The Origins and Evolution of Massage Therapy

Massage has ancient roots, with its earliest known reference found in the Chinese text Con-Fu of the Toa-Tse, dating back to 3000 BC. This makes it the oldest documented guide on massage, originally used as a natural remedy for minor aches, pains, and injuries. Even early humans likely discovered that rubbing sore areas—and later, applying certain plants—could help relieve discomfort. These intuitive practices laid the foundation for what would eventually become the structured systems of massage we know today.

The word massage comes from the Arabic word “mass’h,” meaning “to press gently.” While the act of touch-based healing has existed for thousands of years, it has since evolved into a wide range of specialized modalities. In ancient China, massage was closely linked with Qi Gong—a meditative movement practice designed to balance and strengthen the vital life force, or Qi. According to Chinese philosophy, illness stemmed from imbalances in this energy, and massage was one way to restore harmony.

Around 1000 BC, Japanese monks studying Buddhism in China observed these traditional methods and brought them back to Japan. There, they began to integrate and refine these practices, eventually developing what is now known as Shiatsu—from the Japanese words “shi” (finger) and “atsu” (pressure). Shiatsu focused not only on relaxation, but on diagnosis and treatment through precise touch.

Massage as a healing art was not limited to Asia. Indigenous peoples of the Americas used a blend of heat, herbs, and touch to address physical ailments. The ancient Greeks embraced massage for athletic recovery and general wellness, and the Romans, inspired by Greek medicine, adopted it as a preferred therapeutic method. In fact, Roman emperors often received massage treatments—most notably under the care of Galen, a physician in the first century AD who used massage to treat injuries and diseases.

Even Hippocrates (460–377 BC), the famed “father of medicine,” advocated for massage as a powerful tool for healing, frequently combining it with herbs and oils. In Homer’s writings, massage is portrayed as a soothing balm for war-weary heroes.

Unfortunately, the rise of the Dark Ages and later the Renaissance brought with them a cultural shift. Touch, once seen as healing, became associated with indulgence and sin. As a result, massage lost credibility and was pushed to the fringes of accepted medical practice.

The revival came in the 19th century through the work of Pehr Henrik Ling, widely considered the father of modern massage. In 1813, he founded the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in Sweden, where he developed a system that blended physical movements and massage. These techniques—stroking, pressing, kneading, and striking—would eventually be formalized into what we now call Swedish massage.

Still, skepticism from the medical community persisted well into the 20th century. That began to shift in 1992, when the University of Miami established the Touch Research Institute, dedicated to exploring the scientific benefits of therapeutic touch. Their research confirmed that massage can improve weight gain in premature infants, reduce stress hormones, ease depressive symptoms, relieve pain, and even strengthen the immune system.

Today, massage is once again recognized—not just as a form of relaxation, but as a legitimate, evidence-based complement to modern medicine. What began as a primal instinct to ease discomfort has evolved into a global healing practice that continues to support physical, emotional, and energetic well-being.