The rubbing and kneading of muscles and soft tissues to relieve tension or pain; plural of massage.
From French 'masser' (to knead), possibly from Arabic 'massa' (to touch or handle). The word entered European languages in the 19th century as Eastern massage techniques became known.
Massage therapy is one of the oldest healing practices—archaeological evidence shows people were using massage 2,700 years ago in ancient Egypt and China—yet it's only recently been scientifically validated to actually affect muscle tissue and reduce stress hormones!
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