Some may regard taking time out for a regular massage as a luxury; rather than a very important part of maintaining a state of wellbeing, however many health professionals don’t follow that point of view.
To quote world renowned healthcare consultant and author Robin Sharma:
“A massage isn’t an indulgence – it’s an investment in your full creative expression, productivity, passion and sustained excellent health”.
Massage is one of the oldest therapies known to man and has been part of many ancient civilisations around the world. Every ancient culture, from China to Greece and to Thailand, has some form of therapeutic massage as part of its healing traditions.
In recent times, massage has become recognised as an integral part of healthcare and an accepted therapeutic tool for wellness. Peer-reviewed medical research has shown there are many benefits to having a massage.
In the corporate world, massage has been employed by businesses and organisations such as the U.S. Department of Justice, Boeing and Reebok. In the sporting world many notable athletes such as LeBron James and Novak Djokovic have personal massage therapists that at times accompany them on tour.
Nutnarinee Lerdsatittroong, better known as Khun Prahn, the founder of The Movement Clinic in Hua Hin, sees massage as an important part of improving mobility and a way to keep body, mind and spirit in balance and importantly to maintain pain-free movement, and that’s what her physiotherapy clinic is all about.
Khun Prahn describes massage therapy as a therapeutic hands-on treatment used to manipulate soft tissue in the body, including muscles, ligaments, joints, tendons, and connective tissue.
Some benefits of massage therapy by a qualified physiotherapist are as follows:
- Muscle massages for everyday discomfort and pain
- Elimination/ reduction of muscle and joint pain
- Reduction of anxiety to help stabilise the client’s mood and ability to relax
- Improvement of sleep
- Headache relief
- Circulation improvement
- Alleviation of chronic pain conditions
- increasing the immune system response
- Scar tissue healing
- Lymphatic Drainage
The main purpose of a physiotherapist compared to massage at one of Hua Hin’s many massage clinics is a focus on restoring a full range of movement and overall muscle and joint function, rather than on short term pain relief and relaxation.
Khun Prahn recommends a regime of massage therapy 3-4 times a year. That would follow a consultative assessment which includes checking on areas of tension and spinal alignment. A massage at The Movement Clinic is not prescribed, but individualised and targeted after assessment.
Additionally a physiotherapist can also offer many other specialised therapeutic techniques, all aimed at improving flexibility and a full range of movement.
For the full story of The Movement Physiotherapy Clinic, check out the explanatory article ‘’Changing Lives Through Movement – A Thai Physiotherapist’s Mission in Hua Hin’’ by following this link:
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