Normally when someone says ginger, I think about that chewy candy I can’t get enough of or my favorite way to spice up a stir-fry. But recently, I’ve learned about unique Thai massage therapy techniques that use ginger, specifically cassumunar ginger, to relieve deep-seated muscle and joint tension Ginger health benefits are far and wide.

This remedy, from the Zingiber family, is a part of Thailand’s natural healing arts and has been used effectively for centuries to treat everyday aches and pains and more serious arthritic conditions. During a massage session, a hot cassumunar ginger compress is applied to the area where the pain is manifesting in the body or on an acupressure point along meridians that have an effect on pain proprioception and energy flow within the body. Legend has it that this technique was used to treat soldiers during the epic Thai-Burmese battles some 200 years ago.

Cassumunar ginger compress massage is markedly different than most compress massages simply because the compress is heated. Typically, as massage goes, cold compresses reduce swelling on affected tissues and are the prescribed method to reduce pain and tension. But for this method, the idea is exactly the opposite, as the heat works to open blood and energy flows to the area. When hot compresses are applied to stiff joints and ligaments before massaging, flexibility increases dramatically. This flexibility can be manipulated by a skilled massaged therapist to create a much greater release of tension.

Cassumunar ginger shares the same gingerol compounds as ordinary ginger which are very powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Many people take ginger orally as a part of a natural prescription for joint pain and arthritis. In the Thai remedy, the topical application of cassumunar ginger has similar effects because the heat activates those very powerful gingerols that work from the surface and radiate down into the tissue.