Massage, in one form or another, has been practiced since the dawn of human civilization. Physical contact for the purpose of comforting, healing, or relieving physical or emotional pain is common to all civilizations, and throughout history, many cultures have developed their own distinct methods of massage or manual therapy. The oldest written records of massage in a medicinal or therapeutic capacity come from the ancient civilizations of India and China. Massage is included in the ancient Hindu medical writings of India, the ayurvedawhich describes methods that are still practiced today. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine Prayed huangdi neijing, the basis of traditional Chinese medicine, dating from the 1st or 2nd century BC, recommends massage among its treatments. Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings depicting massage have also apparently been discovered. The classical Greek physician Hippocrates, widely considered the “father of Western medicine,” was a strong advocate of massage, as was the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, who benefited from daily massage to treat his chronic headaches.

In the 16th century, massage practices in France became more widespread due to its use by the royal court physician Ambroise Pare. In the 1700s, a very old and classical Chinese text on massage called Cong-Fu of the Toa-Tse It was translated and published in English. Much of the major basic terminology still in use today in massage pedagogy is of French origin (massage, petrissage, effleurage, etc.).

swedish massage

The most common and popular form of massage therapy in the West is often referred to as Swedish massage or classical massage. Many of the techniques used in classical or Swedish massage are similar or analogous to techniques developed and used during the 1800s by Swedish physician Per Henrik Ling, who incorporated massage into his regimen of medicinal gymnastics, which would also become the basis of physiotherapy. Ling borrowed techniques from Chinese massage, which he learned from his friend Ming, a practitioner of martial arts and the traditional Chinese practice of manipulative therapy called you do not. In 1813, Ling founded the Kungliga Gymnastiska Centralinstitutet, or the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in Stockholm, a center of higher education for the training of physiotherapists. As far as strict classical massage is concerned as a separate discipline in its own right, the development and application of the French terms can be attributed to the Dutch masseur Johan Georg Mezger (1838-1909). Mezger compiled the system of movements used in classical massage that are still used today. So what is commonly known today as “Swedish massage” was actually developed by a Dutchman, although his terminology was employed and popularized by the Swede Per Henrik Ling.

Today massage therapy is more popular than ever. Varieties of massage practices from around the world are available, offering a wide range of therapies, benefits, and experiences. Traditional manual therapies from the East, such as Ayurvedic massage from India (including the renowned Indian head massage), Japanese shaitsu, tui nua from China, and the popular Thai massage or “Thai yoga” from Thailand, are becoming increasingly popular. increasingly common in places around the world. world, while modern western styles continue to develop and diversify, incorporating a range of themed relaxation and wellness treatments, as well as drug-based body therapies. Sports massage, the Bowen Technique, Rolfing and manual lymphatic drainage are just a few examples of the latter. It seems that in these times of advanced technology and medical science, mankind is still seeking traditional methods involving natural manual therapy as these techniques continue to evolve, branch and specialize to meet mankind’s continuing need for healing and care based in touch.