A Thai massage can improve your game and your pain!
Whether you are a recreational player, or a committed club member, the game of golf can be pretty hard on the body. Although a low impact sport, it still requires strength, flexibility, stability and mental focus. Achieving that perfect swing requires the whole body to perform well.
The entire body is used to execute a golf swing and when this movement is repeated often, the same muscles, tendons and joints can be stressed, which can lead to many different types of injuries, such as:
- Back pain – Hours of practising your swing, and the rotational stresses put on your back can add up to serious back Lower back pain is the most common, as well as shooting pains in your upper back between your shoulder blades.
- Tennis/Golf Elbow – Tendinitis in the elbow can be either “Tennis elbow” (irritation and inflammation of the outer tendon), or “Golf elbow” (irritation and inflammation of the inner tendon).
- Rotator Cuff – these are the muscles located in each of your The muscles can swell and trap the nerves in your shoulder, or the tendons can tear.
- Hips & Knees – when you rotate the hips at the beginning of a swing, you can put a lot of strain on both hips and knees. Arthritis in those of a certain age often find this is their Achilles heel!
- Wrists – wrist tendons can become over-used, which can affect your ability to hold your club
How can a Thai massage help your game of golf?
Well, Thai massage isn’t really massage at all. This ancient practise, also known as Thai Yoga Massage, or Nuad Boran in Thailand, is more about balancing your whole body and mind. It will also help relieve pain if you’ve been over-doing it a bit!
The practice is performed on a mat on the floor or on a massage bed. You wear comfortable clothing and there are no oils or lotions involved! The masseuse gently pulls and stretches your body into poses similar to yoga. Also similar to Chinese medicine, they open up energy lines or “sens” in your body to increase blood flow to where your body needs it most.
Thai massage is ideal for all kinds of physical activities, but especially for golfers. As a golfer you use the full range of motion in your hips, back, neck and shoulders which is where a Thai massage really comes into its own.
If you have ever woken up with a stiff neck after playing then you know how that can hurt. This is often caused by muscular imbalance in the neck due to poor posture and repetitive neck movements, typical of golf. Throw in to the mix any anxiety or tension and your neck can really seize up.
Wherever your issues are, a Thai massage will help release all that tension, by lengthening and stretching the whole body. A skilled masseuse will also use a combination of acupressure, and kneading to relieve pain and stimulate the blood.
Thai massage is amazing for golfers as it has all these benefits as well:
- Alleviates muscle and joint tension
- Relieves back, arm, neck and leg pain
- Strengthens and improves flexibility of joints and muscles
- Boosts energy, reduces fatigue
- Improves circulation
- Improves sleep and mood
What does a Thai massage have over other massages?
A sports massage is an excellent treatment when you need to focus on just a few muscles that are tired out or injured. A Thai massage however works on the entire body. The pulling, stretching and pressure motions carried out by the masseuse improve the blood flow to your whole body including the nervous system. So every limb gets a full stretch, and any tension or anxiety is released, leaving you feeling relaxed and energised!
The four categories of fitness include cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility. A Thai massage primarily helps with your flexibility, giving an increased range of motion, perfect for a golfer’s swing, in the upper body, hips, neck and back.
With regular Thai massage sessions, a golfer’s performance can be greatly improved and it can also significantly reduce future injuries. Whether you are a recreational golfer, or a competitive golfer, including Thai massage as part of your pre- and post-game self-care, can really help you to avoid injury, enhance your golf performance and play more pain-free golf!
Here at Nabua Thai, a leading Thai massage and spa, with clinics in Estepona and Marbella, we treat many golfers suffering from a variety of issues and injuries. As part of our holistic treatment we often combine traditional Thai massage with oil based massages such as our Nabua healing massage, back, neck and shoulder massage and lymphatic treatment, to work on the whole body to improve circulation and relax muscles and joints to improve motion and flexibility.
Don’t suffer in silence… Nabua Thai’s healing hands are waiting for you.
(+34) 622 445 409 
