Regional tradition · นวดไทย · Nuad Thai
Traditional Thai massage
Rhythmic pressure and assisted stretching, usually received in loose clothing.
Read entryWORLD MASSAGE ATLAS · VOL. 01
A world of traditions.
Discovered through touch.
Explore the character, history and techniques of massage, with sources you can follow.
Explore massage26 draft entries in this language · Site supports 20 languages · Independent specialist and native-language review pending
Character · History & heritage · Techniques
01 / The collection
The collection
Regional tradition · 推拿 · Tuina
Tuina
A manual practice guided by traditional Chinese medicine, with applications beyond general relaxation.
Read entryTechnique system · Svensk massage
Swedish massage
Soft-tissue work using gliding strokes and kneading, also known as classical massage.
Read entryRegional tradition · 指圧 · Shiatsu
Shiatsu
Sustained finger, thumb or palm pressure, usually through clothing, sometimes combined with gentle stretches.
Read entryApplication · Sports massage
Sports massage
Massage adapted to training, competition and recovery, with sessions shaped by the sport, timing and individual needs.
Read entryTechnique system · Deep tissue massage
Deep tissue massage
Slow, focused pressure addressing muscles and surrounding fascia; working deeper does not require enduring pain.
Read entryApplication · Aromatherapy massage
Aromatherapy massage
Massage combined with plant essential oils, usually diluted for skin application. Scent preferences and skin tolerance should be discussed beforehand.
Read entryTechnique system · Manual lymphatic drainage · MLD
Manual lymphatic drainage
A specialized gentle method used in lymphoedema care, commonly alongside compression, skin care and exercise. It differs from vigorous kneading and general spa massage.
Read entryApplication · Oncology massage
Oncology massage
Massage adapted for people with cancer or a history of cancer treatment, with comfort and supportive care as its goals. It requires additional training and individual assessment.
Read entryTechnique system · Reflexology
Reflexology
Pressure guided by a theory that particular foot or hand areas correspond to other body parts. These maps belong to the method's theory and are not established anatomical maps.
Read entryApplication · Infant massage
Infant massage
Touch involving a parent or primary caregiver and attention to the baby's responses. It should be distinguished from vigorous adult massage, pediatric tuina and hospital care for preterm infants.
Read entryRegional tradition · Lomilomi · Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian lomilomi
A manual-care tradition within Native Hawaiian culture, with different lineages and styles and an emphasis on practitioner responsibility, ethics and community relationships.
Read entryRegional tradition · Hilot · manghihilot
Hilot
A Filipino traditional-care practice extending beyond the spa massage label. Its traditional framework connects physical, emotional and spiritual balance.
Read entryRegional tradition · Abhyanga · abhyaṅga
Abhyanga oil massage
An Ayurvedic practice combining oil application and massage. Oils and body areas vary by approach; concepts such as dosha belong to its traditional explanatory framework.
Read entryTechnique system · Myofascial release · MFR
Myofascial release
A group of manual approaches focused on fascia around and connecting muscles. Contact, massage and stretching methods vary among practitioners.
Read entryApplication · Hot stone massage
Hot stone massage
An application combining heated stones with massage. Warmth, manual contact and the care setting all contribute to the experience; effects should not automatically be attributed to stones alone.
Read entryRegional tradition · 按摩・あんま · Anma
Japanese anma
Anma is a traditional Japanese massage practice. The selected study protocol emphasizes kneading, with stroking and pressing. The atlas gives Anma and shiatsu separate entries.
Read entryRegional tradition · Pijat Bali · Balinese massage
Balinese massage
A massage name associated with Bali, Indonesia, including contemporary spa services. Official Indonesian tourism material documents varied massage, oil and herbal offerings; different providers do not necessarily follow one identical technique system.
Read entryRegional tradition · bsku mnye · Ku Nye
Tibetan ku nye oil massage
Ku Nye combines oil application and massage within Tibetan Sowa-Rigpa practice. The Tibetan Medicine Education Center explains bsku as applying oil and mnye as massage. Concepts such as rlung belong to traditional theory and should not be equated with validated biomedical mechanisms.
Read entryRegional tradition · Mirimiri · rongoā Māori · Aotearoa
Mirimiri in Māori care traditions
Mirimiri is a Māori form of hands-on bodywork. It belongs within the wider context of rongoā Māori, which can also include plant preparations, conversation and spiritual practice; it is not a synonym for that whole tradition. The 2014 Tikanga ā-Rongoā standard describes this wider tradition as an integrated relationship between wellbeing, culture and environment, rather than a menu of isolated techniques.
Read entryApplication · حمّام · hamam · kese · köpük
Hammam bathing, kese and foam massage
A hammam is a bathing institution and social setting, not one standardized massage technique. This note focuses on Turkish hamam descriptions of kese scrubbing and foam washing, while recognizing the wider Middle Eastern and Mediterranean history of bathhouses.
Read entryRegional tradition · Kalari Uzhichil · kai uzhichil · chavitti uzhichil
Kalari Uzhichil: massage in Kalaripayattu traditions
Kerala Tourism describes Uzhichil as massage within Kalari chikitsa, a care tradition associated with Kalaripayattu training in Kerala. Its account distinguishes oil application, massage with the hands and massage using the feet. These names describe related practices rather than one identical service.
Read entryRegional tradition · Taurumi
Taurumi: massage traditions in French Polynesia
A 2012 Hiro’a feature presenting ethnologist Natea Montillier and practitioner Xavier Taharia uses taurumi for massage and ta’ata taurumi for a specialist in traditional massage. It describes bodily care together with social and spiritual meanings. This entry follows accounts from French Polynesia; it keeps Taurumi distinct from Hawaiian lomilomi and Māori mirimiri.
Read entryRegional tradition · Urut Melayu
Urut Melayu: traditional Malay massage
Urut Melayu is traditional Malay massage. Malaysia’s Ministry of Health describes it within traditional Malay medicine, with skills commonly passed through families orally or in writing. This entry follows Malaysian documentation; it does not use the name as a synonym for all massage in Malaysia or for the separate Balinese tradition.
Read entryRegional tradition · Sobada · sobadores / sobadoras
Sobada: selected Mexican traditions
Sobada names a practice; sobador and sobadora name practitioners. An essay published by CIESAS, citing a Mexican traditional-medicine dictionary, describes practitioners who use massage or sobada and notes that bone setters and midwives may also use these methods. This entry follows selected Mexican contexts rather than defining one uniform practice for all of Latin America.
Read entryTechnique system · Acupressure · 穴位按压
Acupressure: localized pressure on acupoints
Acupressure refers to pressure or localized massage at selected sites called acupoints. This entry focuses on manual pressure, such as that described in Memorial Sloan Kettering’s patient education. The term names an approach; it does not establish that every point, symptom or application has the same evidence.
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WORLD MASSAGE ATLAS
Editorial principles
We distinguish traditional theory, historical records and clinical evidence. Entries link to original sources; uncertain dates remain open. This atlas is in development and translations await native-language and professional review.
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