Unique Thai treatment that’s well worth a try

Hot herbal compress is a complementary treatment in which specially selected medicinal herbs are wrapped in fabric, steamed to release their therapeutic properties, and then rolled across the desired body part to promote healing. It is as old as recorded medicine and is usually used stand-alone. But in Thailand, these hot herbal pouches are applied in the acupressure technique, providing the utmost muscular and mental relaxation!

A combination of applied heat, aroma, herbal oils and resins, stretching, and compression gives a unique massage therapy known as Thai Herbal Compress Massage, Thai Herbal Ball Massage, or Thai Stem Massage. Thai official name for this procedure is nûuat prà kób sàmŭn prai, which translates as “massage with hot herbal compress”, though in Thai massage parlors and spas it is more commonly called just Lûuk Prà Kób meaning “hot compress ball”.

Thai herbal compress and Ayurveda

To unsophisticated users, Luk Pra Kob looks very similar to Ayurvedic herbal compress massages offered in many variations and under different names in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. This is no surprise since it also has roots in Ayurveda, the system of natural healing that originated in ancient India more than 3,000 years ago and once spread through southeast Asia along with Hinduism and Buddhism.

In Ayurveda, herbal compress massage and herbal steam baths are the forms of sudation therapy called in Sanskrit Sweda. It is aimed at detoxifying and purifying the body by inducing intense sweating. To achieve this, cloth bags or Pindas filled with aromatic and medicinal herbs, herbal powders, or even rice are soaked in heated oils and placed on the patient’s body in a particular order. During the treatment, the poultices are regularly dipped in hot oils to keep them warm. The generic name for this method of fomentation is respectively Pinda Sweda.

Ayurvedic medicine was practiced in the land we now call Thailand long before the ancestors of the present-day Thais migrated there from southern China. Through hundreds of years, though, a gradual fusion of Classic Ayurveda, Theravada Buddhist medical knowledge, indigenous healing practices, and traditional Chinese medicine occurred to produce a very original Thai medicine and Herbal therapy.

What’s inside Thai herbal ball

In Thailand, hot compress massage is carried out exclusively with medicinal and aromatic herbs, the most common of which are plai, turmeric, kaffir lime, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, tamarind, basil, and camphor. Almost all of these ingredients, except for camphor, are also used in Thai everyday meals, making Thai cuisine famous for its flavors and healing properties.

Local herbs and spices are the heart of Thai culture. In-depth knowledge of plants and their physiological effects through ingestion or application on the body can be considered ancient Thai wisdom. Whether the herbs are used in Thai dishes, dietary supplements, medicines, cosmetics, balms, ointments, poultices, or massage oils, they are always seen as a means to achieve a harmony of the body’s elements, serving as a preventative or curative of different symptoms and ailments.

To be used as a compress, fresh or dried herbal roots, stems, leaves, and flowers are chopped into small pieces and mixed together well. Some salt can be added to help the compress to hold heat. The resulting mixture is placed on a piece of muslin cloth which is then rolled in a special way, forming a tightly stuffed ball at the base and a handle at the top – Luk Pra Kob.

How it works

Before use, Luk Pra Kob is steamed until it starts to emit a strong herbal scent. This indicates that the compress has become sufficiently saturated with hot moisture and has begun to release its plant alkaloids, just as a tea bag steeped in a cup of boiling water does. To infuse the moisture with useful and odorous substances, especially essential oils, the ball is processed over steam for about 15-20 minutes.

When the herbal ball has cooled to a comfortable temperature, the therapist applies it in gentle, light-pressure patting motions to specific areas on the receiver’s body. Moist heat from compress radiates down through the skin, opening up pores to absorb the herbal essences and allowing their healing properties to penetrate deep into underlying tissues and organs.

Thai herbal massage therapist usually has two or more herbal balls ready for use: when one turns cold, it is changed with a new warm one and put on the heat source. Each compress can be reused 2-3 times until its scent is faded.

The theory behind it

Thai therapists don’t apply these heated herbal compresses haphazardly. The pressure is exerted in a particular order, from feet to head and on acupressure points along Sib Sen lines, the most important energy pathways that permeate the entire human body. For different health issues, specific treatment protocols indicate certain pressure points or energy lines to be treated.

