History of Massage Therapy

Massage has existed as long as there have been human beings. It is a nature instinct to rub away pain which can be considered the simplest form of massage. The long history of massage is difficult to know completely. It evolved into structured form of healing like Swedish massage and foot massage. Touch is one of the earliest forms of communication and has great value in development and healing. Massage in Malta is a technique that was introduced these last 50 years but traditionally this was used as a way of relieving pain. Rubbing painful muscle groups was done using hot olive oil, plant extracts and herbal poultices. The Athenaeum Spa in Malta was on the forefront of massage therapy in Malta. Historically it was the first purposely built massage centre on the Maltese Islands.

The word massage comes from the French massage "friction of kneading". Writings on massage have been found in many ancient civilizations including Rome, Greece, India, Japan, China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. A biblical reference from c.493 BC documents daily massage with olive oil and myrrh as a part of the beauty regimen of the wives of Xerxes. Hippocrates wrote in 460 BC that "The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing".

Massage therapy began as a sacred system of natural healing. However, cultural shifts rendered it a disreputable form of indulgence for extensive periods of history. Enduring these turns, massage has experienced resurgence in modern times. Today, massage therapy as practiced at the Athenaeum Spa in Malta stands as a highly respected holistic healing method practiced across the world.

The first documented descriptions of massage dating back to about 3,000 BC were discovered in China. Chinese Taoist priests practiced ‘Qi Gong' - meditative movement revealing and cultivating the vital life force. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the principle that every illness, ailment or discomfort in the body is due to an imbalance of ‘Qi'. Chinese Literature in 3000 BC shows that massage, exercise, martial arts and meditation were considered complete health.

Hindu Writings in 1800 BC indicates massage was used for weight reduction, sleep aid, relaxation and fatigue. The Hindu was also interested in hygiene, so they combined massage with bathing and shampooing.

Greeks in 300 BC used massage and exercise as a part of their daily regular routine. Soldiers were given regular massages to ease pain and fatigue during training, as well as before and after tournaments.

Swedish body massage at the Athenaeum Spa in Malta is the manipulation of the body 's soft tissues with specific techniques to promote or restore health. Swedish massage history dates back to the Ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans, who all practiced forms of t his massage. Records show that massage was performed in China as early as 3000 B.C. It was the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who argued that physical touch is the most fundamental of all five senses. The ancient Greeks associated physical well-being with the unfolding of spiritual and intellectual faculties.