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Nuad Thai



Nuad Thai, also known as Thai Massage, is a traditional form of manual therapy involving pressure, compression, and rubbing. The practice is regarded as a part of the art, science, and culture of traditional Thai medicine.

From the Indian subcontinent, Thai massage was born during Buddha's lifetime. It is believed that Chiwaka Komaraphat (ชีวกโกมารภัจจ์ Jīvaka Komarabhācca), who was the Buddha's physician over 2,500 years ago, was the creator of Nuad Thai. Several ancient documents record his exceptional medical skills, knowledge of herbal medicine, and treatment of important people of his time, including the Buddha himself. The knowledge he possessed was passed on to people in many parts of South and Southeast Asia.

Known as one of the non-medicinal remedies as well as a type of manual therapy, Nuad Thai involves the practitioner physically manipulating the patient, rebalancing the patient's body and energy, which flows along 'sen,' lines that cross the human body. This manipulation strives to normalize the four elements of the body: earth, water, wind, and fire.

Unlike typical massage treatments, Nuad Thai doesn't involve lying on a massage bed while a therapist kneads your muscles using oil. By contrast, you lie fully clothed on a mat on the ground, with no oils or lotions, while the practitioner uses stretching, pulling, and rocking techniques to relieve tension, encourage relaxation, and enhance flexibility and circulation.

The full Nuad Thai session typically lasts two hours and includes pulling fingers, toes, ears, cracking knuckles, walking on the back of the recipient, pressing the palm, thumb, finger, and forearm in different ways. It often includes a variety of aromatic herbs and spices; combining pressure treatment with a bit of olfactory stimulation to create an incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating experience.

In the past, Nuad Thai was part of a self-care practice as peasant villagers went to their local massage healer for relief from muscle aches due to working in the fields. Over time, these experiences matured into a formalized system of knowledge, and Nuad Thai has developed into an income-generating profession, with revenue generated by Nuad Thai therapies amounting to billions of Thai Baht.

Those who want to become therapists need to enroll in intensive and expensive courses, and to become a licensed Nuad Thai therapist, one must complete at least 800 hours of training and obtain a license that is registered by the Public Health Ministry's Department of Health Service Support (HSS).

An initiative was launched in 1985 for the revitalization and maximization of Nuad Thai to launch a Project for the Revitalization of Thai Massage. An alliance of Nuad Thai practitioners now meets annually to exchange ideas. Nuad Thai is now an integral part of the Thai public health system, not only used in conjunction with modern medicine but also integrated with Western medicine and can be seen in many modern health plans.


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