Massage was widely used in Greece and Rome and it was mostly used by Hippocrates who considered it to be an art which should be familiar to any physician. However, massage was not used only by Hippocrates, even before him, athletes in Greece were massaged before their competitions and massage itself was considered, along with regular exercise, an important part of a healthy life.
Hippocrates considered that one should train many years before having proficiency and only then good results could be seen. There were certain prescriptions to massage as it was a way to act on muscles and organs. Hippocrates believed that massage was able either to stiffen muscles that were too relaxed or relax those that were too rigid.
Another important discovery Socrates made that really influenced this therapy in the western world was considering massage an exercise technique or a complementary technique that would aid people. This influenced sports massage and sports medicine to improve care for those who practiced various activities.
Hippocrates’ approach was very different from the Eastern world as he saw massage as a scientific art avoiding the spiritual approach. This led him to create treaties where he would outline the guidelines for a good massage. His discoveries were very much like those in the Eastern world as he wrote about various results massage had on the body.
The Greek culture influenced the Roman culture and also brought massage therapy into Roman medicine. One of those who popularized massage in ancient Rome was Asclepiades of Bithynia, a Greek physician who started his practice in Rome and developed healthy guidelines for diet, exercise, bathing and massage.
Even if this happened miles away, the principles were the same as those in Asian medicine: exercise, bathing and massage were the most important parts of a healthy life. However, the approach he had was considered to be a bit different from that of Hippocrates. His position was very much influenced by atomism, which was a natural philosophy developed in regards to two principles: atom and void.
to be continued,
Pain Relief Massage Clinic
192 Brisbane Road, Arundel Gold Coast QLD 4214 Australia
Phone: (07) 5537 7886