1700’s “As an occupation, massage therapy dates back to the 1700s, where forerunners of today’s massage therapists were called rubbers. Rubbers were experts in treating orthopedic problems with manual rubbing and friction. Medical rubbers were typically women hired by surgeons to assist with the rehabilitation of patients after surgery, and with treatment of lameness and joint diseases. Rubbers had little education, but possessed a knack for hands-on therapy. ” Patricia Benjamin. Brush up on the history of the massage profession.
1843 – Johann Mezger of Holland brought medical massage to scientific community and is considered the founder of scientific massage. Started using the terms effleurage, petrissage and tapotement. Massage Nerd
1850s– scientific massage therapy was introduced in the United States by two New York physicians, brothers George and Charles Taylor, who had studied in Sweden.
1856 – Mathias Roth, English physician, taught Charles Fayette Taylor and George Henry Taylor who brought massage to the US
1852-1943 – John Harvey Kellogg, Battle Creek Sanitarium used massage and hydrotherapy. Published magazine called “Good Health”
1880 – Mary Putnam Jacobi and Victoria A White in New York City. Medical Doctors and professors who researched the benefits of massage and ice packs in the management of anemia.
1895 -Harvey Kellogg -“The Art of Massage” -Full text available online at
The Meridian Institute.
1915 – First state to implement licensing was Ohio.
1916 – First licensed massage therapist in OH – Agnes Forbes
See article on Agnes Forbes (PDF)
1927 – New York State Society of Medical Massage Therapists (first massage association)
1930’s “Swedish masseuses and masseurs utilized soft tissue manipulation, movements, hydrotherapy and electrotherapy for applications ranging from general health promotion to treating diseases to rehabbing injuries. They worked as physiotherapists in conventional medicine (prior to physical therapy licensing in the 1950s), and in YMCAs, public baths and spas, and beauty parlors. Many opened private practices in their neighborhoods in the form of health clinics and reducing salons. ” Patricia Benjamin. Brush up on the history of the massage profession.
1939 – The Florida State Massage Therapy Association Inc. (FSMTA) was first organized on June 15, 1939 one of the oldest massage organization, with 85 charter members. The first Massage Act was passed by the Florida Legislature in 1943
1943 – Chicago American Association of Masseurs and Masseuses formed (AAMM). Later to become American Massage Therapy Association. Dues were $.50. 29 members
1950’s – Doctors regularly referred patients to Swedish masseuses and masseurs up to the 1950s. Patricia Benjamin. Brush up on the history of the massage profession.
1958 – “1958, the AAMM changed its name to the American Massage & Therapy Association, and from that point on encouraged calling the profession massage therapy and practitioners massage therapists. The “&” was dropped in 1983, reinforcing the identity of the unified profession as massage therapy. The term therapy was defined generally as promoting good health and encompassed the whole range of applications envisioned by Ling over a century earlier. The title massage therapist was readily understood by the general public, and helped give the field legitimacy as a health profession. ” Patricia Benjamin. Brush up on the history of the massage profession.
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 Travell writes book. with David Simons. “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Triggerpoint Manual : Volumes I & 2
1987 – ABMP was founded by Sherri Williamson ( a disgruntled massage therapist according to Robert Calvert in his book “The History of Massage”)
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 – Massage Therapy Foundation created by AMTA to further research in the massage profession.
1991 – Touch Research Institute created.
1992 – National Certification . see also: licensing and legislation issues
1996 – Myotherapy developed by Bonnie Prudden
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
April 1993 The Washington State legislature adopted the “every category of provider” mandate as part of the 1993 Health Care Reform Act.
April 1995 The Washington State legislature adopted the every category of provider mandate in RCW 48.43.045. The statute was to be effective January 1, 1996.
April 1996 – ABMP was sold to a group of four people who now comprise the core of the company’s management team.
1999 – Commission on Massage Training/Accreditation (COMTAA) was officially changed to the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)
January 1999 WA State Every Category Law: US Supreme Court denies Plaintiffs petition for Writ of Certiorari, leaving the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stand.
For full history of the Every Category Law in WA see – Issues in Complementary Medicine on www.massagepracticebuilder.com
2002– AMTA Contributed report on massage therapy to White House Commission on CAM Policy (PDF). Began relationship with American Medical Association (AMA) to work toward future clarity on use of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes for massage therapy
2004 -COMTA officially separated from AMTA
According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, an estimated 18 million U.S. adults and 700,000 children had received massage therapy in the previous year.
Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007.CDC National Health Statistics Report #12 2008.
2004 – MyoPAC created in WA State. The first Political Action Committee for massage therapists. Now is the WA Massage Alliance for Health. (www.wamah.org)
2005: State board members from 22 states come together to talk about aligning the profession and creating standard licensure requirements. This organization, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), creates an entry level licensure examination to create reciprocity throughout the country, the MBLEx.
2008 – Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge created which is a compendium of what an individual must know and/or be able to do, to successfully work in a specific field – massage therapy. See also: Developing, Maintaining, and Using a Body of Knowledge for the Massage Therapy Profession
JoEllen M. Sefton, PhD, ATC, CMT, Michael Shea, PhD, LMT, and Chip Hines, LMT, PMP
2008 – Rick Rosen writes a White Paper : On Becoming a Profession. (PDF on massagemag.com)
2009 – Alliance for Massage Therapy Education founded. (Founding Members)
Jan 2009 -AMTA – Announced view that Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx), developed by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), is the best choice for a licensing exam that can lead to portability of massage practice… NOT the exam from the company they started and recommended, NCBTMB.
2013: NCBTMB introduces the Board Certification credential, the highest voluntary credential in the massage therapy profession which required 750 of training. (Except it was the same exam used for the old National Certification exam that required 500 hours of education.)
October 3, 2014, NCBTMB and FSMTB signed a collaborative agreement. This agreement stated that, as of November 1, 2014, NCBTMB would no longer offer its NCETM and NCETMB licensure exams to the public. Moving forward, NCBTMB supports FSMTB’s MBLEx as the country’s entry level licensure examination.
2014: NCBTMB agrees to no longer offer licensing examinations to the public, focusing exclusively on Board Certification, Approved Providers and Assigned Schools.
2014 -Entry Level Analysis Project recommends minimum required competencies for entry level massage therapists. www.elapmasssage.org
2017 – National Alliance for Medical Massage and Bodywork formed in CO. Their goal is to see all states to include massage therapy in healthcare benefits. (www.nammb.net)
2018. The National Certification Board for Massage and Bodywork introduces new Board Certification exam which requires only 500 hours of training, taking the massage profession back 5-10 years.