The techniques of body massage have been developed throughout history. It is the earliest recorded form of physical therapy. The Chinese used massage more than three thousand years ago. Its usage was largely unwritten, but dialogue between conventional and alternative medicine can be traced back to the ancient Greek period (500bc) – Hippocrates used friction in the treatment of strains and dislocations.

Most of the modern alternative therapies are formalised systems derived from traditional practices. Many were developed in the last century – Peter Henry Ling, a doctor from Stockholm, devised a system of massage that treated ailments involving joints and muscles - now called Swedish massage. It is the most popular form of body massage practised today.