Thai Herbal Compress - A Traditional Treatment for Pain

When Massage Magazine ran a feature article on Luk Pra Kob, or Thai herbal compress treatments last year, it was the first time that many in the US had become aware of this fascinating treatment. While in this country it has been promoted primarily as a standalone spa treatment, in Thailand it is generally integrated with the Nuad Boran, or manual therapy that we in the west call Thai massage. In 2008, Thai Bodywork earned a Critic's Pick review in TimeOut Chicago for our Thai herbal compress treatment.

Herbal compresses are ancient treatments that have been used in India, China, and many other countries for centuries. The idea is quite simple -- fresh or dried herbs are wrapped in cotton muslin and steamed to bring out their essential oils and aromas. The compress is then applied directly to the skin. In Thailand, where the technique has perhaps become the best known, the method of application is to use a rolling style of compression along the Sen or energy lines of the body. The herbal balls are heated while the therapist performs stretches and compressions that are part of Thai massage, and typically used within the context of the massage to treat specific areas of the body.

In Thailand, the herbs used for compress have many beneficial properties, and many of them are culinary as well. Typical herbs used include:

• Lemongrass
• Kaffir lime leaves and fruit
• Galangal - a Thai variety of ginger
• Plai - a yellow ginger
• Eucalpytus
• Camphor
• Turmeric and wild turmeric

Most of these herbs have medicinal qualities for the skin, as well as anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. As the herbs are steamed, their essential oils are extracted and absorbed by the muslin, which then deposits them on the skin.

Traditionally, the Luk Pra Kob treatment is used for aches and pains, usually within a Thai massage session. The warming and anti-inflammatory properties of the herbs make Luk Pra Kob a highly effective treatment for pain. The therapist will apply the rolling compression with steamed herbs in areas that are deemed important for the client's pain condition.

In clinical work on muscles, many forms of therapy use heat to warm the muscle and increase circulation in the area of myofascial trigger points, which tend to produce sensitizing chemicals that can be quite irritable and make trigger points tender to touch. There is no better method for clinical application of heat than the Thai herbal compress, because in addition to the moist heat they provide these medicinal effects along with relaxing aromatherapy for the client.

In my Clinical Thai Bodywork classes, I teach the use of the herbal compress to warm hyper-irritable trigger point areas prior to manual treatment. This produces an immediate relaxing effect on taut muscle fibers that are resistant to stretch and release, and allows the therapist to work more effectively with less of the unfomfortable manual work on muscles. In Thailand it is common to apply the herbs after massage in a particular area, but for clinical work I recommend application to trigger points and taut fibers prior to manual release work.

Thai herbal compress, like Thai massage, provides a client experience that is both therapeutic and relaxing. The Thai people bring beauty and enjoyment into all areas of life.

I have had many students who have built thriving practices using this treatment. Thai herbal compress is still relatively rare in this country, even though it is easy to learn and to use in practice. It is extremely easy to market, and clients love the treatment -- so repeat business is common. We import very high quality 200 gram herbal compress balls from Bangkok and always have a stock on hand for students and web sales. We also import Thai herbal oils and balm, both of which incorporate the medicinal properties of the herbal compress herbs in a more immediately usable form.

In our Thai herbal compress certification training, we cover the history and safe use of the herbs, compress construction, herbal properties and the use of the herbs on the energy lines of the body as taught by the Thai Ministry of Public Health, under whose auspices I studied Luk Pra Kob (another of my teachers was Mama Lek Chaiya of Chiang Mai). Our training is open to anyone, and while we do cover typical use of the treatment in combination with Thai massage, the course is suitable for those who wish to perform it as a standalone or spa treatment. Students always love this course, and they bask in the moist heat and wonderful aromas as they learn -- what better way to learn a new modality that could build a vital, successful practice?