Massage therapy is a healing practice that dates back thousands of years. Archaeological evidence of massage has been found in many ancient civilizations. Ancient cultures from around the globe found that natural healing and massage could heal injuries, relieve pain, and prevent and cure illnesses.
Massage was also found to reduce stress and produce deep relaxation. Since that time massage therapy continues to evolve to the therapeutic practice it is today. The first written records of massage therapy are found in China, India and Egypt.
At this time, massage was performed almost exclusively by the ancient equivalent to modern doctors. The first known Chinese text is on massage therapy dates back to BC.
It was published in English in , and has become a staple in massage therapy training and is also often used as a textbook for teaching many other forms of alternative medicine such as acupuncture, acupressure, and herbology. Egyptian tomb paintings from BC show that massage therapy was also a part of their medical tradition.
Egyptians get the credit for pioneering reflexology. Their studies and traditions greatly influenced other cultures such as the Greeks and Romans. The first known written massage therapy traditions come from India, but practice may have actually originated around BC or earlier. Hindus used a practice called Ayurveda, The word Ayurveda comes from Sanskrit. The Swedish doctor, gymnast, and educator based his system on these ancient forms of touch and massage.
