Timeline of the History of Massage Therapy

1. The History of Massage Therapy
By Deborah Snow
Alfred State College

2. History of Massage Therapy
• European cave
drawings show
what appears to be
the use of
therapeutic touch.
15,000 BC
• 1st Documented use
of massage in
Chinese practice
3,000 BC • Hindu tradition
adopts massage
therapy by the
sacred Ayur-Veda
1,800 BC
• Julius Caesar used
massage therapy for help
with his epilepsy
100 -40 BC
• Encyclopedic piece by
Persian Rhazes discuses
The Greek, Roman, and
Arabic medical practices
which include massage
850 AD
• Publication of Chinese
pediatric massage and
Japanese use of passive
and active forms of
massage procedures
1600

3. • Simon Tissot publishes
gymnastic exercises that
recommended massages
for the treatment of
various diseases.
1700
• Dr. Douglas Graham
publishes several books
on the history of
massage
1800 • Nissen’s paper on
Swedish Movement and
Massage is published in
several medical journals
1888
History of Massage Therapy
•The formation of society
of Trained Masseuses in
Great Britain
1894
•The Chartered Society of
Massage and Medical
Gymnastics is founded
1920 •American Massage
Therapy Association
established the National
Certification Examination
for therapeutic massage
and bodywork.
1992

4. References
Micozzi, M. (2015). Massage, Bodywork, and Touch Therapies. In
Fundamentals of complementary and alternative medicine (Fifth ed., pp. 248-
250). Elesvier.
Nuwer, R. (2013, October 9). History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places |
Smithsonian. Retrieved October 22, 2015, from
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-women-artists-may-be-
responsible-for-most-cave-art-1094929/