Massage therapy is a practice with ancient beginnings. Understanding its history can help give you a deeper appreciation for it the next time you see your massage therapist. Below is an overview of its historical high points.

Ancient Origins

Massage therapy can be traced back to 3000 BCE in India, where it was used by Hindus to promote healing, for pain relief, and to prevent illness. By 2500 BCE, Egyptians had adopted it and added their own approach, developing what would evolve into reflexology, which is the practice of massaging or pressing on target areas of the hands and feet to encourage healing. In the 5th century BCE, Hippocrates, known as the father of modern medicine, was the first to prescribe massage as part of a treatment plan.

After the 1st century BCE, it fell out of practice but resurfaced in the 1700s when women gave massages post-surgery as part of the rehabilitation process. This was the first step in establishing massage as a viable modern medical treatment.

Medical Inclusions

In the 1850s, ‘medical gymnasts’ underwent a few years of special physiology and anatomy training, taking it a step above less skilled therapists, and provided massage to treat sports injuries. They used treatments taught by the Swedish doctor Per Henrik Ling, whose methods were based on research and proven results.

Eventually, it became regulated as a branch of medicine, with the first licensed masseuse in 1916. In 1943, the American Association of Masseuses and Masseurs (now known as the American Massage Therapy Association) was established.

Modern Applications

In the 1960s, the terms ‘massage therapy’ and ‘massage therapist’ became standard, giving the practice legitimacy and respect in the public eye. By the 1990s, several professional organizations were developed to promote massage therapy and the benefits it offered, and many states had laws on the books to regulate the practice for consumer safety.

The expanded research and heightened consumer awareness helped legitimize it as a treatment option for a variety of injuries, from pulled muscles to post-surgical rehab, as well as medical diagnoses such as migraines and hypertension, and is used as part of treatment plans for chronic pain sufferers. Practitioners have formal education and state-regulated licensure, and many have advanced certifications in specific treatment techniques.

Hands-On Health Massage & Physical Therapy in High Point, NC, offers a combination of massage and physical therapy approaches for a variety of applications, including pain relief, medical massage, prenatal comfort, and lymphatic balancing. Since 2003, their licensed professionals have provided individualized treatment at competitive rates. Explore their services online and call (336) 906-2040 for an appointment.