| Massage therapy has been in existence and practiced worldwide for
centuries. Chinese medical texts, more than 4000 years old, give reference
to massage. Modern Timeline:
1813: Per Henrik Ling, a Swede, with the support of the Swedish
government, established the Royal
Central Gymnastic Institute to teach massage. His methods were later
termed "Swedish
massage."
1850's: Drs. George and Charles Taylor, two New York
physicians and brothers introduce modern massage therapy to the United States.
Post Civil War: Baron Nils Posse and Hartwig Nissen open
the first two U.S. massage therapy clinics in Boston and Washington, D.C.,
respectively.
1880-1910: Many American physicians incorporate massage
into their practice.
1940-1970: Dormant period in the field of massage therapy.
1970-present: New interest in massage therapy in the U.S.
including use of massage on premature infants. |
