A Brief History of Massage Therapy

Massage as a healing therapy is clearly rooted in early medical techniques even though cultural and religious practices were responsible for suppressing it and labeling it a disreputable form of indulgence for extensive periods of time throughout history. Massage as a therapy has endured these ups and downs and is now experiencing a major resurgence as the list of measurable benefits continues to be verified and documented. Massage as a healing therapy currently stands as a universally accepted holistic practiced around the world.

Early massage was probably being performed long before the written word. Here is some of what we do now about the roots of Therapeutic Massage.

* Egypt is most often credited with developing reflexology sometime about 2500 BC. The practice of reflexology involves applying pressure to specific areas of the body. This is usually on the hands and feet so that the recipient receives the intended benefit on the areas of the body that connect to those particular zones.

Alexander Technique

Aquatic Massage Therapy

Bowen Technique

Deep Connective Tissue Massage

Deep Muscle Therapy

Feldenkrais Method

Integrative Manual Therapy 

Joint Mobilization

* Chinese documents dating back to approximately 2700 BC detail the numerous medical benefits of massage therapy. In China massage was developed from a combination of traditional Chinese medicine, practitioners of martial arts, Buddhists and Taoists who viewed massage as being important to spiritual training. Chinese massage and holistic healing methods include Tui Na, Amno, acupressure, acupuncture, treatments with herbal remedies, diet and exercise.
 

* Athletes in Ancient Greece between 800 and 700 BC started supplementing therapeutic massage into their conditioning process. This was a new way to increase their competitive levels and also improve recovery times. Practioners to the Athletes developed herbal remedies to use in combination with therapeutic massage to gain advantage over competitors. 

* During the Roman Empire about 200 BC, Emperors and the wealthy began using massage therapy to treat physical injuries and many types of diseases. Massage and other holistic therapy of the time were usually provided in the homes of the wealthy. As the practice of massage grew in popularity, the majority of Romans would receive massage and other medical treatments at the public baths.

* The Swedish physician Per Henrik Ling is credited with developing modern Swedish Massage techniques during the early part of the eighteenth century. The massage techniques he developed are considered the foundation of all current therapeutic massage techniques.

* Over the past fifty to sixty years there has been an explosion of quantifiable data validating massage therapy. New medical devices capable of measuring body and organ functions that were until recently unknown, continue to add credence to the benefits of massage therapy. With today’s emphasis on preventive healthcare, massage of many different techniques is being used as part of an overall wellness program in modern medicine.

If you want a massage for relaxation or you need one for physical therapy, you can choose from dozens of therapy styles. Each technique uses a specific set of pressures points or movements to achieve a desired result. All of the methods listed below involve rubbing, pressing or other muscle manipulation with hands, fingers and some even require forearms and elbows be used.