London as the capital city of Britain as existed well over 2,000 years and it has withstood plague, devastating fire, civil war, aerial bombardment, terrorist attacks, and riots. Over the years, London has evolved from merely being a civilian town established by the Romans to be one of the major cities on the global map. By evolving, I mean in all aspects including hospitality and healthcare. History cannot be complete no matter what without touching all areas and the massage therapy has a bit of history in London. Massages have existed for long, as far back as 25 BC. However, massage therapy did not become profound in London until the 1800s when Sir William Bennet started a massage department at St. George’s Hospital in London.
Over the years, the art evolved and in 1988, Joanne Buchanan-Downs founded the London Massage Therapy Centre which today offers therapeutic, sports, deep tissue, hot stone, swedish, pregnancy and post partum massages. Asides this organization of sort, there are several other massage therapy centres, spas and individuals who provide massage therapies all over London. It is worthy to note that massage therapy is a major attraction in London. Pure Massage London was ranked number 20 out of 724 London attractions according to TripAdvisor with over 30 five-star reviews and a lot of positive articles.
The London massage scene is obviously worth millions, providing jobs for hundreds if not thousands. London has become a major leader in massage therapy training over the years. Massage related courses are now studied in several universities, institutes and centres across London, with an option of home study. Courses such as body massage training, sports massage training and many others are offered across different levels in accredited centres across London. These schools and centres attract thousands of local and international students every year. Some of the popular schools include; Beautec Beauty Academy Ltd, London School of Massage, Bodyology Massage School, School of Natural Therapies and several others.
As stated earlier, massage therapy homes and spas are scattered across London in centres, hotels and several other places. From luxury spas to the not so luxurious ones and mobile therapists, one thing is for sure, London has it all. Some of the best spas in London include; ESPA Life Spa located in Corinthia Hotel, St Pancras Spa in St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, The Porchester Spa in The Porchester Centre, Spa London in York Hall Leisure Centre, Aveda Institute in High Holborn, Agua Spa at The Sanderson and several others. Different centres and individuals charge differently in London due to several factors. According to the London Massage Therapy Centre, a 30 minute massage cost about $49 while a 90 minute massage is about $99. In other centres and areas, prices can be as low as £29 while some can be as high as £200 or more depending on time, location, prestige and type of massage. According to themassagerooms.com, mobile massage therapists charge about £50 for a 60 minute session. In conclusion, massage therapy has existed for long and will continue to exist, but one thing is for certain, the London massage scene has now become a mainstay in modern massage therapy and it does not look to be leaving any time soon.
