Thai Massage
Thai massage, which originated in India, has been around for over 2,500 years. Originally regarded as a healing art, traditional Thai massage includes influences from both Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine.
Unlike typical Western-type massages, it doesn’t involve lying on a massage bed while a massage therapist applies oil to your body and kneads your muscles and pressure points.
Relieves headaches
If you have migraine or experience tension headaches, traditional Thai massage may help ease your symptoms.
In several small studies involving patients with chronic headaches, researchers found that Thai massage reduced the intensity of both migraineTrusted Source and tension headaches.
If you’re interested in trying nonpharmaceutical remedies for headache relief, it’s worth noting that researchers concluded that the benefits of Thai massage could last anywhere from several days to around 15 weeks.
Reduces back pain
Thai massage may be an effective, nonpharmaceutical means of reducing back pain.
ResearchersTrusted Source in Thailand studied the effects of Thai massage on a group of 120 people with nonspecific low back pain. Half the test group was treated with Thai massage and the rest with other conservative management techniques that included joint mobilization (a technique that involves applying pressure), hot packs, and manual stretching to painful areas.
Both groups were treated twice a week for 4 weeks, and both groups had significant pain relief.