Did you know that massage has been around for nearly four thousand years? It’s an incredibly effective way to relieve stress and pain and promote good health. Let’s take a look at the history of therapeutic massage, from its earliest beginnings to today’s modern certified massage therapists and technologically advanced shiatsu massage chairs.

Writings on massage have been found from the ancient world, the first dating from China, four thousand years ago. Massage techniques in India have been traced back for a similar length of time. Indian massage is a part of the Ayurvedic system of medicine, which is still widely practiced in that country. Texts referring to these principles have been found as far back as 1500 BCE. The Ayurvedic system seeks to promote balance in life, which is said to prevent disease.

Massage in Japan dates to only about five hundred years later, and was probably imported from China. This developed into a type of traditional Japanese massage referred to as “anma,” and eventually into shiatsu. This technique involves stimulating certain pressure points to rebalance energy, and is usually done by a trained practitioner, though shiatsu massage chairs purporting to be similarly effective also exist.

Ancient Egyptian massage was also practiced, with references in texts and tomb paintings. Something very similar to modern reflexology has been dated to about 2500 BCE in Egypt. Greece probably began practicing massage between 800 and 700 BCE, based on methods imported from Egypt or eastern countries. Massage was commonly used by athletes, in combination with aromatic oils and herbs, to improve performance and help avoid injuries.

Biblical references from around five hundred BCE mention daily oil massages as part of a beauty regimen, and only about fifty years later, Hippocrates wrote that massage was an important skill for physicians to possess. Massage in Rome can be traced to 200 BCE, but probably dates from before that, given Rome’s contact with Greece. The physician Galen reportedly used massage therapy to treat a number of different ailments in the first century BCE, basing his techniques on the principles of Hippocrates.

Unfortunately, massage techniques declined in popularity throughout the medieval and renaissance periods, and did not regain it until about the seventeenth century. The benefits of massage were documented and observed through the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, though few innovations occurred until what is now known as Swedish massage was developed.

Massage is currently popular all over the world, and techniques have heavily cross pollinated, with Western methods in use in China, and Eastern ones popular in Europe and the US. Massage has been popular in the United States since the middle of the nineteenth century, when it was introduced by physicians using Swedish techniques. It became much more popular and was in common use for more than fifty years.

The influence of massage decreased in the early part of the twentieth century, since medical advancements in other fields were coming to the forefront. However, this practice grew again in the 1970s, particularly among athletes. Massage is available from spas, certified massage therapists, and in a limited form from home massage chairs. It has been offered as a medical service at the Olympics, and employed as a health offering by major businesses.

Most professional massage is done on specialized tables and chairs, which can be portable or stationary. This has led to professional or automatic massage (such as done by the best massage chairs) in airports, malls, and other locations. Oils may be used on the bare skin in private massage. This is difficult if massages are being done in a public location. Fortunately, most techniques can also be done through clothes, though some are less effective this way.

Massage chairs developed in the last twenty years can be as good as personal massage, if the problem is not serious. Plus, in the long run, they’re a lot less expensive. There are many different types, including Thai style and shiatsu chairs, and the best massage chairs are programmable.

Take a little bit of time to check out what’s on the market to see what they can do for you. You might be surprised at how well they work. Going through life without pain is a great benefit, and it’s one that you might be able to get from massage chairs. Just remember to check with a doctor if you have severe pain that won’t go away.