Many of us know massage therapy as a way to find relaxation and a great way in order to relieve those tight muscles that we have from our daily lives. However, what you may not know is just how far back the history of massage actually goes. Massage has been the simplest and oldest use of medical care in history. The massage history dates back to ancient times. There is a book called “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine” from the Chinese and dates back to 2,700 B.C.. It tells the skin and flesh being massaged with use of breathing exercises as well as hands and feet exercises.
These prescriptions within this book were to be used on people who may have had complete paralysis as well as being sick from fever and chills. The Greek and Roman doctors used these main principles for their healing. Julius Ceasar is also a part of the history of massage because he was said to have neuralgia. He used daily massages in order to treat his condition. Hippocrates who was known to be the Father of Western Medicine and a huge part of massage history stated that a doctor needed to be proficient in many things, especially rubbing because it was this rubbing that could loosen a rigid joint as well as bind a joint that is too loose.
The traditions of Indian Medicine can also be found in the history of massage. The system of Indian Medicine used the benefits of therapeutic massage with spices and aromatic oils. This type of system is still very widely used in India. Many doctors in history such as Ambroise Pare, who was a 16th century doctor to a French court, often used massage treatments for many different types of illnesses.
In the history of massage, a 19th century Swedish doctor named Per Henrik Ling, developed the most common type of massage that used today which is the Swedish massage. This massage is based on physiology and gymnastics studies. This massage therapy also included techniques founded in China, Greece, Rome, and Egypt. In 1894, the massage techniques of Physiotherapy was established by the Society of Trained Masseurs. World War I is also included in massage history because the patients who were suffering from shell shock or nerve injury were often treated with massage.
The history of massage also shows us the last known department of massage within a hospital setting. This was at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London. It existed until 1934 when the physiotherapists began to use electrical instruments of massage due to the advances in medical technology. There was a time in massage history when the “massage parlors” of the day created a bad image for massage therapy. As knowledge and awareness of the benefits of massage therapy, time has shown that massage is becoming more popular everyday. It is being used in hospices, intensive care units, and in many doctor’s offices. Different types of massage therapy are becoming apparent such as reflexology and aromatherapy. Many people are benefiting from the effects of massage therapy including the elderly, children, babies in incubators, and patients with conditions such as cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and AIDS.