Why you Should Try Thai Massage at Red Moon Wellness

We are excited to now offer Thai massage sessions at Red Moon Wellness. Check out the video and article below to learn how Thai massage can uniquely retrain your nervous system to allow for greater flexibility and movement possibilities. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear about Thai massage techniques from our expertly trained massage therapists. 

Click here to schedule your appointment. We offer 75- and 90-minute Thai massage floor (mat) sessions, as well as an incredible 90-minute combo session which is half traditional Thai floor massage and half holistic table massage.

While most people in the West are familiar with the gliding and flowing strokes of Swedish massage, Thai massage offers something a bit different. Yes, Thai massage also helps to release muscle tension and reduce stress, but it also aims to tap into and align the energies of the body known as Sen. The body’s energy lines serve as a guide for massage therapists. Throughout the session, therapists use techniques including deep stretching, focused finger pressure, rocking, and movement to open Sen lines to improve the body’s flow of energy.

Although ancient in origin, the modern incarnation of Thai massage is a relatively new technique as it is practiced in the West. Research has confirmed that Thai massage is associated with many health benefits, such as improved circulation, improved range of motion, and reduced levels of stress.

Unlike most Western massage techniques, Thai massage is performed fully clothed on a mat or thin mattress placed on the floor. In addition to the hand and finger compression techniques, participants will also be led through assisted yoga poses and deep stretches. As such, it is recommended to wear loose or stretchy, comfortable clothing.

The History of Thai Massage

Thai massage, often translated in the Thai language to mean the “ancient healing way,” is a technique thought to have originated at least 2,500 years ago. Many historians credit its origin to an Indian doctor named Shivago Komarpaj, who was known throughout Asia as "Father Doctor".

Thought to be a colleague of Buddah, Shivago Komarpaj helped to spread traditional medicinal practices throughout southern Asia. Incorporating aspects of yoga, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Thai massage has evolved into a popular holistic health practice throughout the world. 

5 Benefits of Thai Massage

1. Releases Muscle Tension

Hypertonicity, or excess muscle tension, can make movement difficult or even painful. Muscle tension can be caused by exercise, repetitive motion, or long periods of inactivity. Fortunately, hypertonicity can be treated with a range of massage services, including Thai massage. 

Massage helps relax tight muscles by increasing the temperature of soft tissues through movement and friction, increasing blood circulation, and breaking down adhesions in the tissue. A relaxation response in the body triggered by vagal nerve stimulation produces inhibitory messages in the central nervous system, which send relaxing messages to the muscles that decrease tone and tension.

2. Improves Joint Mobilization

When joints are not stressed enough through regular use, they have the potential to degenerate. However, when joints are over-stressed, they can become inflamed and damaged. By performing assisted yoga poses and stretches with an experienced Thai massage therapist, patients are able to work through movement patterns that explore a healthy range of motion. Joint mobilization exercises can help reduce pain and improve the movement mechanics used to perform everyday activities.

In fact, most limitations on range of motion are not ultimately caused by soft tissue that is unable to stretch and move, but instead by central nervous system signals inhibiting a certain range of movement in your body. In other words, your brain is telling your body not to stretch past a certain point, even if your body’s soft tissue could actually accommodate it (this happens below the level of consciousness). During Thai massage, the combination of bringing the nervous system into a parasympathetic relaxation response while being passively guided through assisted stretches allows you to relax into that movement instead of trying to exert force. This process can help “retrain” the central nervous system to allow increased movement and flexibility over time.

3. Headache Relief

A study found traditional Thai Massage to be an effective treatment option for patients with chronic tension headaches. By exerting pressure on the skin and muscles, Thai massage helps to stimulate blood and lymph circulation as well as the parasympathetic nervous system. This can also stimulate pressure receptors that in turn inhibit the transmission of pain receptors via the spinal cord, reducing the experience of pain. 

4. Anxiety and Stress Relief 

Data suggests that moderate pressure massage, such as the technique used in Thai massage, helps to reduce depression and anxiety. Moderate pressure massage also helps increase vagal tone. High vagal tone is associated with lower cortisol levels, the body's main stress hormone. 

There is also data to suggest that moderate pressure massage, such as Thai massage, helps regulate activity in several brain regions including the amygdala, the hypothalamus and the anterior cingulate cortex, which are all areas involved in stress and emotional regulation.

5. Boosts Energy

Stimulating the flow of energy along Sen lines can have widespread effects throughout the body. Sen lines correspond to different parts of the body, including bone, muscle, blood, and nerves. 

Some practitioners also believe there are “subtle channels” of Sen thought to affect the mind and consciousness. Tight muscles are thought to cause blockages within different Sen. Releasing blockages allows for unobstructed flow of energy throughout the body, enhancing a sense of wellbeing and vital energy.

Schedule your appointment today to experience the benefits for yourself.

References 

Brennan, D. (2021). “Benefits of Thai Massage” Web MD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/benefits-of-thai-massage

Damapong,P., Kanchanakhan, N., Eungpinichpong, W., Putthapitak, P., & Damapong, P. (2015). A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness of Court-Type Traditional Thai Massage versus Amitriptyline in Patients with Chronic Tension-Type Headache. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/930175/

Eske, J. (2018). “What are the Health Benefits of Thai Massage?” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323687

Field, T. (2014). Massage Therapy Research Review. Complement Ther Clin, 20(4): 224–229. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5467308/