School of Traditional Medical Thai Massage

This place is NOT closed, and is amazing. Deep and therapeutic

I have been many thai massage in san francisco. I got another THE BEST thai massage place and I wanted to share with the people. whoever Love real strong thai massage like me. THIS IS THE PLACE you should try… Johny was my masseuse. Call for PARKING…50 $ for hour…$ 50 …$ 50… :)… :) I will be back.

Excellent on all fronts!
My first time to San Francisco and certainly was not expecting it to have such steep hills. I walk everywhere and I walk a lot!
However the past few days have taken its toll on my calves and knees. I found this location to be the near my hotel, so I walked on over, no appt, and was seen and tended to right away!
My first Thai massage and if they all are like this it will not be my last!
(I didn’t get the woman’s name. older, short, woman) but very thorough and attentive to my comfort levels.
I left there feeling great! The tension and aches I was feeling in my neck and shoulders the past few weeks are gone. My legs, knees, and thighs feel great!
Also inexpensive. Give it a try!

They give wonderful massages and very reasonably priced. Highly recommend it.

Great place… top notch masseuse Oi, Johny,

fantastic thai massage! They are willing to work with you on the pressure level and will explain the reasons behind their pressure points.

This place is consistently amazing. My favorite therapist is Oi. She is gentle yet firm. She is very skilled at anatomy so I never have concerns for injury. The other therapist are also fabulous, Johnny is very strong (great for the dudes who want deep tissue) and En is lovely, very talented at neck massage.

I have been to many massage places in Thailand (not that kind!), and by far, this place is the best! Totally worth every penny spent, I (feel like I could) float out of the place.
But before making any attempt to try Thai massage, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself in to. I was, literally, like a rag doll getting twisted and turned, and stepped on.
Trust me, if you are into deep tissue massage (and Thai style massage), this is where it ends!

The BEST THAI MASSAGE establishment in San Francisco! Absolutely WILL COME BACK!
Thank you!!!
5 Stars!!!

Came here on a quiet Sunday afternoon and was surprised by the simplicity of the place. Authentic, no joke.
No fancy decorations, no fragrant incense to set the mood — Just divided rooms with thin mattresses on the floor, dim lighting and something that smelled like tiger balm. Did i teleport to Thailand?
The massage I got here was focused a LOT on pressure points. Pretty much for a whole hour, I just had someone pushing on all of my pressure points and holding for what seemed like eternity. I felt just a little bit of pain but I wish that they could have stretched me and challenged my body a bit more.
It was a bit awkward at times though. The person I had kept telling me that I was flexible and in good health and said my hair looked long and healthy, reflective of my healthy body. (Really? I eat a lot of junk food and live off caffeine!) I think something was lost in translation…
From this experience, I learned that I like a little bit of ambiance and perhaps even the hokey paperwork that lets you circle places you want them to focus on, even if it’s not what a traditional thai massage has to include. I like shoulder and back — focused massages and perhaps this place is just not for me!

This is a Healing Massage, real medicine. I have back and shoulder issues and the massage there relieved my pain. I wish I could go there twice a week or every week for that matter. The staff is pleasant, super helpful, and the massage put me in a wonderful head space. It’s just the perfect massage.

Good massage without all the paperwork and formalisms crap.
I have seen:
Song — strong and more directed or pointed pressure. Great for sports related issues. Helped me much with getting more circulation to an ankle sprain issues as well as shoulder and lats, post-​op issues from surgery.
En — medium strong pressure. Has some interesting foot technique, helping me with an ankle sprain recovery.
Oi — medium to strong pressure. Great foot technique for walking on front of shoulders and chest. Good on IT band and legs in general.
Johnny — Former athlete. Strong, vigorous pressure with hands. Johnny will sometimes give Muay Thai fighting tips afterwords which I like.
Jit — slower, medium pressure.
Most of the masseuses here do abdominal pressure for back and digestive issues.
My favorites are: When I sit with legs extended, folded in half, and the masseuse walks on my back and shoulders. And when I lie on my back and the masseuse walks on my shoulders and chest — Oi is really great at that.
For post-​op issues from knee surgery, I was given a take-​home herbal transdermal medicine containing various good-​smelling herbs (galangal, turmeric, etc) to reduce inflammation. It works (PMID: 1 804 548).
Thai massage is ideally suited for athletes and is an important part of training recovery. Thai massage is deeper than deep tissue (ironic but true). And because athletes have higher pain tolerance, they (we) can handle the intense massage which is necessary for the health of soft tissues and possibly also for bone formation and strengthening (PMID: 20 649 054).
However, for office workers, the shoulders, hands, and hips may need attention due to misuse (too much sitting and typing). So while not ideally suited for this type of individual, thai massage is much better for healing than the typical doctor’s advice, which usually includes ice, NSAIDs (which cause further harm), and stability wrist braces.
A seemingly bad massage may be the result of English communication or understanding problems (how to say «supraspinatus» in Thai?) Keep coming back; it will get better. Also, they will try to work with you, so instead of writing a negative review talk to the therapist and the proprietor (Supron is the proprietor here).
In conclusion, I highly recommend School of Traditional Thai Massage for any athlete.
The other massage therapist I would highly recommend is Ya, who now works at La Biang. Ya is very attentive and uses strong pressure. Ya also has excellent techniques for forearms and hands, does good chest/​shoulders walking, and applies strong pressure to tibia.
Stay healthy!

