MASSAGE

The ancient equivalent of medical doctors in India practiced and understood the healing power of manual therapy or massage as long ago as 3000 bce.  Indian healers developed Ayurvedic massage to both prevent and heal illness.

As knowledge of massage traveled to China, practitioners developed a technique called Tui Na, intended to jump start the body’s healing process in addition to reducing pain and increasing relaxation. It was found to be harmonious with other ancient Chinese practices including yoga, the martial arts, and Taoist philosophy. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book of Internal Medicine, a tremendously influential ancient medical text, was reputedly written by Emperor Huangdi in around 2700 bce. This book, believed to be the first written evidence of massage therapy, is used in massage therapy training to this day.

Massage therapy next shows up in Egypt, depicted on the walls of tombs dating back 2500 bce. Egypt is the birthplace of Reflexology, a massage technique based on the interconnectedness of the body that addresses reflex points on the hands, feet, and head to treat pain or discomfort and illness in other parts of the body.

From Egypt, massage therapy spread to Japan where it evolved into Shiatsu in the 6th century, a massage technique designed to balance energy levels by  manually applying pressure.

By 700 bce massage had found its way to Greece where Olympic athletes were massaged prior to competing. In Italy in the first century bce, the average Roman would get a massage at the baths, while the wealthier citizens would get massaged at home.