Massage seems like such a new thing — a recent technique to help alleviate stress and pain. However, it is actually one of the earliest medical techniques that humanity has created.
The oldest known written description of massage dates from around 3000 B.C. — about 5000 years ago! That document, the Cong-Fu of the Toa-Tse, is Chinese and has remained available. In the 1700s, it was translated into French.
Various types of massage techniques were found in ancient civilizations from Rome to Egypt to India. Descriptions appear in many Greek and Roman writings, including those of Hippocrates.
Especially interesting, however, are the many different techniques. In Romania, massage was used to treat many illnesses. The massage was typically administered by allowing a tame bear to walk on the patient. In many parts of the world, animals are still used as masseuses, including baby elephants.
Even in the early half of the 20th century, when most doctors ignored medical options beyond their own Western approach, massage was one of the only options for treatment of polio victims. Patients with crippled limbs, including Alan Alda, Dinah Shore and Wilma Rudolph, were able to regain use of their limbs due to massage treatment.
It’s got an interesting history, and even today, massage is making headlines as researchers discover even more about why it works.
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