The Finger Overlapping Techniques in Court-type Thai Traditional Massage

Abstract

Court-type Thai Traditional massage is a form of Thai massage that uses only the fingers and hands to apply pressure. It includes the following components; the posture of the patient and doctor, the placement of hands and fingers, the power and direction of the force, the duration, the adjustment of the force, and the lines and points of the massage. In the placement of hands and fingers, there is a technique for teaching Thai traditional therapeutic massage students in the preclinical phase and clinical phase, and for clinical practice that is called the finger overlaps technique. Currently, there are 4 methods in use: 1. Overlapping fingers with a cross 2. Overlapping fingers with finger support 3. Overlapping fingers with the heel of the hand, and 4. Overlapping the fingertips with the fingertips. In choosing the method of overlapping fingers 3 factors must be taken into consideration, including the lines and the pressure points, severity of diseases, condition, and underlying disease of the patient to achieve effectiveness in the treatment of disease and safety for patients. Moreover, the doctor who performed the procedure due to the massage method overlapping fingers can cause injuries to the fingers and wrists and result in long-term finger deformity.