Massage has been a major part of medicine for at least 5000 years. It has been written about in medical books since 500 b.c. .
Records reveal that as early as 3000 b.c. massage was practiced by the Chinese. The Cong
Fou of Tao-
Tse was one of the ancient Chinese books that describe the use of medicinal plants, exercises, and a system of massage for the treatment of disease and the maintenance of health.
In Japan, the points of stimulation remained much the same as the Chinese points, but were called tsubo. The points were pressed to effect the circulation of fluids & Ki (life force energy) and stimulate nerves in a finger pressure technique the Japanese called Shiatsu.
Knowledge of massage came to India from the Chinese and was an important part of the Hindu tradition. The
Ayur-Veda (Art of Life), a sacred book of the Hindus written around 1800 b.c., included massage treatments among its hygienic principles.
The practice of massage spread to Europe and flourished well before 300 b.c.. The Greeks made gymnastics and regular massage part of their fitness rituals. Homer, the Greek poet, spoke of the use of nutritious foods, exercise, and massage for war heroes to promote healing and relaxation.
Hippocrates (460-380 b.c.), "The Father of Medicine," is quoted "Hard rubbing binds, much rubbing causes parts to waste, and moderate rubbing can make them grow"
This has been interpreted to mean that rubbing can help to bind a joint that is too loose or loosen a joint that is too tight. Hippocrates believed that all physicians should be trained in massage as a form of healing.
The Romans acquired the practice of massage from the Greeks. The art of massage was also respected as a treatment for weak and diseased conditions and as an aid in removing stiffness and soreness from muscles. Massage was used to improve sluggish circulation and internal disorders and to reduce edema. Greek and Roman philosophers, statesmen, and historians such as Cicero, Pliny, Plutarch, and Plato wrote of the importance of massage and passive and active exercise to the maintenance of a healthy body and mind.
With the decline of the Roman Empire around a.d. 180, the popularity of bathing and massage also declined. According to Richard Van Why, "The Roman emperor Constantine who converted to Christianity, abolished and destroyed the baths and gymnasiums because of widespread abuse. There's little recorded history of health practices during the Middle Ages (Dark Ages). Massage was practice sporadically by laypeople, folk healers, and midwives and was occasionally the object of persecution as a magic cure and the work of Satan.
In the S
eventh Century, Islam spread throughout North Africa, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Persia, which preserved much of the Roman and Greek culture. The Persians carried on many of the important
Greco-Roman culture during the Middle Ages.
Razi (A.D. 860-932), was a philosopher/ physician who followed Hippocrates and Galen. He wrote the Encyclopedia of Arabic, Roman, and Greek medical practices that encouraged exercise, diet, and massage in the treatment of disease and preservation of health. Eventually this and other similar writings paved the way for the Renaissance.
The Renaissance (1450-1600) revived interest in the arts and sciences. Once again, people became interested in physical health and appearance. By the Sixteenth Century, medical practitioners began to reinvent and employ massage as part of their healing treatments. Ambrose Pare, a french surgeon, described in one of his publications the positive effects of massage in the healing process. Throughout history massage has been practiced by physicians and laypeople alike. Originally, a body of knowledge was never established, so techniques were lost and rediscovered through the ages.
