Massage is thought to be the oldest form of medical therapy practiced on the human body. The different types of massage and the various techniques that encompass them stem from our most celebrated civilizations and their traditional beliefs ancient Greek and Rome, ancient India and China.

Dating as far back as 2,700 B.C., ancient Eastern Chinese cultures practiced massage to heal a variety of ailments from labor pain to paralysis. Ancient Egyptian tombs have been discovered adorned with images of figures being massaged. In addition, according to traditional Indian medicine, a system known as Ayurveda, therapeutic massage was performed using a variety of aromatherapy oils and spices for their healing properties. Even Greek and Roman heroes - such as the great Julius Caesar - underwent daily massages to treat nerve pain.

In Western culture the most practiced form of massage is undoubtedly Swedish massage. First introduced in the 19th century, Swedish masseuses were thought to have borrowed many of their techniques from traditional China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome masseuses. A variety of the most effective massage techniques have also been incorporated into other complementary therapies - aromatherapy, Reiki, reflexology, Rolfing, Amma therapy and osteopathy.

Many of our now popular modern massage techniques were created in order to heal specific health conditions. For example, soldiers who fought in World War I were administered massage for nerve damage and to soothe shell shock in western hospitals during the 1930s.

Massage is still used today for treating a wide range of ages from babies to seniors - in a variety of intensive care, health club, and health clinic and hospital settings. To this day, massage is still used to treat various conditions such as premature birth, various types of cancer, AIDS, osteoarthritis, lumbar back pain, nerve damage, fibromyalgia, paralysis, heart attack, and stroke. Click on the links below to discover an amazing variety of massage therapy techniques. You're almost certain to find a popular style that suits your body perfectly!

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