Massage is the practice of soft tissue manipulation with physical, functional, and in some cases psychological purposes and goals. The word “massage” is a French word which means ”friction of kneading,” or from Arabic ,” massa” meaning “to touch, feel or handle” or from Greek word “massein,” to knead. An older etymology may even have been the Hebrew “me-sakj” meaning “to anoint with oil”. The oldest medical book in existence mentions the treatment of paralysis and reduced circulation using massage. That was written in China in approximately 1000 BC and is called “The Yellow Emperor’s Classics of Internal Medicine.” And Hippocrates, circa 460-375 BC, discussed “gently rubbing” a dislocated shoulder following reduction to aid healing. The ancient Greeks used massage on athletes before and after sport. It was thought to help prepare the muscles before activity and remove extra fluid and metabolites after sport, a concept which is still used today. Gaelen of Rome (129-199 AD) wrote 16 books on friction massage and gymnastics (remedial exercise), describing the pressure direction and frequency of treatment.
Massage Therapy was formerly introduced as a separate profession in the United States in 1917, when the Surgeon-General set up a rehabilitation process for soldiers wounded in the First World War.
