To make the compress, a combination of healing herbs is bundled together in accordance with ancient recipes, steamed and placed directly on the skin to soothe muscular aches and swelling. Na-Bua uses only authentic, imported herbs and compresses from Thailand.
The healing practice of Thai herbal compress therapy dates back nearly 5,000 years, to an era when the knowledge of plants, including their effects through ingestion or application on the body, were meticulously studied and then passed down from one generation to the next.
This herbal therapy was designed to relieve pain and inflammation, an assortment of therapeutic herbs such as prai, ginger, turmeric and lemongrass are strategically wrapped in a muslin cloth to form the compress which is then steamed and applied to the body in gentle pressing, circular and rolling movements.
Based on the Western concepts of anatomy and physiology—as opposed to energy work on “meridians” or sen lines that are the focus in Asian massage systems—therapists utilize this type of massage to stimulate circulation, flush the circulatory system, release tight muscles, restore range of motion, and to relieve pain.
In all Swedish massage, the therapist lubricates the skin with massage oil and performs various massage strokes including the basic techniques for a traditional Swedish massage: effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, vibration/nerve strokes, and Swedish gymnastics. Additional Swedish massage techniques include circular pressure applied by the hands and palms, firm kneading, percussion-like tapping, bending and stretching.
These movements warm up the muscle tissue, releasing tension and gradually breaking up muscle “knots” or adhered tissues, called adhesions. Swedish massage promotes relaxation, among other health benefits but before the massage, clients should inform us about any injuries or other conditions that we should know about.
30min – 2hr treatment times available
Light refreshments
A study conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and published in The New York Times, found that volunteers who received a 45-minute Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as arginine vasopressin-a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. Volunteers also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system, and a boost in the immune cells that may help fight colds and the flu.
