Shiatsu massage is still commonly practiced today and is the basis for many self-massage solutions, including massage chairs and massage sticks. Targeting these pressure points is also believed to stimulate lymphatic and blood circulation and elicit a nervous system response that relieves stress. Practitioners use their fingers, thumbs and palms to apply pressure to localized areas of the body, releasing tension and bringing about deep relaxation. Shiatsu massage therapy is based on the theory that if you stimulate certain identified pressure points, you will be able to restore natural balance throughout the body. The Buddhist practice of ancient massage therapy, anma, eventually became known as shiatsu, a name it continues to go by today. Shiatsu Massage - 500 BCEĪs massage spread across Asia, Chinese and Japanese Buddhist monks adopted the practice as a way to strengthen their mental and physical health and build up resistance to disease. Reflexology is still widely practiced today throughout the world and is often incorporated into clinical massage therapy. The theory is that by putting pressure on these specific areas, reflexologists may help in the healing process of certain diseases by relaxing the affected organs. Traditionally, practitioners of this ancient practice have believed that certain sections of the hands and feet correspond to specific bodily organs.
Today, reflexology practitioners use touch therapy on the hands, arms, legs and feet to help release tension and provide deep relaxation.
Egyptian tomb paintings depict ancient massage therapy and unique bodywork techniques that resemble today’s practice of reflexology.Īccording to archaeological findings, Egyptians are believed to have practiced hand and foot reflexology massage treatments as a form of total body healing. Egyptian Reflexology - 2500 BCEĪs the concept of Ayurvedic massage spread throughout the ancient world, it eventually arrived in Egypt, where practitioners adopted their own version of the practice.
Both the specific oils and the types of movements used in Ayurvedic massage were selected based on the patient’s unique set of ailments, often using techniques that combine pulling, stretching and directing muscle tissue in rhythmic strokes.Ī modern version of Ayurvedic massage is still practiced to this day throughout the world. Īncient Ayurvedic massage began an estimated 5,000 years ago, relying on the use of organic oils. According to Ayurvedic medicine, total health can be achieved by balancing the body’s natural energy centers called chakras. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine believe there’s an optimal mental, physical and spiritual balance of well-being that can be achieved through various natural techniques. Ayurvedic Massage - 3000 BCEĪyurveda is an ancient practice of natural medicine from India and Nepal. Since its discovery, massage therapy has helped patients relax, heal and restore their sense of vitality and well-being.īelow is a look at the history of massage therapy from ancient massage techniques to today’s. Throughout the millennia, ancient massage therapy techniques have evolved but the benefits have remained the same. Massage therapy is a five-thousand-year-old practice.
However, it’s only within the last century that the medical field has begun to incorporate massage therapy as a form of integrative medicine for managing a variety of conditions from anxiety and insomnia to digestive disorders and cancer recovery.
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