History of Myofascial Release

While the art of massage is perhaps one of the oldest medical practices, the term myofascial release is a relatively recent term. In this article, we will take a look at the history of massage throughout the ages. In our journey into the past, we will come to understand how physical therapy techniques have evolved into the the myofascial release techniques we recognize today.

Written in 3000 B.C., The oldest record of massage is an ancient Chinese text, the Cong-Fu of the Toa-Tse. The ancient Greeks were also familiar with physical therapy and massage. For example, the historian Homer writes about massage oils in his travels. Athletes at the ancient Greek Olympic games were known to receive massages to relive tension and prevent injury. Around 600 AD, the Japanese developed shiatsu massage. These techniques are known today as acupressure.

It would take nearly one thousand years for the benefits of massage began to be recognized in Europe. During the age of enlightenment and scientific revolution, Francis Bacon was the first to observe and document the increased blood circulation which occurs as a result of massage.

Throughout the nineteenth century, the (then) revolutionary field of psychology became interested in the benefits of massage techniques. The mind and body, early psychologists found, are inexorable linked. Massage makes people relax, and certain techniques have been found to actually raise endorphin levels, relieving pain and tension in patients. Massage was even used by Sigmund Freud to treat hysteria.

During the 1900s, massage became a more widely accepted treatment by the medical community. A whole host of new massage therapies and techniques followed. In the early part of the century, F.M Alexander created the Alexander Technique. Dr. Oakley Smith’s Naprapathy – an alternative medicine which focused on treatment of musculoskeletal conditions – followed soon after. During the First World War, Swedish massage techniques were used to help rehabilitate wounded soldiers.

After the war, the benefits of massage had become clear, and the popularity of the therapies skyrocketed. In 1927, the New York State Society of Medical Massage Therapists became the first professional association form massage practitioners in the United States.

Finally, in the late 1960s, the Myofascial Release approach was developed. The technique has since revolutionized the way people think about massage therapy, as well as the treatment of muscular-skeletal pain. Instead of applying pressure to muscles, myofascial release focuses on stretching the individual muscles in order to trigger a release in the fascia – the fibrous web of connective tissues running through the human body.