History of Massage

Massage is deemed to be one of the oldest if not the oldest form of medical care, with evidence in Egyptian tomb paintings entries in a Chinese book from 2,700 B.C., The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. It was one of the principal method of relieving pain for Greek and Roman physicians. Ayurveda the traditional Indian system of medicine, places great emphasis on the therapeutic benefits of massage with aromatic oils and spices.

Swedish massage, the method most familiar to Westerners, was developed in the 19th century by a Swedish doctor, Per Henrik Ling. His system was based on a study of gymnastics and physiology, and on techniques borrowed from China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Physiotherapy, originally based on Ling's methods, was established with the foundation in 1894 of the Society of Trained Masseurs. During World War I patients suffering from nerve injury or shell shock were treated with massage. St. Thomas's Hospital, London, had a department of massage until 1934. However, later breakthroughs in medical technology and pharmacology eclipsed massage as physiotherapists began increasingly to favor electrical instruments over manual methods of stimulating the tissues.

Massage is now used in intensive care units, for children, elderly people, babies in incubators, and patients with cancer, AIDS, heart attacks, or strokes. Most American hospices have some kind of bodywork therapy available, and it is frequently offered in health centers, drug treatment clinics, and pain clinics. A variety of massage techniques have also been incorporated into several other complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, reflexology and osteopathy.

Massage Therapy Today

Today massage is recognized for its benefits as well as the pleasure it can give. It is a holistic therapy that reduces the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.  Therapeutic massage enhances medical treatment and helps people feel less anxious and stressed, relaxed yet more alert. It had been said that, "Massage is to the human body what a tune-up is for a car." 

More and more employers are offering massage during break times to their employees. They have found that massage therapy isn't just a perk, but actually increases employee productivity and morale. For example, according to a 1996 survey of employees who regularly receive therapeutic massage  on-site at Reebok International Ltd., 98 % said it helped them reduce work-related stress; 92 % said it increased alertness, motivation and productivity; 83 % said it had in some cases sufficiently addressed a problem so medical attention was not necessary; and 66 % said it had enabled them to stay at work when they would have otherwise gone home sick.