Per-Henrik Ling (1776–1839), father of Swedish classic massage. Ling divided his gymnastics into active and passive movements. The passive movements included such which today are called massage grips.

There is no doubt that the most used form of massage in the western world is ”Swedish Massage”, or ”classical massage” as it is known in Sweden. But who actually founded this form of massage?

I am sitting in the Royal Library in Stockholm, Sweden. I carefully turn page after page in the book “Gymnastikens Allmänna Grunder” (General Basis of Gymnastics). It was written 165 years ago. The pages are brittle and there is a solemn feeling in leafing through such an old book. But who is the author? His name is Per-Henrik Ling (1776 – 1839), also known as the father of Swedish gymnastics. This is the only book he himself has written about his life’s work. A life’s work which has meant very much for many, even to our days.

Injured while a soldier
As a youth, Per-Henrik Ling travelled about in Europe and, for a short time, fought in the on-going wars. The cold and dampness caused him to develop problems with his joints, particularily in one arm. On returning to Scandinavia, he resided in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he studied languages and literature. It was here he came in contact with gymnastics, primarily in the form of fencing. He soon noticed how the problematic arm was strengthened and was completely restored through the training.

A part of the picture was that Sweden was in an appalling state. The country had gone from having been one of the mightiest countries in Europe to having lost, among others, Finland and the Aland islands. General misery prevailed. The Swede’s self-confidence and pride were as though blown away. It was with a sorrowful heart the young Ling saw his fellow countrymen “done in in body and soul”. Ling’s ambition became that the Swedish people should again become both strong and healthy in body and soul.

Irritating science
Per-Henrik Ling was very controversial. During his lifetime the medical profession held a strong grip on medical science, and Ling was neither a doctor nor trained in science. Despite this, he built up a scientifically based gymnastic system. In 1813 he opened the Central Gymnastics Institute in Stockholm, the world’s first school for gymnastics teachers. He was severely criticized, but Ling had a very strong personality and an immutable faith in gymnastics.

Great influence
Ling subdivided gymnastics into four areas: pedagogics, martial, medical and aesthetics. It was primarily the pedagogical (school gymnastics) and medical (physiotherapy) areas he developed. Despite enormous resistance, several doctors became tied to the institute. Soon Ling had a reputation which spread far beyond Sweden’s borders. Many travelled to Stockholm to learn his system. The Swedish gymnastics spread rapidly both within and outside of the country.

Americans comment
An American (Bruce, 1856), wrote home that “all schools in Sweden have a large gymnasium with a high ceiling and quantities of equipment to develop muscles. The pupils are not allowed to train as they please; everything is done in a regulated and scientifically organized manner. This form of gymnastics is a general medical system in Sweden. When will America learn that health and strength have their own incontrovertible laws?”

Another American doctor (Thomas, 1863 – 1891) wrote: “This system is known and appreciated not only in Sweden but in most countries in Europe and has even been introduced in many cities in America under the name ‘The Swedish Movement Cure’.”

Ling even had considerable influence on health care during the latter half of the 1800’s. A third American visitor (Curtis, 1901) understood things in this manner: ”The real Swede believes gymnastics cure everything. If you go to a Swedish doctor he will most likely prescribe a movement cure and send you to an institute of training or a massage establishment instead of a drug store/apothecary.”

Massage, unknown concept
The word massage was apparently unknown to Ling, who instead used Swedish words for the grips he advocated. Here were grips like stroking, kneading, frictions, chopping, pinching and rolling. All are grips which today are directly associated with Swedish classic massage. With time, these grips received more internationally useable names as Ling’s method spread throughout Europe and America.

At this time, France was a major power and the French language was widely used. Thus, stroking was translated to effleurage, kneading to petrissage and chopping to tapotement. The grip friction was internationally understood, wherefore it’s name was never changed.

Competition about origins
Today, there are diverse opinions as to who actually started the so reknowned “Swedish massage” method. The person competing with Ling for the title is the Dutch doctor Metzger, of Amsterdam. He had been active as a masseur since the beginning of the 1860’s. It is claimed that Dr. Metzger had seen Swedish gymnasts at work and at that time become interested in Swedish physiotherapy. Here, it is not really known what happened in which order. The most probable is that Dr. Metzger took out and systematized the order of some of the grips from the passive movements which formed part of Ling’s physiotherapy. He also came to perform the grips directly on the skin.

