An Ancient Practice: The History of Massage Therapy
Have you ever wondered where massage therapy originated from or why we use it as a modern wellness practice? The therapeutic ritual of receiving a massage to relieve stress and soothe your body has been around for centuries, impacting all parts of the world. The techniques and massage styles we use today are the ultimate gift from the past.
Ancient Beginnings
The practice of massage therapy has traveled throughout time and across the globe, over the past 5,000 years. The beginnings of ancient massage practice can be traced back to around 3000 BCE in India. Historical records demonstrate the arrival of Ayurveda, known as “life health” in Hindu culture. Ayurveda is a practice based on the belief that illnesses or pain can occur when the body is out of alignment with its environment, and it still exists today in more modern forms.
Unlike physical therapy, in which movement focuses on the body’s muscular and skeletal alignment, the practice of Ayurveda takes a holistic approach. With ayurvedic treatments, an individual's entire body is taken into account during treatment, assessing mental and social factors, in addition to the physical symptoms a person may be facing. Original treatments in Ayurveda included enhanced diets and herbalistic practices, as well as aromatherapy, color therapy, sound therapy, and of course, touch therapy to ensure that the body, mind, and soul worked in harmony. The touch therapy used centuries ago in India, is one of the earliest findings of a practice similar to the massage therapy we know today.
Eastern Influence
The holistic approach, Ayurveda, used in India, traveled through centuries and eventually found its way to ancient Egypt. Researchers discovered tomb paintings depicting Egyptians practicing massage therapy, proving the practice had been adopted into their culture by 2500 BCE. Although similar to the touch therapy used in Ayurveda, the Egyptians had adapted their massage practices to invent the first-known use of reflexology, a technique still popular today.
As time progressed, massage therapy also traveled to other influential Eastern areas such as China and Japan. Although the practice of massage therapy changed within each culture, depending on the religious beliefs of each individual group, the act of using physical touch to relieve the body of pain still remained. Dating back to 2700 BCE, written records of massage therapy by Chinese practitioners were discovered, illustrating the use of massage in the early stages of their medical practices. Similar to the Hindu belief, the Chinese believed that massage therapy would heal a body that was suffering from energetic blockages, where emotions and spiritual awareness had difficulty passing throughout the body. Through the use of touch, acupuncture, and yoga, the body would be able to heal itself and restore energetic harmony throughout physiological pathways. The eastern influence on massage therapy, in particular, has contributed largely to the wellness trends we use in our modern practices today.
European Influence and the Swedish Massage
As massage therapy continued to travel throughout the globe, the practice was eventually picked up by the Greek and Roman empires. Just like we hear of athletes getting physical therapy today, the Greeks used massage therapy to treat their own athletes—the elite social group of their society. With the addition of oils and herbs, massage therapy was a popular and attractive form of medicine. These Greek practices were developed by Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” and involved a massage technique called “friction,” which also emphasized the benefits of a good diet, fresh air, and music for a healthy life. Hippocrates’ practices eventually influenced the Romans—who used the practice of massage to indulge.
As time passed, massage therapy declined and was not used very often for many years after the Roman empire fell. That is until the 19th century when the Swedish brought it back to life. There is some confusion regarding who the “father of Swedish massage” is, however, studies identify a Dutchman, Johann George Mezger, as the individual who developed and coined the motions and movements that are still prominent in Swedish massage therapy today. Many of these movements are considered central to massages—such as kneading, deep tissue manipulation, long gliding strokes, and circular movements.
Coming to America
While Mezger was developing criteria for massage therapy, across the pond, many American women were already practicing a form of massage therapy in their daily lives. As early as the 18th century, massage therapists were known as “rubbers” and they assisted doctors and surgeons by rehabilitating patients after medical procedures. These “medical rubbers” were typically uneducated women who nonetheless had a healing touch when it came to orthopedic issues.
They used manual rubbing, friction, and joint movements to help patients heal and get back on their feet. Later in the 19th century, massage therapy was adopted by the higher class and ventured up to the wealthy women of America where it was used as a treatment for an illness known as neurasthenia, a form of depression and anxiety. The high class women, as well as the “rubbers”, served as the foundation for what sparked the boom of massage therapy in America today.
Massage Therapy Today
The ancient beginnings of massage therapy as it expanded across the globe, helped individuals improve their health and wellbeing, and it continues to do so today. By the 1950’s massage therapy became an official category of physical therapy and thus the American Massage Therapy Association was created. Additionally, as scientific and medical research advanced, so did massage therapy.
Today it is regarded highly as a proven and effective form of therapy and has many health benefits that not only target your physical body, but your mind and mental health as well. Massage Studio prides itself on giving our guests a holistic experience that leaves you feeling more relaxed, healthy, and capable of achieving what you put your mind to. We offer various types of massages to suit your individual needs such as Swedish massage, deep tissue, sports, and even prenatal massage.
Book your relaxing massage today and experience the ancient healing practices of our past.