Herbal compress therapy (中藥熱敷) is a Chinese medicine treatment using multiple herbs wrapped in cloth, steamed or heated, then applied to affected areas. The warmth from the herbs penetrates the body, relaxing muscles, reducing pain, and improving blood circulation.
The compress contains various herbs with different therapeutic properties: ginger expels wind, turmeric reduces inflammation, tamarind leaves relax muscles, and plai (Thai ginger) relieves pain. Combining multiple herbs provides comprehensive treatment for multiple symptoms.
Benefits of herbal compress therapy include: relieving muscle and joint pain, reducing tension and stiffness, improving blood and lymph circulation, expelling wind and cold from the body, promoting relaxation and stress relief, and being ideal for chronic pain conditions.
At Hua Yi Tang Clinic, herbal compress treatment takes about 20-30 minutes. The practitioner applies the compress to problem areas such as neck, shoulders, back, waist, or knees. It's often combined with acupuncture to enhance treatment effectiveness. Patients feel relaxed and experience reduced pain after treatment.
Herbal compress therapy is suitable for those with muscle pain, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, Office Syndrome sufferers, elderly with joint pain, and athletes needing muscle recovery. Those who should avoid it include people with open wounds, inflamed skin, or high fever.