In all likelihood, human beings have practiced massage for as long as we have been walking upright. Mutual grooming and affection are deeply rooted in our psyches, as they are in all social animals. However, we can definitively trace the roots of massage therapy back to 2700 BCE, when the earliest massage texts were written.
Let’s take a look back at both the history and the evolution of massage throughout human history, from the first massage therapist texts to the advanced massage therapy training available today in massage schools around the country.
Massage Therapy in the Ancient World
Possible the oldest massage therapy text in recorded history, “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book of Internal Medicine” dates back to 2700 BCE. It contains some of the earliest descriptions of massage as a medical practice, and is still taught in classrooms today.
However, massage therapy was also practiced in ancient India and Egypt. The walls of ancient Egyptian tombs depict images of healers laying their hands on patients. Likewise, Hindu Ayurvedic medicine also incorporated massage into its practice. In fact, outside of China, some of the earliest written documents describing massage come from Ayurvedic medical texts, which date back to 1500BCE. Ayurveda beliefs teach that individuals suffer illness when they are out of “harmony” with their environment, and it was believed that practices like massage restored a natural equilibrium that would allow the patient to heal.
Massage therapy was also used in the ancient Western world. Just a century before the birth of Christ, the Roman physician Galen was known for using massage therapy to treat injury and illness, and he even treated Roman emperors with this practice.
Massage Programs in the Modern World
Most experts trace the modern origins of massage to a Swedish physician named Per Henrik Ling, who created the Swedish Gymnastics Movement Program in the 19th century. This medical program combined massage and movement to heal physical injuries. This was the beginning of a new era in massage schools, and the popularity of massage has been growing ever since.
Today, massage schools teach a combination of modern and ancient techniques. For instance, the ancient arts of aromatherapy and cupping may be incorporated into modern massage training. However, massage schools also benefit from the advanced knowledge of human anatomy that has been gained in recent decades.
As a result, the benefits of massage have never been more profound, and countless people depend on this ancient healing practice. Around the country, massage schools are teaching a new generation of massage therapists how to practice this healing discipline. Today, about 55% of doctors recommend massage therapy to their patients. Combined with modern medicine, massage therapy is the perfect blend of modern medicine and timeless healing techniques.
