is not necessarily bad. Often, stress can act as a positive motivator that might help push people to perform better and accomplish more in their personal and professional lives.
However, too much stress can negatively affect mental and physical health. Chronic, or long-lasting, stress can lead to serious illnesses, including depression and cardiovascular disease
Thai massage uses gentle pressure and stretching techniques to relax the body. A 2015 study found that Thai massage significantly reduces levels of a certain stress marker present in the saliva, called sAA.
The researchers concluded that Thai massage is more effective at reducing stress in healthy people than simply resting.
2. Boosts energy
Research has shown that Thai massage can increase people’s physical energy levels. One randomized trial examined the effects of Thai and Swedish massages in people who were experiencing fatigue. The results revealed that Thai massage increased energy and mental stimulation, while Swedish massage was more likely to improve relaxation and sleep.
The Thai massage technique is based on the notion of energy lines, or Sen. Most practitioners believe that there are various Sen, or channels, of energy within the body.
Sen correspond to different parts of the body, such as the bones, muscles, blood, and nerves. Some Sen also affect the mind and consciousness. These are called subtle channels.
The theory suggests that tight muscles cause blockages within different Sen. These blockages reduce the flow of life energy, which results in stiffness, pain, and illness. Thai massage uses different techniques that either open or constrict different Sen to correct the flow of life energy.
3. Relieves headaches
Court-type is a specific form of Thai massage that involves applying pressure to specific energy channels.
One 2015 study found court-type Thai massage is an effective treatment for people who have chronic tension headaches. They also had lower measures of tissue hardness, which the scientists measured using a handheld device.
4. Stimulates circulation
Thai massage can promote the circulation of both blood and lymph through the use of gentle stretches. These yoga-like stretches increase blood circulation, which fills the body’s tissues with oxygen. This helps promote cell growth and heart health.
One study examined the benefits of Thai foot massage in people with peripheral neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes. The researchers found that this massage helped improve people’s balance.
They believe that this is because it improved blood circulation, which, in turn, stimulates the somatosensory system. This is a system that plays a major role in balance.
5. Improves range of motion
Thai massage incorporates yoga-like stretches to reduce stress and improve circulation. The gradual, gentle stretching will enhance the person’s flexibility over time, allowing a greater range of motion.
Thai massage may also improve the circulation of the fluid in the joints, or synovial fluid, which reduces friction between the joints. This can improve joint mobility and range of motion.
Thai massage for athletes
Athletes are prone to fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and injury during their training. That is why many athletes work with specialized sports massage therapists.
Sports massage combines assisted stretches and various massage techniques to treat sports injuries and improve an athlete’s range of motion. Practitioners will often use assisted stretching to target a specific area of the body or a particular muscle group.
Thai massage, on the other hand, gradually stretches the whole body, allowing the person to relax. The dynamic stretches that Thai massage practitioners use may offer deeper, more restorative stretches than some assisted stretching techniques of sports massage.
Relaxation combined with the energizing and invigorating effects of Thai massage help people feel mentally and physically restored.
Thai massage also improves circulation, which brings more oxygen to muscles and other tissues. This may prevent injuries and improve the athlete’s ability to recover after intense training.
What to expect during a Thai massage
A good way of visualizing Thai massage is by imagining that someone is arranging the body into different yoga poses.
For a Thai massage, the client usually lies on the floor. A licensed massage therapist will slowly work the client’s body through various stretches. The therapist may use their hands, knees, legs, or feet to help manipulate the person’s body into different positions.
This should not cause pain or discomfort, but a person should alert their massage therapist if they do experience either of these things.
People do not need to prepare for a Thai massage in advance, but they should consider the following advice:
- Try to arrive about 10 minutes early to fill out any paperwork before the appointment.
- Inform the practitioner about any significant medical history, because Thai massage is not safe for some people with certain health conditions.
- Come to the appointment wearing loose-fitting or athletic clothing. Try to avoid tight clothing because it can cause discomfort and limit the range of motion during the massage.
Thai massage also uses energy work, which involves applying pressure to specific points on the body to open channels that will improve the flow of energy throughout the body.
Massages
Pure Relax Spa takes you on a journey to exciting new worlds of delight, rejuvenation and well-being.
Thai massage uses pressure and stretching techniques to relax the whole body.
1 hour 300THB, 90 minutes 450 THB, 2 hours 600 THB
This popular massage lets you sit and relax after a long day of traveling. Not only it helps relieve the tension in the lower parts of the leg, this ancient massage is believed to help promote oxygenation of tissues of several major organs of the body by focusing on the reflex zones of the feet that correspond to them. Other benefits include improved circulation, ease of pain and treatment of ranges of acute and chronic illnesses.
1 hour 300THB, 90 minutes 450 THB, 2 hours 600 THB
Gentle relaxing massage with oil.
1 hour 400THB, 90 minutes 600 THB, 2 hours 800 THB
Gentle relaxing massage with oil.
1 hour 600THB, 90 minutes 900 THB, 2 hours 1200 THB
This massage technique utilizes finger pressure along with the hands and elbows on tension areas of back and shoulder. Guests get to sits on a specially designed massage chair that gives full comfort after the massage. The treatment is good for jet lags, eases strain and tension, mobilizes stiff joints, and improves blood circulation. A great treat after a long day of office work.
1 hour 400THB, 90 minutes 600 THB, 2 hours 800 THB
An ancient therapeutic method of pressure point massage utilizing essential oils from plants,
leaves, and flowers that are applied to the body with a Swedish massage technique. A good treatment to reward yourself after a long day of work or travel, the treatment if found to stimulate blood flow and lymph fluid.
An ancient therapeutic method of pressure point massage utilizing essential oils from plants,
leaves, and flowers that are applied to the body with a Swedish massage technique. A good treatment to reward yourself after a long day of work or travel, the treatment if found to stimulate blood flow and lymph fluid.
An ancient therapeutic method of pressure point massage utilizing essential oils from plants,
leaves, and flowers that are applied to the body with a Swedish massage technique. A good treatment to reward yourself after a long day of work or travel, the treatment if found to stimulate blood flow and lymph fluid.
Reach the height of relaxation with our aromatic hot stone massage, where a combination of heated volcanic stones and warm massage oils are applied to massage the whole body at the deep muscle level. This signature treatment is found to release tension, promote circulation, nervous fatigue and create a positive energy flow in the body. An experience one should not miss.
Herbal compress, also known as luk pra kob, is a traditional Thai therapy that dates back to the ancient times. The treatment involves the use of a muslin cloth that is filled with a combination of medicinal herbs, such as lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, kaffir lime, and other aromatic plants.
What to Expect
Perhaps the most daunting part of a massage for first timers is getting undressed. Your technician wants nothing more than for you to be relaxed, so undress to the point where you’re comfortable. The technician will always give you privacy and time to get ready. Once you’re on the massage table, there will be a sheet or towel for you to slip under. You’ll typically start the massage face down, but the technician will let you know if this is not the case. At some point during the massage, you will be asked to flip over. Don’t be embarrassed if you fall asleep during your massage, this happens often!
Be sure to drink a lot water after facials and massages to help flush out any toxins that may be put into motion during massage.
Don’t be surprised if you’re feeling sore the next day, either – your technician likely hit muscles that haven’t been used in a while, so it’s normal to feel as if you’re recovering from a workout.