Thai Massage
 

Have read a couple of recent posts about unexpected consequences of Thai massage - wonky neck and a damaged 'ovary', I am feeling slightly anxious about whether to subject myself to that kind of punishment.

Should I base jump off the pinacle of Wat Arun instead? Or pick a fight with a Thai kickboxer? Or is Thai massage a bit less risky?

I've probably had 30-40 Thai massages and each was great. They do bend and twist you, but are very responsive to a suggestion that they do it lightly. My wife always asks them to do so before the massage. I get lots of hard massages in the US from large Russians, so I ask for the whole enchilada (of course this cross-cultural request usually falls on deaf ears).

Don't worry. It's great!

I have a bad disc in my back from an auto accident, so I can't tolerate Thai massages any more. I do get massages in Thailand, but not of the traditional Thai variety. For most people, Thai massgae is fine. Do let the masseuse know if something hurts.

I have found that the quality can vary.

If you want to ensure that you receive the 'real thing', then go to Wat Po to have your first Thai massage, this is where the training school is and a massage therapist trained here should be well trained.

That can set a benchmark for you to compare other massages by and give you the confidence to tell the therapist if you are not happy with something.

Quality can definitely vary. I've had fabulous Thai massages, and I've had ones that I've ended because for me, they were painful and not enjoyable. The vast majority of them have been very good though. In every case, good or bad, the masseuse has been very responsive to even the smallest indication of discomfort on my part. Also, I don't like the part where they stand behind you when you are sitting up and they twist you around backwards, so I just tell them I don't like that when the time comes and it is skipped no problem.

I've had inexpensive Thai massages and expensive ones...price is not an indicator of quality, I can say that for sure. I have a massage about every day when we travel in Asia, and I've only had really 2 that I didn't enjoy. I tend to change what I get from day to day...sometimes Thai, sometimes another type with oil, and sometimes I go for a whole spa package with body scrub, facial, hair treatment, herbal steam...those days are the best for me. :)

my wife will not have any more after two bad experiences...

gpanda has had 30-40...if you met him you would understand the damage that was done on the first one...he has trouble understanding it....such a shame...

Usually in the traditional Thai massage it's only at the end (after they have done your limbs) that they'll stretch & twist your neck & back. When they get to this stage (and fold my arms behind my head and start twisting) I tell them to go easy or stop. Otherwise the massages are OK. If you're really concerned just have the foot & leg massages.

Agree with Texasslim, I'm a physio and cringe when I see the twisting and pulling that they do towards the end of the massage. For 95% of people, this won't be a problem, but if you happen to fall into the 5%, well - its not worth the risk.

Think about it - in most Western countries, you would have to go through a checklist of precautions and contraindications.

If you have any doubts, just leave out the last bit.

My husband and I had our first Thai massages in April at the Central Krabi Bay Resort. We were also a bit nervous, but it turned out to be a very gentle and relaxing experience. They didn't twist either of us very much, so we really enjoyed it. They also asked a few times if anything hurt or if they were applying too much pressure, so I think it is important to speak up if something doesn't feel right. Given our positive experience, I wouldn't hesitate to have another one, but I'm sure who is doing the massage makes all the difference.