Sometimes massage is the only thing that makes sense.
Swedish Massage
The word “massage” is thought to be derived either from the Arabic for “press softly” or from the Greek for “knead”. It has a pre-Christian history and is thought to date back over five thousand years to ancient civilizations in the Far East and was an important part of the embalming rituals of the ancient Egyptians.
Hypocrites, the father of medicine, circa 380 B.C. advocated the use of massage for treatments of injuries and disease and the now universally accepted practice of massaging in the direction of the venous flow, i.e., towards the heart.
Galen (130-200A.D.) a Roman doctor, used massage for treatment of injuries and also as a preparatory treatment for the Roman gladiators who were oiled until glowing red before commencing battle.
Peter Henry Ling (1776-1839) Ling was a Swede who traveled to China and returned with a detailed insight into their massage techniques. From these he developed his own system of massage based on a variety of movements, involving pressure, friction, vibration and rotation. This wealth of practical knowledge soon spread, and medical and non-medical professions worldwide began exploring the benefits of massage. This eventually established the basis of massage today, which in many ways remains much the same now as those early Swedish techniques.
Ref. Body Massage for the Beauty Therapist
Audrey G. Goldberg
The Miracle of Massage
Massage is one of the best ways to treat many of our commonest modern-day ailments. Problems such as stress, lack of energy, Repetitive Strain Injury, sleeplessness, fatigue, PMT, cellulite, headache, tummy aches and, in fact, any aches or pains anywhere in the body, feel instantly better after the right massage routine.
This is not just wishful thinking from a lot of cranks that like to believe that massage cures everything. Medical scientists studying massage have proved that it is a natural tranquilizer. Indeed, stroking the body slows the heartbeat and lowers blood pressure and this is the fastest and most effective way to relax. As research now shows that stress and sickness go hand in hand, the more relaxed you are, the healthier you will be.
Ref. Massage for common ailments
Penny Rich
