History of Massage Therapy 1950-2000

History of Massage (20th Century, 1950 – 2000)

1948 – Francis Tappan’s Masters Degree Thesis – Development of Modern Massage Techniques compared the methods of J. Hoffa, Mary McMillian and James Mennell (who were instrumental in development of massage being practiced in PT settings).

1950’s –  Francis Marie Tappan (1915-1999) and Gertrude Beard (1887-1971) wrote books and articles on massage techniques. Tappan’s Guide to Massage Therapy.

Frances M. Tappan approached Patricia Benjamin to join her as coauthor of Healing Massage Techniques for its 3rd edition (1998). After Dr. Tappan’s passing in 1999, Dr. Benjamin continued to update and improve Tappan’s Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques (2010), which remains a standard in the field. Dr. Benjamin authored Professional Foundations for Massage Therapists (2009) to address related professional competencies and combined that information with basic massage skills and applications in Pearson’s Massage Therapy: Blending Art with Science (2011). This latest edition of Tappan’s Handbook combines all three of its predecessors for the most comprehensive and up-to-date presentation of the theory and practice of massage therapy available today. Tappan’s Handbook of Massage Therapy: Blending Art and Science, sixth edition, remains true to Frances Tappan’s vision of healing massage as holistic manual therapy that contributes to the well-being of humanity in so many ways.

1952 – Janet Travell researches Triggerpoints.

1952-Hoshino Therapy developed by Tomezo Hoshino, Hoshino Therapy is an official medical therapy in Argentina.

1956 – Margaret Knott and Dorothy Vass wrote a book called “Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation”.

1959- North Dakota Massage Legislation

1960 -The American Massage & Therapy Association (AM&TA later to become AMTA) was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1960.  A Code of Ethics was developed in 1960, and the Massage Journal replaced The Masseur as the official AM&TA publication in 1962.

1960’s – John Barnes Developed Myofascial Release Therapy

1960’s – Albert Baumgartner used Massage in Athletics.

1960’s – Esalen became a center to explore human potential.  Ida Rolf did her first trainings there. Deane Juhan worked there. Bernie Gunther trained people to do massage.

1961 – Tappan’s textbook. “Massage Techniques: A Case Method Approach. (expanded info from her Thesis.

1960′s late- John Barnes, developed his own version of Myofascial Release Therapy 

1962 – Esalen Founded by Michael Murphy and Dick Price

1964 – Applied Kinesiology was founded by Chiropractor George Goodheart

1966 – Raymond Nimmo-Wrote book ” The Receptor Tonus Method “, which came from his work with “noxious generative points”.

1967 – New York Massage Legislation

1967 – Montana Massage Legislation Created

1968 – Ruth William’s writes “25 years: History in the Making”  which is the history of the AMTA.  Read the full book here in PDF format.

1968 – The Heartwood Institute founded.

The Transformative 70’s

1970 – Paul St John’s Neuromuscular Therapy aka Triggerpoint therapy

1970 – Massage schools started being curriculum approved schools as compared to schools from 1930-1970 that were self credentialed schools.  1987 outside accrediting agencies were created to accredit schools.

1971 – Core Energetics developed by Dr. John Pierraolcos.

1971-Core Energetics Started by Dr. John Pierralcos in 1971, core energetics adds a more spiritual aspect to bioenergetics.
Core Energetics: Developing the Capacity to Love and Heal
by John C Pierrakos

1972 – Moshe Felednkrais writes Awareness Through Movement which follows up to his 1949  publication “The Body and Mature Behavior” and  “The Potent Self: A Study of Spontaneity and Compulsion.

1972 – George Downing  “The Massage Book” – An international classic book on the art of massage for lay people.

1973 – Zero Balancing developed by osteopath and acupuncturist, Dr. Fritz Smith

1996 – Myotherapy developed by Bonnie Prudden.

1977 – Aston – Patterning developed by Judith Aston

1978  – Hellerwork created by Joseph Heller (after training with Ida Rolf and others)  www.hellerwork.com  ,  www.josephheller.com

1978 – Soma Neroumuscular Integration developed by Bill Williams Ph.D who studied with Ida Rolf

1978 – Frances Tappan writes Healing Massage Techniques: A Study of Eastern and Western Methods”. She had studied Traditional Chinese Medicine in Taiwan and acupressure.

