Massage, in one form or another, has been practiced since the dawn of human civilization. Physical contact for the purpose of comforting, healing, or alleviating physical or emotional pain is common to all civilizations, and throughout history, each culture has developed its own distinct methods of massage or manual therapy. The first written records of massages for medicinal or therapeutic purposes come from the ancient civilizations of India and China. Massage is included in the ancient Hindu medical writings of India, the Ayurveda, which describes methods that are still practiced today. The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Medicine Classic gold Huangdi neijing, the basis of traditional Chinese medicine, dating from the 1st or 2nd century BC, recommends massage between its treatments. Apparently, ancient Egyptian tomb paintings depicting massages have also been discovered. The classical Greek physician Hippocrates, widely regarded as the “father of Western medicine,” was a great 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 widespread due to its use by the royal court physician Ambroise Pare. In the 1700s, a very old and classic Chinese text on massage called Cong-Fu of the Toa-Tse it was translated and published in French. Much of the main basic terminology still used today in massage pedagogy is of French origin (massage, kneading, 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 the techniques developed and used during the 19th century by the 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 martial arts practitioner, and the traditional Chinese practice of manipulative therapy called tui na. In 1813 Ling founded the Kungliga Gymnastiska Centralinstitutet, or the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute in Stockholm, a higher education center for training physiotherapists. In regards to strict classical massage as a separate discipline unto itself, 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 strokes used in classical massage that is still used today. So what is commonly known today as “Swedish massage” was actually developed by a Dutchman, although his terminology was used and popularized by the Swede Per Henrik Ling.

Today, massage therapy is more popular than ever. Varieties of massage practices are available from around the world, offering a wide range of therapies, benefits, and experiences. Traditional manual therapies from the East, such as Ayurvedic massage from India (including the famous Indian head massage), Japanese Shaitsu, Tui Nua from China and the popular Thai massage or “Thai Yoga” from Thailand are becoming increasingly popular. most common in places across the country. world, while modern Western styles continue to develop and diversify, incorporating a range of themed relaxation and wellness treatments, as well as medicinal-based body therapies. Sports massage, 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, humanity is still searching for traditional methods that involve natural and manual therapy as these techniques continue to evolve, diversify, and specialize to meet humanity’s continuing need for healing and care based. In touch.