How it all started
Thursday, September 17th, 2009The history of massage therapy is probably as ancient as the history of humanity. The first evidence mentioned by historians are European cave paintings that depict the use of healing touch as far back as 15,000 BC
The origin of the word “massage” is derived from either the Arabic word “mass?, meaning to touch, or the Greek word “massein,” , which means to knead.
The information in the timeline below is from many sources, mainly massage textbooks, and massage school manuals. There are many contradictions and the information is quite inaccurate even though you may ind the same information in various sources. This information will hopefully give some background and intrigue your interests to pursue more information on about the history of massage, bodywork and other related modalities.
3000 BC Chinese: Cong-Fu of Toa-Tse is the oldest book known about massage. Translated to French in 1700s.
2760 BC Nei Ching described therapeutic touch.
2500 BC Egyptians created reflexology.
2000 BC First writings about massage
1800 BC Ayurvedic. Art of Life book that included massage techniques. In India, the focus was on sensual massage aspects. Ayur-Veda is a code of life and it deals with rebirth, renunciation, salvation, soul, purpose of life, maintenance of mental health, prevention and treatment of diseases.
1600 BC In Egypt, the first record of chemotherapy was treatment for cancer
1555 BC A medical papyri contains remedies for all types of illnesses and the methods of application are similar to the ones used in Aromatherapy and Herbal medicine today.
500 BC – 50 AD The Greek and Romans used massage on Olympic athletes and to relieve neuralgia and epileptic seizures, to help prepare the muscles before activity and remove extra fluid and metabolites after sport, a concept which is still used today.
460-375 AD Another significant figure in massage therapy history is Hippocrates, the great Greek physician and the father of Western medicine. He wrote: “The physician must be experienced in many things but assuredly in rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid. “He believe that massage along with fresh air, good food, baths, music, rest, and visits to friends, are keys to treating diseases. Hippocrates described stroking the extremities upward (toward the heart) and returning with a light stroke back up again to push the venous and lymph upward toward the heart. These strokes could be hard, soft or moderate, depending on the condition of the tissues and the effect desired.
100s AD Schools for massage therapy were created in China.
130 AD – 201 AD Galen, a Greek physician from the school of gladiators who were rubbed before fighting wrote a book on manual medicine.
600s AD The Japanese developed shiatsu, which uses the fingers to apply pressure on acupuncture points to regenerate energy.
1368-1644 During the Ming Dynasty pediatric massage therapy or tui-na evolved into a higher form of therapy which is still used today.
1776-1813 Per Henrik Ling, a fencing master and gymnast cured himself of rheumatism through massage and created Medical Gymnastics and later formed the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
1839-1909 Johann Mezger introduced medical massage to the scientific community and the terms effleurage, petrissage and tapotement become familiar. That is when Swedish massage become internationally know.
1917 Massage therapy was formerly introduced as a separate profession in the United States when the sureon-general set up a rehabilitation process for soldiers wounded in the First World War. The physiotherapy clinics in the US treated roughly 75,000 men who were disabled while fighting in World War I. During World War II, soldiers suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder were treated by massage therapy.
Throughout history, massage therapy has been used to treat ailments and physical stress. Today, massage therapy continues to be a popular treatment for correcting long-term health problems and illnesses.
More details: www.thebodyworker.com