I went in to the School of Traditional Medical Thai Massage today for the first time, thanks to a gift from my wife. I had a one-​hour massage.
I was raised in Thailand and speak Thai. I have had at least a dozen massages all over Thailand at various points in my life. I’m not an expert, but this was among the best Thai massages I’ve had anywhere.
That said, this is still traditional Thai massage. That means you should expect at least some pain. If you can’t bare it, simply say «that hurts» or ask them to go softer if they are going too deeply. Try to completely relax; the massage is a form of assisted meditation. Know that the deeper they go, the more you will benefit. You may feel sore afterward, especially in your legs. This is normal.
Speaking of legs, the massage will probably be 50−60% focused on your legs, mostly your thighs. These are the largest muscles in your body and the ones we use most. This is not a backrub. This has been true for every Thai massage I have had. They do not hesitate to massage your groin: it is a major muscle group and is susceptible to injury. An earlier reviewer seems to be suggesting that her masseuse was feeling her up. He was not; he was performing traditional Thai massage. Deep groin and hamstring massage has been a major component of every Thai massage I have received. Prepare yourself for it or go somewhere else.
Another major component is «blocks,» probably performed on each limb, where they will temporarily block the flow of blood into the limb. You will feel dull pain and then an intense tingling in your limb. This is also normal. Some people probably don’t even notice. I think it feels incredible.
Please tip your masseuse after your massage. This is typical in Thailand and is polite.

This place is wonderful. I have had neck and back pain so bad that it affects my mood, my day-​to-​day life, and my exercise. I just moved to San Francisco and found Traditional Medical as I was walking home from a pilates class and decided to make an appointment. They don’t advertise (which is unfortunate) so thank God I noticed. I made an appointment for «Jop Sen» with Song, a male therapist. I was in so much pain before my appointment — I had no range of motion in my neck whatsoever, and my back was incredibly stiff. I think its the way I sleep. Who knows. After an hour of massage — which consisted of pressure points throughout my body and him standing on my legs and butt– I was pain free. I’m going back 2 days later because it made me feel so good. It is so cheap too.

Update:
Have been going back monthly (or almost) and find it to be a beneficial and worthwhile addition to a health régime and nice compliment to physical exercise. I highly recommend the 1.5 hour massage.
And, having re-​read the reviews and expericenced myself the «after effects”– i.e., a day or two of soreness following, I can offer my own expericence that the soreness does subside and those sore areas will feel much, much better.
Ooh, and as for the, um, «proximity issues,» it can be a bit disarming to have a young man’s [or lady’s] toes so close to one’s «areas.» That said, there are lots of muscle attachments located in one’s groin and they can get really tense. My advice during this portion of massage is to just relax– it is only done to help you.
Of course, if it makes you really uncomfortable, you should say that it does so that the masseur/​massuese will know. My years of working at the massage place taught me that for many reasons most people have a difficult time expressing their needs, especially about really personal things. But once they do, the massage experience is much more beneficial, personal and efficient, for both the person getting and the person giving the massage.

*Update*
I’ve been coming to this place again and again! What I love about this place is the fact that they are not a routine massage place. You’ve been to those places where time after time, they do the same massage routine over and over? I just get really bored easily and also everytime I come, I usually have a different emphasis I want them to work it out.
They almost always go over the one hour a little bit so you really feel like you are getting your money’s worth. And as much as I like deep deep tissue massage, I’ve never gotten bruises the day after from this place. Which means they know what they are doing!
Everyone is super nice and helpful and you just feel really comfortable when you are there.

Went there last week. Ben did a great job of cracking my neck and back. The sad part is that they are closing at the end of April. So those who haven’t tried this, should definitely. Also, they explained that their thai massage is more of medical of nature to reduce the tensions.
Update– 5÷27÷08: They’ve move to 3288 Steiner. 2^nd Fl.
Went to their new location. The therapists did a great job. Supron explained what she was doing — releasing the tension at pressure points. cool.

