Practiced for centuries by Thai monks and established as a central component of Thai medicine, Thai massage dates back over 2,500 years ago, where its origins in India ultimately laid the groundwork for its health and sports performance improvement mechanisms. The massage technique was developed by Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, the physician to Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha – before it made its way to Thailand, where the original Ayurvedic techniques fused with principles from traditional Chinese medicine.
But as the centuries passed, the concept of a “chiropractor” became nonexistent in Thailand, and Thai massage was the go-to option for preventing and remedying back ailments, a trend that continues today. More dynamic and rigorous than your average massage, the Thai method manipulates limbs and joints in a sequence of movements inspired by yogic stretching; this makes Thai massage particularly beneficial to athletes.
The following are the five major benefits of Thai yoga massage when dealing with any kind of sports-related injuries:
- Muscle Spasm and Tension Reduction
Thai massage, like myofascial release technique, targets specific areas with applied pressure to release tension, enabling muscles to be further manipulated and effectively lengthened. The principles of Chinese medicine apply here, as well, being that they also target trapped nerves, making them highly beneficial in alleviating muscle spasms.
- Joint Mobilization
The use of yoga-esque manipulation releases tension in the joints, as we just mentioned, adding mobility and enhancing range of movement, but Thai massage can effectively help increase joint mobility and range of movement too, particularly following a series of treatments.
- Blood Circulation Improvement
The rigorous nature of Thai massage and its multifaceted approach – encompassing touch, muscular and skeleton manipulation plus acupressure – effectively boosts circulation through a series of techniques.
- Energy Balance and Increase
During Thai massage sessions, a therapist works to manipulate specific areas of the body’s “meridians” until he or she feels the energy has been sufficiently released; in Chinese medicine, it is believed that physical stimulation of specific areas of the meridians can help to shift areas of stagnant energy, allowing for a more healthy flow of energy (known as “Qi”).
- Sciatica, Headache and Neck Pain Treatment
Thai massage combines a multitude of techniques which allow it to target underlying dysfunction contributing to symptoms of pain in a holistic, highly-effective manner.
For the consummate Thai massage experience, contact Thai Massage Albuquerque today at (505) 235-8032 and discover why we are the massage therapy Albuquerque has been waiting for.
