Massage and pain

Often when I introduce myself to people, as a massage therapist, and I mention that I work with Thai Massage, they look at me and say things like:

“Oh I love Thai Massage, I love that knee in my back” or “Thai Massage? Not for me, it is too painful”

Both those ways of talking are often a sign of a poor understanding of the importance of Thai Massage and are based on the commercial knowledge of this ancient technique.

Unfortunately, Thai Massage has the reputation of the massage “go hard or go home”.

But is that a real thing?

I mean, is this what Thai Massage should be?

Massage and pain are 2 things that are strictly correlated.

Most of us go for a massage when we are in pain, isn’t it?

During the massage, even during a Remedial or Myotherapy treatment, we are going to experience pain.

And you know what?

That’s normal.

Actually, that’s what those techniques are based on too.

That pain sensation that you experience during the Remedial or Myotherapy session as per the Thai session, is what makes the massage work.

What is the purpose of pain during treatment then?

Well, that pain is a response of your body to trigger point stimulation.

What happens next is that, by stimulating a trigger point, the body will release an immune response that would facilitate the trigger point to dissipate.

That’s why during a session as massage therapists we ask:

“How does it feel?”

“0 to 10? what’s the sensation feel like?”

Book now your next Massage.

So is pain normal during a massage?

Yes, it is normal. But back to the start, in Thai Massage often the therapist due to their poor training are told to “go hard or go home”.

It is a tourist thing. It is the westernization of an ancient healing technique.

And unfortunately, it will now take years to change the mindset of people about it.

Again, a knee on the back is a real thing, but it doesn’t have to hurt more than what a hand can do.

So why use the knee on the back?

Well, it is just more ergonomic for the therapist.

It prevents the hand of the massage therapist to be worn out.

But again, in order to use a knee on the back, leg, or shoulder, there is a need for some training, things that at the Thai Massage front shop, often, the person working there, doesn’t have.