The concept of invisible channels that circulate vital life energy was also derived from Ayurveda. It is the basis of Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, Thai, and other well-known Eastern healing systems. Despite their differences, these medical traditions converge that blockages or other disturbances in the energy lines may cause aches, pain, and disease on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. By contrast, the free and unobstructed flow of energy maintains or restores health.

Your body is an energy system: holistic Eastern approach to healing

In Indian Yoga, Chinese Tai Chi, Qigong, and similar mind and body practices the balance of energy can be restored, first of all, through performing physical postures and movements. Traditional Chinese medicine may dissolve energy blockages using acupuncture and acupressure techniques in which needles or fingertip pressure is applied to specific points on the body. To stimulate the energy flow, traditional Thai massage employs both of the basic approaches, combining acupressure with assisted stretches.

However, if the patient experiences severe muscle tension, stiffness in the body, or poor blood circulation, then it is often not possible to immediately begin Thai massage with deep acupressure applied with the thumbs. Thus it’s a common practice in Thai Massage to first relax the tissues, stimulate circulation, and thereby “warm up” the energy lines with a hot herbal compress, to prepare the body better for targeted therapeutic work. Luk Pra Kob can be also employed at the end of the treatment to help mend the body after an intense session.

What to wear

In traditional Thai massage – do not confuse it with Thai oil massage! – both giver and receiver should wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes that don’t restrict any movements. Most massage places, and so do ours, provide their clients with special massage pajamas, consisting of a shirt and pants.

During hot herbal compress massage, the client usually remains fully clothed as well, especially if the procedure is a part of the traditional Thai massage session. The herbal balls are just applied over the top of the clothing, which is believed to give an additional layer of protection against burns.

If you are going to be treated in your clothes, keep in mind that Luk Pra Kob may leave its herbal colors on them, so choose garments that are not a pity to stain from yellow turmeric and other bright spices. Also, your preferred material should be cotton because it has high vapor permeability and does not stick to the skin.

When Thai herbal ball massage is carried out as a separate treatment, it can be performed without clothes. In this case, the client lies on a massage table wearing only underwear or swimwear and covered with a towel exposing only the area being treated, similar to oil massage. Here at Kunlarat Massage, we are practicing both options on the client’s choice.

It is more affordable than oil therapy

Thai herbal compress massage is, nevertheless, substantially different from Thai aromatherapy and Pinda Sweda treatments, since it does not use any distilled and bottled essential oils. All needed therapeutic and aromatic substances are steamed out of cheap and easy-to-find herbs and soaked into the skin directly.

This makes the procedure very accessible, both in terms of cost and ease of use. That’s why herbal compress services are so popular in Thailand and offered for therapeutic and rehabilitative purposes in a lot of places, from massage shops and spas to public health service facilities. In the latter, herbal therapy is even covered by the national health security system as a traditional Thai medicine treatment modality.

Health benefits

Thai treatment with hot herbal balls has been utilized for ages primarily to alleviate pain and decrease inflammation, as medical heat and acupressure increase blood flow to the affected area whereas steamed herbs saturate this area with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, and soothing substances. All this promotes the body’s natural healing process.

This is why Luk Pra Kob reduces swelling, releases stiffness and soreness in muscles, ligaments, and joints, and enhances their elasticity very well. Moreover, it is clinically proven to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, arthritis, frozen shoulder, tendinitis, and other musculoskeletal disorders.

The effectiveness of Thai herbal ball massage for treating chronic back pain, sciatica, and migraines associated with herniated discs should be particularly noted. The reason is that, among other things, gentle acupressure and stretching can increase the space between the spinal discs – that is, to carry out spinal decompression. This procedure, however, must be done with great caution. It is not recommended to apply manual pressure in any acute inflammation.

A slipped disc is the most common injury that can be caused by improper Thai massage

Other benefits include curing respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis, helping with weight loss, and improving skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Herbal steam and heat practices are also widely used in traditional Thai midwifery both during pregnancy and after giving birth, and even to induce lactation.

But where Thai herbal ball massage is tremendously beneficial for everyone without exception is achieving a state of deep relaxation and tranquility, relieving stress and fatigue, and boosting emotional and physical well-being.

If you are in Chiang Mai, we invite you to experience the encompassing effect of this treatment at our massage studio!