Hippocrates prescribed massage, diet, exercise, fresh air and music to restore optimal health….
The ancient roots of massage were first recorded with dates as early as 3000 BCE in India, used by Hindu's in Ayurvedic "life health" medicine. Massage was believed to restore the body's innate physical balance so that it was able to heal naturally. In the following millenia, as culture and history unfolded, the healing methods of massage traveled and evolved through China, Southeast Asia, Egypt, Japan and finally to Ancient Greece and Rome. Each culture added their own techniques and philosophies that reflected their own unique society, beliefs and knowledge of human health. In the 5th Century BCE, Hippocrates, the "father of medicine", treated injuries with massage, and was the first to prescribe a combination of massage, proper diet, exercise, fresh air and music to restore health.
Today this is still a familiar prescription for general health and wellness! In the West, massage, as we may start to recognise it today, sprang to life in Sweden in the early 1800s, using a combination of massage and specialised exercise to relieve chronic pain. Today, with an ever increasing number of studies to back us up, we now know through modern science what the ancients knew through keen observation; that physiologically, massage affects every system in the body. From our skin, to our circulatory system, from our lymphatic system to our musculoskeletal system, not to mention our digestive, respiratory, hormonal and nervous system!
In British Columbia, Registered Massage Therapists are regulated health care professionals, receiving the highest level of training in North America. RMT’s are legislated by the government under the BC Health Professions Act, with strict standards of practice and mandatory continuing education. BC RMT's are trained extensively in the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal system disorders, as well as related physiological systems. RMT's work with a diverse and broad based population and can focus on many special interests related to injury, illness and disability.
