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No matter how far back you look, massage was used in the past primarily as it is used now: to reduce pain and stress as well as to encourage the natural healing potential of the body. Strongly rooted in the spiritual practice of some cultures, massage fell out of favor with others as it required the therapist to actively touch another person’s body in order to give the massage in times when modesty was key.
Times have changed for the better, however, and massage therapy is again being recognized as a beneficial healing practice throughout the modern world.
The earliest records of massage therapy are from Egypt and China. As early as 2700 BCE, there are records of massage in Chinese texts and also in Egyptian paintings. In the paintings, people are shown clearly being kneaded. The Chinese texts, however, give us even more information.
The importance of touch in traditional Chinese medicine elevated massage beyond its use for relaxation. It was seen as a way to redistribute the body’s vital energies to promote healing, as well as to cure and prevent illness. In time, Chinese massage therapy made its way to Japan, where it grew into the Shiatsu massage that we are familiar with today.
Centuries later, around 700 BCE, massage therapy began to be practiced in ancient Greece. Many athletes and warriors recognized the benefits of massage therapy, and it was widely used before battles and competitions. A variety of oils mixed with herbs were used on the skin, and these oils were also known for their healing and other beneficial properties.
Much of Roman culture sprang from the Greeks, and the Romans in their own turn embraced massage therapy. Beginning around 200 BCE, massage in Rome began to be known as an essential means of keeping the body healthy and free of illness. Public baths began to offer massage therapy on site, which is where massage began to receive a bad name in the West. Around 325 CE, Emperor Constantine condemned massage at public baths as being more about hedonism than about health.
For many centuries, massage therapy had little place in the Western world. While it was still widely practiced in the Far East, cultural ideas about the propriety of touching people in therapy led it to stay out of favor as the years went on. In time, however, science became an important component of determining just what is healthy for the human body.
As early as 1600 CE, doctors began to recognize the benefits of massage, but there were still many years before massage would come into its own in Europe and the Americas. In fact, it wasn’t until the early 1800s that things began to change. Swedish scientist Per Henrik Ling incorporated massage with medical exercise and physiology, and massage was reborn in the West.
As massage therapy began to be accepted by Western science, physicians and healers began to implement it for their patients. One of the best documented cases was the use of massage therapy on soldiers returning home from World War I. Massage was used to treat both nerve injuries and shell shock, giving massage therapy credibility as a treatment with significant medical benefits.
Still, although many new styles of massage were being developed and practiced, and there was increasing documentation about the benefits of massage, it still didn’t spread throughout Canada and the United States until later in the century. Massage had both the stigma of being only for the wealthy as well as having been associated with the sex trade. While true massage therapy for medical purposes isn’t risqué, massage therapy retained the stigma of massage parlors that were offering very different services for many years.
With the social upheaval of the 1960s came an increased interest in natural healing methods. Massage once again became known for its benefits to the body. As therapists sprang up around the country, massage became more and more available to all people – and this time, not just to the wealthy. The culture of medicine and healing began to shift toward taking care of the whole body, and not just of treating disease, allowing massage to take its place as a beneficial practice for everyone.
Today, the massage therapy industry is booming. Therapists have their own offices where they welcome clients, and they even offer mobile massage services where they come to the client. Therapists enjoy the ability to receive intensive training in a variety of techniques, and to continue their education as they develop their practices.
With scientific documentation about the benefits of massage and an increasing awareness of its benefits, massage therapy continues to be a growing and well-respected practice that is now available to everyone.
© 2012 Massage Schools Guide