Acupuncture & Thai Massage

Acupuncture and Thai Massage:
Same Same but Different

By Eric Spivack
Thai massage and acupuncture are ancient healing arts that have existed for
thousands of years. Thai massage is based in Ayurvedic medicine, Buddhist spiri-
tual practice, and yoga. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have their origins in
China.
While both acupuncture and Thai massage are distinct modalities, they share
some similarities and could perhaps be described by the popular Thai phrase
‘Same Same but Different’.
Acupuncture and Thai massage are individ-

ual elements of more complex systems of
medicine. Both Chinese medicine and Tradi-
tional Thai medicine comprise herbal medi-
cine, nutritional and food cures, spiritual
practice and physical medicine.
Neither acupuncture nor Thai massage is

based on the Western system of anatomy.
In many places in the East, dissection was
forbidden until the introduction of Western
medicine, so the earliest references to the
human body were based on external obser-
vation.
As a result, both modalities are complete

energy-based healing systems. In Thai mas-
Illustration of the major sen lines in
traditional Thai medicine. sage, we use the term sen to describe the
pathways along which energy travels, and
that energy is referred to as lom. In acupuncture, the pathways are called meridi-
ans or channels, and the energy that moves throughout the body is called qi
(pronounced ’chee’). Other Eastern names for this energy force are ki (Japanese),
and prana (Indian Ayurvedic medicine).
This energy powers all our physical, mental, and emotional processes. In both
acupuncture and Thai massage, the practitioner’s intent is to harmonize and clear
energetic imbalances. Such imbalances may present themselves physically in a
number of ways such as body pain, muscle cramping and stiffness, insomnia, irrita-
bility, anxiety, constipation, or disease. When the system is working well, a person
feels happy, relaxed, and free from pain, though according to Chinese medicine,
being symptom-free does not necessarily mean a person is in complete balance.
Whereas an acupuncturist inserts sterile, single-use, hair-thin pins at various

points on the body, the Thai massage practitioner uses his/her fingers, palms,
elbows, knees, and feet to correct for energetic blockages.
In the Ayurvedic tradition, it is believed that 72,000 nadis (channels) course

through the human body. Of these channels, ten major sen lines are the focus for
Thai massage practitioners. Acupuncturists address twelve major meridians and
eight additional pathways called extraordinary vessels. While there is some over-
lap of Thai sen and Chinese meridians, they
are not the same. For example, in Thai
medicine, the ten sen begin and end at or
near the navel, and energy travels in both
directions along each sen. In acupuncture,
the meridians either begin or end at the
finger tips or toes, and when energy is flow-
ing properly, it travels in only one direction.
As the energy pathways are different, so

are the treatment points along them. For
example, in Chinese medicine, the ren
meridian originates in the uterus in women
and in the lower abdomen in men.
It emerges at the perineum, travels up the
anterior midline of the body, and ends just
below the lower lip, where it curves around
the lips and terminates below the eyes
where it meets the stomach meridian.
In Thai massage, this pathway may be simi-
Ren Mai in Traditional Chinese Medicine
larly comprised of several lines:
1) Sen Sumana, which originates at the navel and travels to the tip of the tongue;
2) Sen Nanthakrawat, which divides into 2 lines: Sen Sukhumang (which travels
from the navel to the anus) and Sen Sikhin (which travels from the navel to the
urethra)
3) Sen Khitchann, which also divides into 2 lines: Sen Pitakun (running from the
navel to the penis in men) and Sen Kitcha (running from the navel to the vagina in
women.)
Though strong differences exist between Chinese medicine and traditional Thai
medicine, there is enough similarity for them to complement one another. In my
experience, I have found that combining acupuncture and Thai massage in a
session can be extremely beneficial. I have noticed that my patients respond best
when they are able to receive 30 minutes of acupuncture followed by 60-120
minutes of Thai massage. Acupuncture helps clear a person’s energetic blockages
and enables them to benefit more from the Thai massage. People feel more
relaxed, breathe more deeply, experience deeper stretches, and feel like they’ve
received a holistic treatment.
Eric Spivack is a Thai massage instructor and acupuncturist who runs an integrative health
clinic in Seattle,Washington, USA.

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Acupuncture and Thai Massage:

Same Same but Different

Acupuncture and Thai massage are individ-

Neither acupuncture nor Thai massage is

As a result, both modalities are complete

Whereas an acupuncturist inserts sterile, single-use, hair-thin pins at various

In the Ayurvedic tradition, it is believed that 72,000 nadis (channels) course

As the energy pathways are different, so

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