One of the beautiful things about Thai massage, that unfortunately makes it much more difficult to “standardize” in a way that ensures people know what they’re signing up for, is that basically all forms of tissue manipulation could be classified as part of a Thai massage repertoire.
Within a range of texts there are references to a great variety of techniques, ranging from the regular compressive muscle/soft tissue work and stretches, to plucking, tapping/hammering, gliding, bone-setting (chiropractic), pulling and twisting.
Some forms of Thai massage use oil, yet the most common forms don’t. Most are also fully clothed, but again some styles and practitioners perform treatments draped. Some forms also utilize herbal compresses that often involve specific blends of herbs designed especially for each patient/receiver. In this way it also uses a form of aromatherapy as herbal compresses are heated over a seat bath before use and emit a fragrance that is specific to the blends of herbs used.
Then there’s also often a distinction made between ‘northern’ and ‘southern’ styles. Northern style is said to be generally slower and more relaxing and incorporates more stretching into its routines, where southern style is renowned for its vigorous nature and deep compressions.
And yet further still, people recognize ‘royal’ and ‘folk’ as even more styles of Thai massage. Royal-style uses only hands (and mostly thumbs) for treatments and patients are never placed in the prone position, where folk-style is performed using a range of different body parts, including feet to perform the massage techniques.
So how do you know what is is that you’re getting when you go in for a Thai massage session? The best thing to do is simply to ask the practitioner. Get them to describe a typical treatment to you, or get them to provide some kind of visual reference that you can look over to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Chances are that if you’re anywhere in North America, most places will offer blended treatments that are fully clothed and without oils, that incorporate passive stretching, muscle compressions and joint articulations. Ideally as well, each treatment is tailored to suit your specific needs.
This diversity in practice also means that often the ideas that people have about a “traditional” practice aren’t accurate. But for more on that discussion, head over here.
Want to share your stories and experiences with different styles? Comment below to let us know!
Drew.
Leave a Reply