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Shiatsu

Japanese massage based on TCM meridian principles.
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Kahuna

A Hawaiian form of massage that incorporates energy work
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Acupressure

TCM practice of applying pressure to specific meridian points.
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RATINGS

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Medical Opinion

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Compatibility

Jiuaka Kumar Bhaccha, physician to the Buddha, is said to have developed Thai massage over 2,500 years ago in India. The original Ayurvedic techniques were reputedly brought to Thailand by Buddhist sages from India in the 3rd century B.C. Some are depicted in stone at Phra Chetuphon Temple, Bangkok. Acupressure techniques were later added by Chinese settlers, creating a unique blend of Indian and Chinese health systems. Modem Western visitors to Thailand brought the techniques to Europe and the US, and some have incorporated Western massage strokes into the treatment.


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MEDICAL OPINION

Doctors are dubious about theories that encompass meridians and prana, since they cannot be medically explained, but massage itself is recognized as therapeutic.

CONSULTING A PRACTITIONER  
 
Thai massage is a hybrid of the Chinese and Ayurvedic healing systems. The practitioner will use hands, feet, and elbows to massage channels and points on the body through which prana, or "vital force," is said to flow. This concept is similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine's theory of meridians. Treatment involves a great deal of gentle stretching, bending, and pulling, intended to restore or improve the flow of prana. It is also designed to induce a trancelike state that is believed to be psychologically beneficial.
 
PRECAUTIONS
 
•     See massage and acupuncture.

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