Many ancient civilizations used massage as part of their health procedures, and in the Middle and Far East massage therapy has been in use since 3000BC, and possibly even longer. The origins of massage therapy are unknown, but it has been around a very long time and is possibly the oldest therapy known to man.
The ‘Father of Medicine’, Hippocrates, used to reccommend an oiled massage every day for his patients.
To allow the hands to move over the body with ease masseurs will use oils no matter which form of massage they use, essential oils are sometimes used after being mixed with a carrier oil.
Essential oils can penetrate the skin, maybe through either the sweat pores or the hair follicles. By being absorbed through the skin these essential oils end up in the tissues and blood stream, so care must be taken.
Although used for centuries in the Middle and Far East, massage therapy did not reach the West for thousands of years. In the 19th century it became increasingly popular especially in Europe, but was limited to the health spas that were patronised only by wealthy people.
Swedish massage was develped by Per Henrik Ling a Swedish gymnast. Massage had become very popular, and he developed this type of massage due to his interest in sport. This type of massage deals mainly with the joints and muscles of the body.
It was not until well into the 20th century that massage became really popular with the ordinary people of the Western world. An American called George Downing published a book in the early 1970s simply called The Massage Book. This wasn’t just a book on massage, but a book that showed massage therapy in a way that took into account a persons whole body.
By taking into account mind, body and spirit massage had come the whole circle back to Hippocrates who always spoke in terms of mind body and spirit. This is what we now term as the holistic approach to healing.
One very good way to rid the body of accumulated waste and toxins is to have a deep massage, this gets the blood and lymphatic circulation working really well. As well as working on the physical level, massage also works on the mind and spirit by relaxing the physical body, the mind and spirit can also be relaxed.
Massage has a hugh benefit on the body, as endorphins are released during the massage creating the feel good factor, the persons spirit is lifted and they feel wonderful. As massage relaxes the muscles and releases tension from the body, the person is able to relax and let go of all the stresses of everyday life.
In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine it is believed that energy flows through the body along meridian lines. It is also thought that certain factors can block these meridian pathways and in the process cause illness. The restriction of energy by stress can be resolved by having a massage.
Massage therapy was on the fringes of conventional medicine for a long time, but now modern medical experts generally accepts the efficacy and benefits of massage. In fact, more than 70% of American hospitals now offer massage therapy as a part of their treatments.
Massage therapy has a wide usage in hospitals, and is used mainly in the treatment of chronic pain, pregnancy, stress relief, and for joint and muscle mobility.
Some research has shown that massage therapy does indeed have positive effects on the physical body and can lower high blood pressure, help to relieve pain and very importantly boost the immune system.
This very versatile form of treatment is now available to far more of the general public. By incorporating massage into main stream medicine Dr’s in hospitals are now able to treat high blood pressure, joint and muscle problems and stress with massage as part of the treatment programme. As time goes by more and more people with a variety of different conditions are found to benefit from massage.
