From ancient hands to modern treatment: the history of massage

Where did it all start?

Massage is nothing new. People have used their hands to relieve pain for thousands of years. In India and China, texts describe massage as part of health and well-being going back to 3000 BCE. In Egypt we find ancient drawings of people massaging hands and feet — perhaps the earliest images of what we now know as reflexology.

What unites all these traditions is a wish to help the body back into balance — whether recovering from illness, calming stress or releasing tired muscles. The World Health Organization has noted that massage — or manual therapy — has historically been used above all to prevent and relieve pain.

From ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, massage was a vital part of athletics. The philosopher Hippocrates recommended oil massage to loosen the body and prevent injury. The Romans took it further still — massage was part of daily life, especially at the great bathhouses.

Techniques evolved over time. Practitioners began to use systematic movements such as stroking, kneading and pressure — many of which we still recognise today.

Swedish massage goes global

In the 1800s, Swedish massage was developed by the gymnastics teacher Per Henrik Ling — and is still the technique most commonly used in Norway. With firm grips and calm movements, it was a method many found both effective and pleasant. From Sweden the techniques spread through Europe and the world, forming the basis of much of the massage we use today.

Other traditions grew alongside it — Japanese shiatsu and various forms of sports massage — each with a slightly different focus, but all sharing the same goal: better health and less pain.