What is useful massage? History of massage. The history of the development and development of massage in Russia

Mankind knew about massage since time immemorial. Our ancestors instinctively cleared and rubbed the diseased parts of the body. Subsequently, they found that the same actions help to relieve fatigue, and even later to cleanse and soften the skin to use steel is massage. The history of the massage is reflected in many manuscripts, including the Bible, which talks about the procedure for rubbing and lubricating bodies with aromatic oils.

In this article we will try to identify the main milestones of the history of the development of massage, from ancient times to the current century. Let's highlight the key chronological points that influenced its becoming, and find out what exactly massage really is.

The history of "massage" as a word goes back to Europe and Asia. The Arabic expression of "masses" means "touching" and "gently pressing", the French "mass" is rubbing, and the Greek interpretation of the word is "squeezed".

Ancient times

Drawings made on a stone wall are the earliest proof of the existence and use of a massage. On them the main characters are people who rub each other. At the site of the excavations, traces of medicinal herbs, oils and ointments were found, used not only for wound healing, but also for softening the skin.

In the distant third millennium BC, eastern healers used this art to treat diseases and improve a person's condition, as evidenced by the numerous Chinese manuscripts detailing the massage.

The history of massage, namely his technique, originates in China. This technique was developed by ancient Chinese healers, discovering a tremendous healing effect when pressing hands on specific points of the body. They called her "amma".

East

Subsequently, this technique was the beginning of the development of a new technique for affecting the human body, which we use to this day - the detection of active biological points and acupuncture, all of which was given to us by massage.

The history of the massage was further developed in Japan, where the technique was perfected from generation to generation, as a result of which it became an integral part of the culture of the Japanese, initiating another technical branch called tsubo.

This technique allows to influence the sick human organs through numerous biologically active points. A little later, the oriental masters perfected the technique of massage, limiting themselves only to pressing their fingers. This technique is called "shiatsu" or, in other words, Japanese manual therapy. Masseurs who have achieved success in mastering shiatsu can cure a number of complex diseases and support the body in tone.

Asia

The history of massage in India shows that the Hindus combined massage techniques with hygienic procedures. The famous treatise Ayurveda ("Knowledge of Life") from ancient Indian healers, written around 1500 BC, notes that massage during bathing will not only relieve fatigue and maintain well-being, but also completely cleanse the skin of toxins.

Famous archaeologists could find evidence that the Egyptians and Persians used massage and its techniques not only for therapeutic purposes, but also as a tool for caring for the face and the whole body. Producing a variety of ointments and mixtures with the addition of medicinal herbs and resin, the Egyptians rubbed their body to rejuvenate the skin and heal the cuts.

Egyptologists argue that the famous beauty Cleopatra very often took baths of milk, after which the servant did her massage, rubbing the skin with aromatic oils. At the turn of our era, the history of massage, along with traditions, begins to penetrate into European countries.

Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome

In ancient Greece, a healthy lifestyle was highly welcomed and even there was a cult of body, hygiene and purity, which continues to be practiced to this day. Greeks with enviable constancy did gymnastic exercises with a regular visit to special baths, where one of the mandatory procedures was the treatment of the body with oil and subsequent massage.

The history of the massage did not bypass the famous Olympic Games, which the Greeks loved so much. All athletes were required to massage before the start of the competition to raise morale and tone, and at the end of the competition the procedure was repeated to relieve fatigue and heal the injuries.

The same principles guided and gladiators, stretching his body massage before and after the battle in the arena. Homer in his famous poem "Odyssey" repeatedly mentioned the massage procedures, when beautiful women rubbed the bodies of fighters who returned from the battlefield.

In the fifth century BC, the father of medicine, Hippocrates, was one of the first to study the effect of massage techniques on sick patients. Based on observations and his practice, he wrote that the articulation in a difficult situation can be relaxed with a massage - gentle and moderate friction can thicken the tissues, and dry and frequent - pull together.

The Middle Ages and the Renaissance

The history of the emergence and development of massage in the Middle Ages has many gaps. From the beginning of the Roman Empire until the end of the fourteenth century, only the records of the domination of the church, key battles and wars, various superstitions and persecutions of the faithful were preserved. As for education, physical culture and art, they were not honored.

But at the turn of the 15th century the Renaissance era, which had begun, gave new life to science, painting and, naturally, to a healthy lifestyle. Then the massage began to be applied again for therapeutic and preventive purposes.

The French physician Ambroise Paré, who lived in the 16th century, contributed to the spread of a therapeutic massage in Europe . He was a court surgeon of several French kings. He was also remembered by historians because he put Queen Stuart on his feet with the help of massage procedures.

Ambroise gave the classification of massage, assigning him three degrees: soft, medium and energetic. Today these names look a little different, but the essence of the procedure does not change: relaxing, general and stimulating. Many doctors of the time adopted the technique of massage, adopting and somewhere complementing the technique of Pare, which subsequently allowed the procedure to be included in a part of the medical postulates.

Modern methods

The modern history of the development of massage begins with the Swedish physiologist Henrik Ling, who lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, whose works served as the beginning of the foundation of therapeutic gymnastics, which is known in the world as "Swedish movement therapy".

Ling introduced a new terminology describing the techniques of massage: stroking, rubbing, cotton, tapping, vibration and rolling. These names use modern medicine, adding all new terms and definitions.

Recognition of massage

No less famous Dutch figure Georg Metzger developed his massage technique, which is based on therapeutic procedures from China, which allow to recover from injuries and to treat some disorders of the body. His theories, coupled with practical application in the field of anatomy and physiology, allowed the acquisition of a large number of followers that spread throughout Europe and reached North America.

Thanks to hard work and the activities of Metzger and Ling, the massage was recognized by the world medical community and was considered an effective method of treatment for the treatment of many diseases. The technique and subtleties of using massage for medicinal purposes began to be taught in honey. Institutions for a narrow circle of specialists.

History of massage in Russia

On the Old Russian land, except for hardening procedures, some types of massage were used. To them it is possible to carry: поколачивание wooden churks, well-known and saved till now grinding a broom. The Slavs called this technique "tail", and it was described in detail in the annals of that time.

The modern Russian history of massage is briefly described in the works of Zabludovsky PE. And began to develop widely since 1923 in the Moscow Institute of Physical Education, where a separate department of the Physical Training Faculty was established. Then the massage began to be introduced into sports practice and to find application in everyday life.