The History of Massage

The long history of massage is difficult to know completely. Touch is one of the earliest forms of communication and has great value in development and healing. The simple act of touch has evolved into structured forms of healing like Swedish massage and foot massage.

Some say the history of massage begins with Ayurveda. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical practice. Practitioners used massage to stimulate marma points, much like Chinese acupuncture points, and balance the life force or dosha in the body. Writings about this medical art date from 1500 BC, but because its traditions were passed down orally it is believed to have been practiced much longer than that.

In 460 BC, the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, wrote about the importance of massage in the practice of medicine. "The physician must be experienced in many things but assuredly in rubbing, for rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid."

Massage is considered to be one of the oldest health practices. It is mentioned in Chinese texts that date back 4,000 years. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, a Chinese text from 2,500 BC, references the importance of massaging the skin and flesh.

The ancient Egyptians took particular care of their feet. Some hieroglyphs portray people receiving foot massage. Egyptians are credited with creating this healing art in 2,500 BC.

In 1,000 BC, Japanese monks studying in China learned aspects of Chinese medicine, including massage, and brought the practice to Japan. Eventually this form of massage became what we know as shiatsu.

Starting in about 800 BC, massage was being practiced in Greece. Olympic athletes used massage to keep there muscles in shape. Maybe that was the invention of sports massage. Okay, it wasn't really.

The Romans practiced massage from about 200 BC. They used it to treat injuries and disease.

Swedish massage--known as classic massage--the most commonly practiced form of massage today, started in the 18th century. During that time a Swede named Pehr Henrik Ling was experimenting with health, exercise and gymnastics. He started the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute in 1813. During his work there he developed massage techniques to help athletes. These techniques where largely influenced by the Chinese massage, tuina.

The terms used to describe the strokes in Swedish massage are French in origin. These names were adopted by a Dutch man named Johan Georg Mezger after Ling died. Mezger named the strokes and refined the techniques a bit.

Massage in the United States

The history of massage in the United States is brief. Swedish massage was introduced to the United States in the 1800's. Once introduced its popularity fluctuated. The popularity of massage really started to take a nose dive in the US in the 1930's and continued to plummet.

In the 1960's and 1970's massage experienced a resurgence in the US as it was embraced by the flower child generation. During that time all nurses in the United States were trained in massage to help speed patients' healing, relieve pain and aid in sleep.

The Future of Massage

Now there is an increased interest in alternative forms of medicine. With the availability of the internet and many books on health being published every year, the public is much more informed and more open to massage as a path to healing. The history of massage therapy is long, but it's far from over. Massage continues to grow in popularity everyday.

Some Books You May Enjoy

Massage: Its history, technique and therapeutic uses

A Practical Treatise on Massage: Its History, Mode of Application, and Effects

A Treatise On Massage, Theoretical And Practical: Its History, Mode Of Application And Effects, Indications And Contra Indications; With Results In Over Fifteen Hundred Cases