Traditional Thai massage
The Lanna Thai kingdom of Thailand.

The most internationally famous type of Thai medical therapy is Nuat Boran (Traditional Thai massage). The extensive and highly refined Thai massage system combines characteristics of massage (stroking and kneading the muscles), chiropractiec (manipulating skeletal parts) and acupressure (applying deep, consistent pressurer to speciffic nerves, tendons, or ligaments) in order to balance the functions of the four body elements (thaat thang sii). These foru elements are : earth (din - solid parts of the body, including nerves, skeleton, muscles, blood vessels, tendons, and ligaments); water (naam - blood and bodily secretions); fire (fai - digestion and metabolism); and air (lom - respiration and circulation).

From the Ayuthaya period until early this century, The Thai govermment's Department of Health included an official massage division (Phanaek maw nuat). Under the influence of international medicine and modern hospital development, responsibility for the national propagation/maintenance of Thai massage was eventually transferred to Wat Phra Jetuphon (Wat Pho) in Bangkok, where it remains todays. Traditional massage therapy has persisted most in the provinces, however, and has recently enjoyed a resurgence of popularity throughout the country.

Thai massage ancient form of healing was first documented in the West by the French liaison to the Thai Royal Court in Ayuthaya in 1690, who wrote: When any person is sick in Siam be causes his whole body to be moulded by one who is skilful herein, who gets upoon the body of the sick person and tramples him under his feet.
Unlike in most Western massage methodologies, such as Swedish and Californian techniques, Thai massage does not directly seek to relax the body through a kneading of the body with palms and fingers. Instead a multipronged approach uses the hands, thumbs, fingers, elbows, forearms, knees and feet, and is applied to the traditional pressure points along the various Sen or meridians (the human body is thought to have 72,000 of these, of which 10 a crucial).
The client's body is also pulled, twisted and manipulated in ways that have been compared to a "passive yoga". The objective is to distribute energies evenly throughout the nervous system so as to create a harmony of physical energy flows. The muscular-skeletal system is also manipulated in ways that can be compared to modern physiotherapy and chiropractic.

Nowadays many Thais also use massage as a tool for relaxation and disease prevention, rather than for specific medical problems.

Thai massage course in Thailand.

1. http://www.thai-massage.us

2. The Old medicine hospital chiangmai 50100 Thailand.

3. Pai Traditional Thai Massage & Herbal sauna (PTTM).
A 3 days course learn Thai massage at Pai district Mae hong son Thailand.
Contract: Mr. Suttipong Mrs.Pensee Muangsom,
68/3 Tedsaban 1 Pai, Mae hong son province Thailand 58130.
Tel: 66-053-699121, Cell phone: 01-2886497, 01-9501125.
e-mail: pttm2001@thaimail.com,
e-mail: pttm2001@hotmail.com

4. you can click "contact us" for more Thai massage information course.