Thai Massage aka Thai Yoga Massage boasts this vast range of stretches, also called assisted stretches. In this post, we take a look at the health benefits of Thai Massage upper body stretches, which are stretching exercises for the chest (pectorals), back, neck, shoulders, arms, and abdomen.
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There are many ways and techniques to perform upper body stretches in Thai Massage, each with different results, targeting different sets of muscles and joints. Typically, the receiver will be in a seated or lying position.
Although each technique focuses on specific muscle groups, it’s important to keep in mind that all parts of the body are connected and each stretching technique will often also include work on additional muscles and joints, or at least influence their function.
What I mean with “connected” is that many different types of muscles work together and play a role in specific body movements and functionality. For instance, the range of motion of (the muscles and joints in) the arms can be limited by tight chest muscles.
Or, tight trapezius muscles can limit certain movements of the shoulders and scapula, or of certain neck muscles, which in its turn can obstruct proper neck or upper back movement, and so on. The number of interconnections is rather endless.
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At all events, supple and strong muscles of the upper body prevent or alleviate headaches, neck, back and shoulder pains, prevent muscle, tendon and joints injuries, support proper breathing, promote better posture and physical balance, facilitate optimal range of movement for the arms, neck, shoulders, scapula (shoulder blade) and back, and promote general feelings of fitness and well-being.
Keeping the upper body stretched and supple can also prevent or alleviate adhesive capsulitis (also known as “frozen shoulder”), acromial impingement syndrome (also known as “shoulder impingement”), rotator cuff tears, tendonitis, bursitis, and low back pain.
If you’re interested in knowing more about Thai Yoga Massage and how to perform upper body stretches, just take a look at our Video Workshop Thai Massage – Upper Body Stretches. On that page, you’ll also find a demo video to give you an idea of what it’s all about.
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