Traditional Thai Massage: Lesson Five: Arms, Hands, Neck & Face

Arms feed vital energy into the body’s organ system and need thorough treatment to ensure smooth energy flow. Shoulders store tension which causes neck pain and headaches. Stretching the shoulders and neck relieves the tension, while pressure on head energizes calms the mind.

Sen channels on the arms

The Inner Sen channels (left) are: j - Chinese Lung meridian, k - Chinese Pericardium meridian, l - Chinese Heart meridian. The Outer Sen channels (right) are: j - Chinese Large Intestine meridian, k - Chinese Sanjiao meridian, l - Chinese Small Intestine meridian.

A. Inner Sen Channels

Ÿ j - Starts behind the thumb under the wrist and ends on deltoid muscle.
Ÿ k - Starts on the underside of the wrist in the midline and passes between radius and ulna bones towards the armpit, where it ends.
Ÿ l - Starts on the underside of the wrist behind the little finger and ends in the armpit.

B. Outer Sen Channels

Ÿj - Starts on the wrist crease behind the thumb and passes along the edge of the radius to the outer elbow and up to the front of the shoulder.
Ÿ k - Starts on the middle of the wrist crease and passes between the radius and ulna and then over the humerus to the deltoid muscle.
Ÿ l - Starts on the wrist crease behind the little finger and passes up to the back of the armpit.

1. PRESSING THE INNER ARM

Touch Method One: Palmar Pressing Place your partner’s arm at right angles to her body with the palm uppermost. Palm the inner Sen keeping your arms straight and bring your body weight forward to create slow, deep pressure. Do this several times, both up and down the Sen.

Touch Method Two: Thumb Pressing Thumb the three Sen channels using the thumb walking technique. Maintain a slow, steady rhythm throughout and cover the channels, working up and down at least three times.

2. PRESSING THE OUTER ARM

Touch Method one: Lift your partner’s arm and place it palm downwards across her chest. This exposes the outer Sen channels which can now be palmed and thumbed using exactly the same techniques as those used on the inner Sen channels.

Touch Method Two: place your partner’s arm palm downwards on the mat. Change your kneeling position to one behind her arm. Palm and thumb the outer Sen channels again.

Relieves pain and stiffness in wrists, elbows and upper arms. Balances Sen energies.

1. PRESSING THE INNER ARM

Pressed: Biceps, wrist flexors

2. PRESSING THE OUTER ARM

Pressed: Deltoids, wrist extensors

3. FOOT TO ARMPIT STRETCH

Hold your partner’s left hand and carefully place your foot in her armpit. Lean back to create a strong pull against the pressure of your foot. Hold for ten seconds.

Stretches the shoulder muscles to relieve tension.

Always ensure that the arch of your foot is placed across the actual armpit of your partner so that little pressure is exerted on the lymph nodes.

4. STRETCHING THE ARM IN THE TRIANGLE POSITION

Place the palm of your partner’s left hand on the mat with her fingers directed towards her shoulder. Palm the exposed area from elbow to armpit and back again.

Now place your left hand on the upper thigh and your right hand on her elbow. Press down with both hands simultaneously to create a strong stretch across the trunk between arm and thigh.

STRETCHING THE ARM IN THE TRIANGLE POSITION

Provides a rare treat for the triceps muscles which are the recipient of the palming.
Eases pain and improves mobility in the shoulders.

3. FOOT TO ARMPIT STRETCH

Pressed: Deltoid, rhomboideus, trapezius, infraspinatus, supraspinatus

4. STRETCHING THE ARM IN THE TRIANGLE POSITION

Stretched: Triceps, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, wrist flexors

Pressed: Triceps

5. PRESSING THE TENDONS OF THE UPPER HAND

Starting from the wrist each time, thumb press along and across each of the five main tendons on the back of your partner’s hand.

6. ROTATING, PRESSING & PULLING THE FINGERS

Touch Method one: holding each finger in turn at the finger-tips, rotate the fingers several times in both directions.

Touch Method Two: Now squeeze up and down each finger using your index finger and thumb. Squeeze first along the top and underside of each finger, followed by lateral squeezing.

Touch Method Three: Pull each finger in turn and use a strong, sliding action to create the necessary extension. Do not be deterred by any cracking sounds that you hear when sharply extending the finger joints as these are not harmful.

Strengthens the fingers and guards against osteo-arthritis.

7. KNEE TO HAND PRESSING

Press your partner’s left palm against your knee upper shin to flex the wrist and fingers backwards. Thumb press the heel of the palm and the wrist.

Relieves carpal tunnel syndrome, numbness and stiffness.

8. INTERLOCKED HAND PRESSING

With your partner’s palm uppermost, interlock your fingers with those of your partner as follows:

The fourth finger between fingers five and four.
Your fifth finger between fingers four and three.
Your right-hand fifth finger between fingers three and two.
Your third and fourth fingers between index finger and thumb.

Slide your fingers under the back of her hands leaving your thumbs free to press her inside wrist and palm. Turn your hands outwards so the sides of your partner’s palms are pulled downwards, leaving them arched and stretched. Press deeply wherever you can.

Gives a powerful backwards stretch to the hand and digits, and relives numbness and stiffness.

9. ROTATING THE WRIST

Support your partner’s forearm near the wrist and use an interlocked finger grip to rotate her wrist strongly, first one way and then the other.

Improves overall wrist mobility and relives numbness of the wrists and hands.

10. PULLING THE ARMS

Touch Method One: Vertical Arms Standing behind your partner’s shoulders, grasp both her hands and then pull both arms up and down, lifting each shoulder alternately.

Touch Method Two: Backward Pull Now step back from your partner and pull both her arms together leaning with your body weight to create the pull.

Reduces tension in the shoulders and improves mobility of the shoulders.

7. KNEE TO HAND PRESSING

Stretched: Hand flexors

8. INTERLOCKED HAND PRESSING

Stretched: Hand flexors

9. ROTATING THE WRIST

Stretched: Wrist & hand, flexors & extensors

10. PULLING THE ARMS

Stretched: Trapezius, deltoids, infraspinatus, rhomboideus, biceps, pectoralis major

11. PRESSING THE SHOULDERS

Kneel behind your partner’s head. Press and push the top of her shoulders with both hands, initially sustaining the press for several seconds. Then press and push alternately without holding the presses. Finally, thumb press along the upper border of her collar bone and over the upper regions of the pectoral muscles.

Helps take tension from the neck and shoulders, and improves shoulder mobility.

12. PRESSING THE NECK

Support the base of your partner’s head with one hand, lifting it slightly forward so that your other hand can press up and down the muscles on one side of her neck. Swap hands to press the other side.

Turn your partner’s head to the right so that it rests on the right temple. Press along the full length of the sternocleidomastoid muscle with your left thumb.

13. STRETCHING THE NECK

Place both hands under your partner’s lower neck and pull them towards you to create a mild traction on the neck. Repeat several times. Keeping a slight traction, press with your fingers into the soft tissue immediately behind the base of the skull. Hold for up to one minute. Allow the weight of the head to generate the pressure.

14. PULLING THE TURNED HEAD

Place your right hand under your partner’s chin and your left hand under the base of her skull using equal pressure with both hands. Pull her head back very gently and carefully. Hold the pull for at least ten seconds.

Relaxes the neck muscles, eases headaches and improves mobility of the neck.

15. MASSAGING THE FACE & HEAD

Sitting behind your partner’s head, place both thumbs on top her forehead on the hairline. Press evenly on either side of her face following the directions of the arrows as shown.