For the film, see Massagist film. Not to be confused with Message. Massage is the manipulation of soft tissues in the body. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. A person who was professionally trained to give massages was traditionally known as a masseur male or a masseuse female , but those titles are outmoded, and carry some negative connotations.
In the United States, the title massage therapist has been recognized as a business norm for those who have been professionally trained to give massages. In professional settings, clients are treated while lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on the floor. In amateur settings, a general purpose surface like a bed or the floor is more common. Aquatic massage and bodywork is performed with recipients submersed or floating in a warm-water therapy pool.
Contents1 Etymology2 History2. BC The Tomb of Akmanthor[6] also known as 'The Tomb of the Physician' in Saqqara, Egypt depicts two men having work done on their feet and hands, presumably massage. The Nei-jing is a compilation of medical knowledge known up to that date, and is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Massage is referred to in 30 different chapters of the Nei Jing.
It specifies the use of different massage techniques and how they should be used in the treatment of specific ailments, and injuries. Also known as 'The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon', the text refers to previous medical knowledge from the time of the Yellow Emperor approx BC , misleading some into believing the text itself was written during the time of the Yellow Emperor which would predate written history.
Jivaka is known today as 'Father Doctor' in Thailand. Sanskrit records indicate that massage had been practiced in India long before the beginning of recorded history. Later in the 11th century copies were translated back into Latin, and again in the 15th and 16th centuries, when they helped enlighten European scholars as to the achievements of the Ancient Greeks. This renewal of the Galenic tradition during the Renaissance played a very important part in the rise of modern science.