Of course the 80’s

1980sWatsu (water therapy) was developed by Harold Dull 

1980’s-Taws Method (Soft Tissue Release) was developed by Stuart Taws (his website), a British sports rehabilitation therapist now residing in America

1980  AMTA had 1,400 members

1980 – 9 states have licensing

1981 – Lauren Berry, a physical therapist and mechanical engineer, recorded his methods of manipulating joints, “The Berry Method, Volume I”

1981–  Lawrence H. Jones identifies tenderpoints and develops “Strain- Counterstrain” techniques of treating points.

1983 – Janet Travellwrites book. with David Simons.  Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction:  The Triggerpoint Manual : Volumes I & 2

1985 – Massage Magazine Started by Robert Calvert.

1985 – 10 states have state massage licensing.

1987 – outside accrediting agencies were created to accredit schools.

1987 – ABMP was founded by Sherri Williamson ( a disgruntled massage therapists according to Robert Calvert in his book “The History of Massage”)

1988 – National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) created by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). which provided the seed money for startup.  The NCE was originally started as an AMTA entrance exam and quickly moved to becoming a national exam which we all know is not so national. See also: History of National Certification Board in Massage and Bodywork

 1989 – AMTA also created the Commission on Massage Training/Accreditation (COMTAA) in 1989 when it was created by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) to set educational standards for the massage therapy profession with a goal of eventual recognition by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). – See more at: http://comta.org/about-comta/#sthash.yPQKwWuu.dpuf

1990’s  – Were you there?

1990 – AMTA had 8,500 members.

1990 – ABMP had 2100 members

1990’s –  David Palmer creates and markets On Site Massage using a massage chair. www.touchpro.org

1990 – protocol for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) defined by the American College of Rheumatology

1991 –  Touch Research Institute created.

1992 – National Certification created.

1994 – International Massage Associated created by Will Green.  (see also 2011 – IMA closed for fraud)  Alternative to massage associations for liability insurance.

April 1996 –  ABMP was sold to a group of four people who now comprise the core of the company’s management team.

Oct 1996 – Chaitow and DeLany, as well as internationally known athletic trainer Benny Vaughn and chiropractor/author Craig Liebenson, formed the editorial team for the first peer-reviewed journal in the field of bodywork, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. The first issue of JBMT was published in October 1996 and, with four issues each year for almost two decades,

1997 – Business Mastery by Cherie Sohnen-Moe by Lippencott Williams and Wilkins.  This was one of the first books on business for massage therapists and is now it it’s 4th edition.

1997 – AMTA Commissioned first annual consumer survey on attitudes and usage of massage therapy; annual results now most consistent gauge of massage usage and consumer attitudes on massage.?- Launched AMTA website

1999 – Minnesota creates Freedom of Access legislation.

1990 – 1999 another 16 states and Washington, D.C. took the step for licensing.

Jan. 1999 – 137,390 massage therapists (ABMP statistics)

1999 – The Educated Heart by Nina McIntosh – one of the first ethics books.

 1999 – Commission on Massage Training/Accreditation (COMTAA)  was officially changed to the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)

Time Line History of Massage
Timeline history of massage therapy 3000BC – 100BC
Timeline history 100-1899
Timeline history – 1900-1950
Timeline history – 1950-2000
Timeline history 2000-2010
Timeline History 2010-2020
History of Massage Through Google Books
Early History of Massage through Google Books  1866-1921
History of Sports Massage
History of Massage licensing by state
The Phenomenal Growth of the Number of Massage Schools
History of AMTA
History of AMTA by Ruth Williams
History of AMTA- WA – includes PDFs of AMTA journals 1954-1960
History of AMTA National
The Future of the Massage Profession -Franchises/schools
History of massage in Healthcare
The history of Hospital Based Massage Therapy
History of how WA State is able to bill health insurance – on my other site – www.massagepracticebuilder.com

History of massage in Healthcare

The history of Hospital Based Massage Therapy

History of how WA State is able to bill health insurance – on my other site – www.massagepracticebuilder.com

Other History

Practical Massage: Introduction to the Private Instructions in the Art of Massage. Massage Heritage Times (archive.org)

The Physiological Effects of Massage by JH Kellogg. Massage Heritage Times

The Meaning of Massage and Its Technique By Dr. Emil A.G. Kleen. Massage Heritage Times.

Brush Up on the History of Your Profession Patricia J. Benjamin, August 27, 2015  AMTA