The history of massage started early. The first forms are said to have been practiced as early as BC. The massage has developed over thousands of years and is one of the oldest forms of treatment in human history.
It probably originated in Asia and East Africa. Even then, herbs and oils were also used. These massage techniques are also used in massage studios and massage parlors. The massage techniques finally came to Europe via the Greek doctor Hippocrates. At this point, however, the focus was no longer on rest and relaxation, but rather on the prevention and follow-up treatment of pain and injuries. The massage played an important role medically. Other Greek scholars developed different forms of massage at the same time, which were to be practiced depending on the clinical picture and were even recorded in writing.
Despite the knowledge of the importance of massages and their positive effects on body and mind, the practice lost its importance in the Middle Ages and was more and more forgotten until it finally disappeared completely from the scene.
It was not until the 16th century that the effect of massages was rediscovered and used as a rehabilitation measure, especially after operations. There were also different approaches to unite body and soul through massages and thereby create a balance between the two instances. The social reputation of massages led to the so-called "Swedish Era" in the 18th century. The fencing and gymnastics teacher Pehr Henrik Ling recognized the interplay between gymnastics and massage and the importance of good regeneration after exercise.
At the beginning of the 19th century a Dutch doctor managed to prove the effects of massages medically. This led to the breakthrough of various massage techniques and their spread to Germany and America, where the types of massage were optimized and perfected by doctors and orthopedists, among others. Even today there are still different types of massage, the most famous of which is the classic or Swedish massage. Hand movements have been taught since the 18th century, thanks to the Swedish doctor Pehr Henrik Ling.
