The practice of massage is woven through history into the Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Roman, French, Swedish and Anglo-Saxon cultures. Hippocrates, often considered the ‘father of western medicine,’ referenced massage in his “terrain-cures” in 460 BC.

In early history, massage was often considered an art form. However, recently science has begun to redefine massage, or, as we say today, ‘massage therapy’ as an evidence-based practice.

In contemporary times, the advancement of massage therapy can be credited, in part, to Per Henrik Ling (Sweden) and also Johann Mezger (Holland), who developed a system of medical gymnastics that combined massage and exercise. This lead to the formation of the society of trained Masseuses in Britain, which in 1894 established the first standards for training and education in massage therapy.

Massage was widely used in the early part of the 19th Century by eminent English physicians and surgeons, particularly for the treatment of sprains and other injuries of the joints and soft tissues.

Massage Therapy in British Columbia

In B.C., the practice of massage therapy has a rich tradition that dates back to the early 1900’s. The grass roots of the massage therapy profession can be best traced from 1946, when nurses and remedial gymnasts founded the Association of Physiotherapists and Massage Practitioners of B.C. (APMP). Their treatments were focused on rehabilitation and restoring patients to optimal health.