During Ling’s time, the greater part of physiotherapeutic treatment was done with the clothes on. Through his Scandinavian and German pupils, Dr. Metzger had a very great influence on the standing massage enjoyed in the medical world. When Swedish doctors, returning from Dr. Metzger in the early 1870’s, described massage, it quickly became popular in Sweden.

At the Central Gymnastics Institute (CGI), this form of massage still went under the concept passive movements. It was deemed “unnecessary and inappropriate to introduce foreign terminology”.

A strong critic changes sides
Dr. Kleen (1847 – 1923) has written several books about massage and willingly refers to the question about who founded Swedish massage. He says the following: ”Less known but of greater interest is that Ling was familiar with massage, whose grips (frictions, chopping, pinching, kneading, rolling) he assigned to the gymnastics passive movements.”

Dr. Kleen was initially very critical towards Ling’s work, claiming that he “in no way has contributed anything new”. However, towards the end of his life he came to considerably re-evaluate Ling’s contributions and significance. He wrote, among other things: “He (Ling) used both local and general massage, with approximately the same techniques which are now used by Swedish doctors and of the whole so-called Metzger school.”

Passive movements even today
When I close the last of the 25 books I have plowed through, I find it difficult to see any other answer than that Per-Henrik Ling is the legitimate father of Swedish classic massage. Of course, others have made changes to Ling’s system, however, that does not make the method newly devised. The foundations go back to the Central Gymnastics Institute at the beginning of the 1800’s. As for Ling’s physiotherapy, his students and disciples continued developing it after his death. Ling’s son Hjalmar came to be one of the principal teachers at the institute.

In a sense, the development of Ling’s methods continue on even in our day. The traditions and knowledge have been passed on in an unbroken line by his disciples since Ling’s time. At the present time, the physiotherapist Hans Axelsson has continued the development. Just look at the name ‘Axelson’s Gymnastic Institute’. No gymnastics are taught there, however, very many different methods of treatment which include “passive motions” are. The tradition lives on.

Comments (8)

JulieO said:

There seems to be a lot of controversy over this fact. Robert Calvert who wrote the book "The History of Massage" seems to disagree with the fact that Per Ling founded Swedish massage. He has an article on http://www.massagemag.com/Magazine/2002/issue100/history100.php I would love to see that original book. Do you think they would let you scan it and put it into a website? Julie www.thebodyworker.com

May 31, 2007

Thomas Palm Swedish Massageterapist. said:

Thank u 4 your input, very interesting facts often seems 2 be questioned by the lot, as should. Some believe some don´t. However, man has been strokin skin since like, "4ever". Even as a child u rub your skin when u hurt, and this is a automatic reflex. Conclusion- what came first the Egg or the hen?

May 31, 2007

Shirley-Anne Hunter said:

I would maybe be inclined to look towards Hypocrites and those of his time who took great pains to formulate order to complementary treatments, oh of course remembering they came first and orthadox methods followed much later... we could say Hypocrites endorsed the use of massage as human touch is the first step towards healing. When did massage begin? the answer is 'inside the womb' when the first contractions take place prior to birth. It stays within our memory making massage a comforting experience.

September 16, 2007

Steve Capellini said:

Thank you for this article, Rolf. We need people doing such real research work in libararies to discover the foundations of our profession. I found it interesting that Ling was not familiar with the term "massage" itself. He most certainly had a huge part to play in systematizing what we refer to as massage today.

February 19, 2008

Sue said:

Very interesting, and nice to hear what the swedish call 'swedish massage'

February 19, 2008

Higher Spa Nina said:

Great article, and comments. I find it especially interesting that movement, exercise and massage are interconnected in other cultures and healing practices. Unfortunately, Americans and American health practitioners (including massage therapists) do not embrace these practices and the importance of their connectedness. The number of Americans receiving massage has steadily increased, but the number of Americans practicing regular exercise has remained frighteningly low. food for thought...

February 19, 2008

RobertS said:

Ling had a student (I forget his name) who opened a massage institute in Leicester Square, London. This is where Swedish Massage came from. I heard it from his grand-daughter or great-grand-daughter. (the student, not Ling. The word "grips" in the article (Swedish "grepp") should be "strokes", folks.

January 14, 2009

annmarie forrest said:

it is very interesting so over all, so Julie you say that you have discovered that Per-Henrik Ling was not the founder of massage through reading Robert Calverts point of view. where did swedish body massage come from and who discovered it? AM Forrest

November 08, 2009