The benefits of bodywork are well-known and wide-ranging, but even many of its practitioners aren't aware of the deep and colorful history of massage. The first references to massage in texts appear in biblical documents written around 493 BC, describing daily massage as part of a beauty regime undertaken by the wives of Xerxes. Shortly after this, in 460 BC, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote that" A physician must have experience in many things, but assured in rubbing ... because rubbing can bind a joint muscle that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid". Due to the way in which these passages are written, it seems highly likely that medical and therapeutic massage had been practiced many years before either of these written references was made.
In fact, an ancient Chinese book, Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), written around 2700 BC states that "exercises breathing, massage of flesh and skin, and exercises of the feet and hands" are recommended treatments for "complete paralysis, chills and fever". Even Julius Caesar is said to have received daily massage in order to treat neuralgia. Swedish massage, however - the style of bodywork which will be familiar to most Westerners - was not developed until the late 1800s Per Henrik Ling was a sweetish doctor. He based his method on studies of physiology and gymnastics as well as ancient massage therapies from Egypt and Greece. Up until 1934, St. Thomas's Hospital in London even had its own department of massage where methods where practiced.
Even earlier still than Huangdi Neijing, many believe that forms of massage began to emerge in India around 3000 BC; possibly even earlier. However, the texts detailing this were only written sometime between 1500 and 500 BC. These descriptions of the Ayurveda system of holistic medicine dictate that individuals are afflicted by illness and disease when they live out of harmony with their environment. The Chinese methods of massage, however, state that an imbalance in the energy of specific pathways in the human psychological system is often the cause of illness and disease. They believed that therapeutic touch allowed the energy to flow more naturally through these pathways, thereby healing the disease or ailment.
The Western medical system once again became interested in and aware of the benefits of massage during a wave of interest in natural healing during the 1960s. Since this time, massage has continued to be a popular method of dealing with stress and anxiety related disorders. In fact, almost 30% of all money spent on alternative medicine in the United States in 1997 was spent on massage. In the 1980s, the Association of Bodywork and Massage Practitioners was formed, bringing regulation and respect to the industry after over 4,000 years.
With massage proving to be a highly effective method of treatment throughout the ages from ancient China to modern-day America, the history of massage is certainly a colorful one and it seems certain that bodywork will prove to be a popular and effective treatment for many more centuries to come. In an age of modern medicine and technological innovation, it is quite calming in itself to see such an ancient medical practice as massage being used as a respected, trusted form of medical treatment.
