Development History of Traditional Chinese Massage
According to the records in famous medical books during the Sui and Tang dynasties, there were mentions of massage. For example, in the book "Diagnosis of Various Diseases," there were physical exercises and massage therapy for health and sleep at the end of each volume. The book "Emergency Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold" also included Laozi's massage method. These are all developments in massage methods and applications.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the medical profession was divided into thirteen specialties, and a massage specialty was established. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, some doctors began to call it "anzhang therapy" or "tuina therapy" and wrote books about it. At the same time, this therapy was used specifically for the treatment of pediatric diseases and was generally called pediatric tuina, which achieved great results. Some innovations and inventions were made, such as paying special attention to acupoint massage based on the meridian principle (the acupoints are generally the same as acupuncture points), but focusing on the hands, as the "cun kou" (the bowl part of the finger) is the gathering place of all the meridians. Some specific names and applicable techniques were also established.
Regarding pediatric tuina, several famous specialized books were written at that time. For example, Zhou Yuefu compiled the book "Secrets of Pediatric Tuina," Gong Yunlin wrote the three-volume book "Secret Principles of Tuina for Midwives," and Yang Jizhou's "Complete Works of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" mentioned the "Pediatric Massage Classic" by the Chen family of the Four Ming. These works played a certain role in the development of massage and the promotion of child health. In addition to the various methods of massage recorded in specialized books for internal medicine, trauma, and pediatric massage, there were also some orally transmitted methods. For example, the "one finger, one massage" method uses only one finger for massage, with techniques such as rubbing, sanding, rolling, stretching, pulling, kneading, pushing, grasping, pressing, and massaging. The technique must be practiced for a long time to mature and be effective. There is also qigong massage, which requires practicing qigong first and then using the energy in the hands for massage, emitting heat and gentle vibrations to act on the acupoints to achieve the purpose of treating diseases. There are also some simple instruments used for massage, such as using coins or spoons to scrape the back to treat certain diseases.
In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), massage was mistakenly regarded as a "vulgar skill" that "damages one's dignity" and is a "lowly technique" for laborers, so massage therapy was neglected by the government. However, due to the significant therapeutic effects of massage, it continued to develop among the people, especially pediatric tuina, which became popular. During this period, a large number of specialized books on pediatric tuina appeared, such as Xiong Yingxiong's "Comprehensive Understanding of Pediatric Tuina," Luo Rulong's "Secret Book of Pediatric Tuina," Qian Huaicun's "Direct Record of Pediatric Tuina," Zhang Zhenjun's "Correct Massage Requirements," and Xia Yunji's "Baohui Tuina Method." In addition, books published at that time, such as "The Iron Mirror of Pediatrics" and "Li Yujiao's Writings," also mentioned massage. During this period, a systematic summary of trauma treatment was also made. The book "Medical Golden Mirror" listed "mo, jie, duan, ti, an, mo, tui, na" as the eight methods of trauma treatment. With the accumulation of experience, there was significant improvement in theory, and there were comprehensive and systematic discussions on the treatment principles and indications of foot massage.
After the Opium War, due to imperialist aggression, massage therapy and traditional Chinese medicine suffered a tragic fate. Especially under the pro-Western stance of the Kuomintang government, traditional Chinese medicine, especially massage, was treated as a "pseudo-science" and a "non-scientific practice" and was excluded from the social standing of medicine. Massage was considered a minor skill by the people, and the number of massage practitioners decreased significantly. In contrast, the practice of witchcraft flourished and distorted the massage therapy, giving it a completely different appearance. Genuine massage therapy only existed in oral transmission and local practices.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the party and the government's policies on traditional Chinese medicine effectively ensured the comprehensive implementation of the work on traditional Chinese medicine, creating favorable conditions for the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine. As a result, many provinces and cities in China established massage schools. For example, in 1959, the first massage school in China, the Affiliated Massage School of Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was founded; in 1958, the first massage clinic in China was established in Shanghai; in March 1961, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical College opened a massage specialty outpatient department. At the same time, the scope of massage therapy expanded from treating neck, shoulder, waist, and back pain to various specialized departments such as internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and ophthalmology. Preliminary research was also conducted on the massage effects and mechanisms. Many specialized books on massage were published and distributed.
In December 1982, the Acupuncture and Tuina Department was established at Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it began enrolling undergraduate students. In 1985, it started enrolling master's degree students in tuina. In December 1982, the first massage academic experience exchange conference in Hebei Province was held by the Hebei Provincial Association of Massage, and the Hebei Massage Association was established during the conference. In May 1985, the first "Massage and Guidance" magazine in China was founded by the Guangdong Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 1987, the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Tuina Society, headed by Professor Cao Renfa, was established in Shanghai.
In March 1988, the first national academic research symposium on periarthritis of the shoulder, with historical significance, was jointly initiated by the Hebei Provincial Association of Massage and the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical College in Shijiazhuang. It was attended by 875 representatives, and the Chinese Society of Periarthritis of the Shoulder was established during the conference. Subsequently, the second, third, and fourth national academic symposia on periarthritis of the shoulder were held in Huangshi City, Hubei Province, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, respectively. In June 1994, the first national academic conference on lumbar disc herniation was held in Changli, attended by 540 representatives, and the Chinese Society of Lumbar Disc Herniation was established during the conference. After that, the second, third, and fourth national academic exchange conferences on lumbar disc herniation were held in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, Jilin City, Jilin Province, and Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, respectively. In November 2005, the "Xingtai Disc Herniation Hospital" was established (mainly for massage treatment under epidural anesthesia). In December 2002, the "Chinese Journal of Tuina Therapy" was founded in Beijing.
In recent years, the various policies on traditional Chinese medicine by the party and the government have been further implemented, and massage education and medical services have flourished. Provinces such as Henan, Shanxi, Sichuan, and Shaanxi have successively established massage schools. Some traditional Chinese medicine colleges have established tuina departments and acupuncture tuina departments, expanding the massage workforce and improving the medical quality of massage personnel. The range of diseases treated has gradually expanded, and the development of the massage profession has gradually become standardized. Massage societies have been established in most provinces and cities nationwide.
Traditional Chinese massage has unique medical effects and has attracted high attention from the international medical community. Many countries have conducted research on this therapy. The United States has established massage schools in many states, and South Korea and Japan attach great importance to this therapy.
It can be seen that China's ancient massage therapy is making new contributions to the medical and health care field. We firmly believe that the future of the massage therapy industry will be better and better.
