Bühler Marlis (Luzern)

In its simple form, massage has been known since the earliest times. Written evidence of its use in ancient China dates back to 3000 BC, and the ancient Egyptians appreciated its beneficial effects, as did the Japanese. In the Occident, massage was closely connected with the bathing culture, which was highly developed among the Greeks and especially the Romans. The famous Greek physician Galen (129 to 199), personal physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was the first to assign massage a scientifically recognized status as a treatment method.

Massage is thus one of the oldest remedies of mankind. Franz Kirchberg put it this way in his book: "Just as every human being instinctively rubs or presses a swollen and therefore painful or bumped part of his body in an attempt to reduce the pain caused by the tension, this instinctive means will probably also have been used as a remedy at all times."