The healing powers of massage have been recognized since antiquity.  In the 5th century B.C. the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote that his colleagues should be experienced "in rubbing...for rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid."  Various forms of massage were also employed by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Romans.  However, the technique as we know it today didn't appear until the late 19th century when Per Henrik Link, a Swedish gymnast, formulated the principles of Swedish massage.