🏥 Volunteering in the Thailand Backwoods

Hello, everyone!

A while ago, my wife’s relatives came to visit us in our village, and during our conversation, they mentioned that their young son could practically no longer walk due to severe back pain. It wasn't clear what exactly had happened. They had already been to the local state hospital, where the doctors basically said, "Well, the bones seem intact, it’s probably a pinched nerve," handed them a massive bag of pills, and sent them home.

In Thailand, it seems like absolutely everything is treated with a huge dose of pills. Just tablets and nothing else. If they have some clinics, the prices there are higher than in Europe because of the expensive medical devices, but the staff is still unqualified (not everywhere, but mostly in Thailand).

As a qualified medical specialist with a background in medical massage (a mandatory part of my medical college training), I decided to offer my services as a selfless volunteer.

Volunteering is nothing new to me. During the COVID-19 pandemic, back when I was still a medical student, I volunteered on ambulances. I also spent time helping homebound elderly people who couldn't leave their houses, delivering essential medicines and groceries to them. On top of that, I worked in special community centres where we sewed clothes and prepared protective gear for the sick and high-risk groups. So, helping out for free is not first time for me.

💆‍♂️ The Myth of "Thai Massage"

Let’s be honest for a second: the commercialised "Thai massage" you hear about globally is often a big myth and a highly unprofessional approach. In tourist areas, any bar lady can become a "certified masseuse" in a single day just by getting a certificate printed right behind the bar.

Because of this, finding a truly effective, authentic, and medical massage in Thailand is incredibly difficult. I am talking about professional, anatomical work—not just stroking someone with oil, or violently twisting their limbs and cracking their bones without any basic understanding of how the human body actually functions.

So, armed with my knowledge, I headed out to a neighbouring remote village to see what I could do for this family.

🏡 Diagnosis in the Village

When I arrived, I found a large family living in deep poverty. Money is very tight out there. In these rural parts of Thailand, dropping out of school early is sadly very common; many people have only a 3rd-grade primary education, or at best a 6th-grade education.

This young lad was the only one in the entire household who was somehow earning money to support everyone. When his back suddenly seized up, he became completely bedridden, and the family’s situation went from bad to worse.

I performed a careful physical diagnosis and immediately realised it was a classic, severe muscle spasm. His back muscles were as taut as guitar strings, which was pinching the nerves and causing that debilitating pain. I gave him a proper medical massage to release the tension, but I knew that a one-time session wouldn't be enough. So, I turned it into a training workshop for the whole family!

👨‍🏫 Teaching the Locals the Right Way

I spent several hours teaching the family how to properly care for his back. I had to break a few dangerous local habits right away. I explained to them:

• NO walking on the bones.

• NO stomping, hitting, or pounding the spine with anything.

• Focus ONLY on the muscles, and do it gently. You should feel the muscles you are working.

I showed them the exact trigger points on the body where muscle tension usually locks up. I also gave the lad a tailored routine of safe exercises and stretches that he could do on his own to safely relax the muscles without risking further injury.

🍺 Boiled Bamboo and a Cold Beer

The family was incredibly grateful and relieved. Since they didn't have money, they showed their appreciation the traditional village way: they treated me to a cold beer, we cooked up some freshly harvested boiled bamboo shoots together, and we just sat and talked. After a great evening, I headed back to my own village.

The moral of the story is quite simple: take care of yourself and look out for others. When people look out for one another and ensure nobody is left stranded with their problems, that is when a society truly becomes a good place to live.