Treatment method in Thailand
Thais often prefer locally handed down treatments, treatments by local healers, and traditional massage therapy. Massage is considered an important form of therapy by the villagers. Illness has traditionally been attributed to possession, fear, problems, and imbalances in the body's elements.
Northeastern rituals such as Baisasukwan (“binding” the soul to the sick or disturbed) form an important form of healing. Herbal remedies come in many forms - snuff, inhalants, gargles, teas, infusions, tonics, alcoholic macerate, oral administration, pills, capsules, tablets, poultices, ointments, essential oils, suppositories.
Those taken orally are often classified by their taste.
Sweet, bitter, astringent, pungent, nutty, salty, and sour
And that correlates with their healing attributes. For example, cooling-flavored herbs are prescribed to those suffering from illnesses caused by an imbalance in the fire element. Alternatively, a pungent taste brings the wind element back to a balanced level. [Source: Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government Public Relations Department]
Traditional herbalists, such as Thai masseuses, have guardian spirits that they honor. Sivaga Komalpai, an Ayurvedic practitioner who treated the Buddha and is considered the father of traditional Thai medicine.
An important ritual among practitioners of traditional Thai medicine is to pay homage to Waikru, or Shivago, and the unbroken lineage of masters who have kept the tradition alive. Devotees make prayers and offerings (usually incense) at the altar and are careful never to turn away after the ceremony. Waikru, which begins with the words Om namo Shivago, is performed in schools and massage facilities across the country.
Thai homeopaths also pay homage to Phra Mei Sorani, "Mother Earth," by reciting a small prayer when collecting plants. Certain districts and states are known for having superior species due to their climate and soils, but there are also certain times of the year that are best for collecting. For example, evening-flowering jasmine should be picked at night or just before sunrise. In addition, it is always best to collect plants during the full moon, when the elements are at their greatest strength.
There are three basic ways to classify medicinal herbs:
Those taken internally, those applied externally, and those inhaled.
However, many fall into two or all three of these categories. Herbal medicines can have anywhere from two to as many as 40 different ingredients, and they are also categorized by species and medicinal properties. There is a Thai cuisine that is famous for its taste and also known for its healing properties. Different dishes can not only soothe the senses, but also inflame them, so they again contain different spices and ingredients, which help achieve harmony of the body's elements and help prevent or treat various symptoms and diseases.
(The photo shows herbal master Dr. Wang and Microcosm Chi Nei Tsang master Dr. Wu. As a result of the stagnation of lymphatic flow, I developed edema and the pain was unbearable. I received traditional herbal therapy, appropriate treatment, and transitional nursing care. He taught me the depth of traditional Thai therapy.)
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