Thai Traditional Massage Presentation
1) Principle of Massage
Aromatherapy is a type of alternative medicine that uses essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds which are aimed at improving a person's health or mood. Many consider this type of treatment as unscientific and wishful thinking - however, scientific evidence of its effectiveness is growing. This study acknowledged that aromatherapy makes you feel good although there was no evidence that it makes you well. The essential oils used in aromatherapy have a different composition compared to other herbal products because the distillation used in aromatherapy recovers the lighter phytomolecules. Aromatherapy is a widely used term for a range of traditional therapies that use essential oils. These may include massaging oils, or any topical application that uses pure, essential oils - the essential oils are either absorbed through the skin or inhaled. We are not completely sure what the source of the benefit is - the massage, the smell or both.
2) The beneficial effects of Massage
One of the main methods of aromatherapy to relieve physical nuisances and emotional stress is massage. Various massage techniques in combination with the beneficial properties of essential oils make aromatherapy massage ideal for: pain relief, relaxation of tired and stressed muscles, improvement of blood and lymph circulation, control of blood pressure, relief of painful menstruation, toxin removal, cellulite prevention and/or removal and improvement of skin texture, relief of intestinal and digestive problems, strengthening the immune system, stress and anxiety control, strengthening the nervous system, combating negative feelings and general physical and mental revitalization.
Aromatherapy massage is massage therapy but with highly concentrated plant oils, called essential oils, added to the massage oil or lotion. The nostrils are attached to a part of the brain called the limbic system. The limbic system controls emotions and influences the nervous system and hormones. When you inhale essential oil molecules, messages are transmitted to the limbic system and affect heart rate, stress level, blood pressure, breathing, memory, digestion, and the immune system. Essential oils are also believed to be absorbed through the skin. Each essential oil has different healing properties.