Thai Yam Khang, Thai Fire Therapy or Thai Fire Barefoot Massage is an ancient Northern Lanna Thai healing modality that uses heat, oils, and solely the feet to massage the body of the patient.
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The goal of the treatment is to help relieve the patient from muscle, tendon, joint and bone pains, as well as from numbness and paralysis, while working along the Sip Sen Energy Lines or Thai Sen .
The therapist generally uses two oils — Sesame oil and so-called Plai oil mixed with herbs — dipping the foot in them and heating the foot on a metal/iron plate (typically a traditional iron plough shear) which is heated on top of a charcoal-fired metal bucket.
With the hot foot the therapist treats the patient, meanwhile using a wooden stick to keep balance. When the foot gets cold, the process of dipping and heating is repeated.
Sometimes the heat of the iron plate can be so hot that when the masseur slides the foot over it, the soaked foot explodes in a loud hissing sound accompanied with a fireball.
The patient lies down on a mat with most parts of the body uncovered and a session can easily take up to an hour.