The staff was wonderful.
I liked the atmosphere, dark, warm and cozy with soft blankets and pillows. Music and fountain was good– which helps drown out anyone who comes in the front door.
It was my frist Thai massage so I didn’t know what to expect. If you’ve never had a Thai massage before you should know it’s not like western «deep tissue» massages. This is more like a mix between massage, stretching, and pressure point therapy. You will feel pain. It’s more relaxing when it’s over than when it’s happening. In another place and time these people could be really good at torture but they’re too sweet.
Overall, It just feels really good for you body. And you’ll wake up the next day feeling great.
We chose this place over the other Thai massage choices with good review here because it seemed more personal– and it was.

«And now it’s time for the Thai ladies to kick your butt»
This is a phrase that Pam and Suprom, the lead instructor, use laughingly, but half seriously, about the time they climb up onto your back balanced on the high-​mounted ballet bars so that they can really dig into your muscles with their very, very strong feet.
When you are not looking for a regular, Western style massage, then where do you turn?
Well, I think this a great place to turn for Thai massage. Thai medical massage, as practiced here, should be thought of as a blend of acupressure, assisted yoga and deep tissue work all at once. For my aches and pains which my Western masseuses haven’t been able to get at, there’s nothing better than a Thai masseuse to solve an ileo-​tibial band problem (clicking knees), tight gastrocs (calves that cramp from unsupportive Italian loafers) or lower back pain (too much typing a Unilocal review in front of a computer).
Some things you should know:
1) the location, next to Mel’s diner on a Lombard Street storefront, with plate glass windows and blanket drapes, appears deeply unpromising — Look past all that, because Suprom, the lead teacher, knows her business quite well — and so do her lead apprentices/​co-​workers
2) This isn’t a Western «spa» experience; come in loose fitting sweatpants and a stretchy T-​shirt; they’ll be working on you in your clothes. And, don’t expect «relaxation», with New Age music etc. It’s more like physical therapy — -and if you aren’t saying «ouch» as pressure points get released about every minute, then you aren’t letting them work hard or deep enough to really get those muscles loosened.
3) They are wonderful and they know their business, but their English sometimes fails them — so, do know that attempts to stop them from using a little Almond nut based oil or Tiger Balm are likely to fail — you may leave smelling slightly «medicinal». They don’t use much; but just a dab still carries a sent.
Make a reservation; come early; know that they really do know their business (Suprom is swapping her teaching for Acupuncture instruction — it’s a $ 50,000 swap! — -she also guest lectures at California Pacific Medical Center Wellness Center). Set your own limits around how deep you want them to work (they’ll keep checking in) and how far you want things stretched — -Consider taking some Motrin/​Ibuprofen about an hour before you come in (and come in on an empty belly, or at least, a well digested belly, since you’re going to get rolled and squished)—
I would have no hesitation recommending the School of Traditional Medical Thai Massage for people with musculoskeletal pain (back, arms, feet, legs) — -and I’ll be back more times myself.

Saturday I woke up with a extremely sore back. A friend had told me about a place in San Francisco where they helped him with a painful let. I thought I would give it a try. It’s called School of Traditional Medical Thai Massage. They not only have a school for Thai healing massage but they perform any type of massage you would like. They specialize in the Thai healing massage.
I went in early and that was a stroke of luck. There were 3 ladies there ready to massage. I told the lead instructor Supron what my problem was.
In seconds I was on the table. All three ladies started working on me. They massage areas I would not normally have thought were connected to my back. They stretched my leg and worked on my calf and foot. They kept up a steady chatter in Thai as they worked their magic. Supron would point out some area, touch it and the other ladies would start working on it.
In an amazingly short time I could feel tingling in my back, my buttocks and my thighs. It felt like I was getting acupuncture without the needles. I could feel my back relaxing. It was nothing short of amazing!
After they worked on my back they turned me over. A little more massage, Supron rubbed my neck and gave me a head massage. It was a wonderful feeling. I felt totally relaxed.
If you have any issues, sore leg, arm, back, neck this is the place! They know what they are doing and having amazing talents. I felt 20 years younger. It’s a week later and not a sign of pain.
I recommend getting there early. Because I was the only client I got full attention from all 3 women. I passed by later in the day and they each had a client. Call and make a reservation if you like.

It’s next to Mel’s Diner so you can get a great meal after your massage!
I am putting the School of Traditional Medical Thai Massage on my regular schedule. With the results they deliver my chronic back pain is a thing of the past. They also have a location in Mill Valley.