Massage is a blanket term covering a number of techniques of different origins, generally considered to be a form of alternative medicine (although it is not incompatible with modern Western medical practices). The basic principles of massage are simple: they involve the manipulation of a particular tissue–the skin, muscles, joints, internal organs–through the application of external pressure, usually done with hands, fingers and elbows.

The art of massage as a therapeutic practice is as old as civilization, the practice having been recorded in such ancient cultures as Egypt and ancient China. Different cultures in various parts of the world have developed their own specific techniques, some of the most notable being acupressure (a form of traditional Chinese medicine based on acupuncture), Ayurvedic massage (developed in the Indian subcontinent), reflexology massage (based on the theory that different parts of the hands and feet are connected to different internal organs and parts of the body), Swedish massage, and Thai massage, among others.

Massage therapy has been very successful–both as a single session or a series of sessions–for pain relief, and the treatment of anxiety, milder forms of depression, and various diseases, and it can be used in conjunction with modern Western medical science.

For information about the specific practice of traditional Thai massage, as well as the connection between massage parlors and the practice of prostitution in Thailand, check out the relevant tabs above!