History of Massage As A Therapeutic Practice

Massage therapy has been part of the traditional holistic healing system for over 5,000 years. 

The practice is so ancient we are unable to pinpoint an exact date and geographical location of its birth.

In my opinion, the birth of healing through physical touch came into existence with man. 

Throughout history we can see how each culture interpreted the body and applied these healing practices through massage therapy

Archaeological evidence, artwork, and historical literature reveal ancient cultures such as India, China, Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, Japan, Thailand, and Korea integrated massage therapy practices into the fabric of their society.

These practices were passed down through generations to heal injuries, relieve pain, prevent and cure illnesses.

Massage therapy is an ancient healing practice that has evolved over time throughout the world creating the different specialized modalities that exist today. 

Currently massage therapy has developed into an evidence-based health profession that is grossly undervalued and underutilized in the present health care system.  

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The Core Focus

The core focus is to remove blockages within the system to restore the body’s natural and physical balance of homeostasis.

To achieve this, practitioners use different levels of pressure applied to intentional areas, rotating joints, and stretching tissue.

Ancient tools such as gua sha to scrape the skin and cups to use negative pressure to release deep blockages are still in practice today.

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Proven Benefits 

Massage therapy has been proven to increase brain performance, mood, ability to fight stress, overall wellness, improves circulation and flushes out toxins which boosts your immune system. 

The body responds with a 31% reduction of cortisol (which is the fear hormone), 31% increase of dopamine (which is the neurotransmitter for motivation), 28% elevation in serotonin (which raises happiness and reduces anxiety). 

There is also a reduction in muscle tension, blood pressure, and stress. 

A reduction in stress causes telomeres to degrade at a slower rate which optimizes health and increases life span.

Massage improves pain relief by triggering anti-inflammatory neurochemical messaging to muscle cells and with the increase in frequency of this signal, the body will make more mitochondria.

Massage can also help people cope with depression, anxiety, trauma, and many other afflictions.