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Hands-on Hippocrates -

Born in 460 BCE, Greek physician Hippocrates is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine. He advocated for massage, manual therapy techniques, and hydrotherapy to treat patients.

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The genius of Galenus -

Later, the Roman surgeon Galenus was instrumental in developing various scientific disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and neurology.

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Physiotherapy as a health profession -

Physical therapy, which became better known as physiotherapy, was slow to emerge as a health profession. In fact, it wasn't until the late 18th century that documented accounts of the profession and the techniques involved began to appear.

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Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics -

In 1813, Pehr Henrik Ling, a Swedish pioneer of physical education, founded the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in Stockholm. Ling invented physical education apparatus including the box horse, wall bars, and beams, and is credited with developing the Swedish massage technique. Pictured is the institute c. 1910.

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Swedish massage -

Ling based his Swedish massage techniques on Chinese martial arts (the Chinese had perfected exercises to correct body positioning and improve breathing as far back as 1000 BCE). In 1860, American physician George H. Taylor introduced these massage techniques in the United States.

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Chartered Society of Physiotherapy -

In Great Britain in 1894, the Chartered Society for Physiotherapy (CSP) was founded by four nurses, originally as the Society of Trained Masseuses. Today, this is the profession's largest membership organization in the United Kingdom, with more than 64,000 members. Pictured is a CSP contingent taking part in the National Festival of Youth at the Empire Stadium at Wembley, London, in July 1946.

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Mechanotherapy -

Another Swedish national, the physician and orthopedist Gustav Zander, is known as one of the originators of mechanotherapy, a type of medical therapeutics in which treatment is given by manual or mechanical means.

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Therapeutic exercise -

Zander was influential in designing a therapeutic method of exercise carried out by means of special apparatus equipment. By the early 20th century, mechanotherapy had been widely adopted, with centers like this one in Pilkington Special Hospital in Lancashire, England, established for the treatment and rehabilitation of servicemen disabled during WWI.

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WWI -

In fact, it was during and after the Great War that women began to be recruited as "reconstruction aides" to work with and restore physical function to injured soldiers, and the field of physical therapy was institutionalized.

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Polio outbreak -

The polio outbreak that struck New York City in 1916 infected several thousand people, and killed over 2,000. With no polio vaccine available, hundreds of paralyzed children underwent intensive physiotherapy in an effort to get them walking again.

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American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association -

In 1921, the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association was formed to establish best practices in physical therapy. Today the organization is called the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and represents more than 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy.

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WWII -

Advances in physiotherapy greatly enhanced the treatment wounded servicemen could expect during rehabilitation. In this image, teams of female physiotherapists tend to injured American soldiers evacuated to Fort Sheridan in Illinois during the Second World War.

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Improvising physio -

Shortage of equipment, however, sometimes required improvisation. In this photograph, an army sergeant supervises British servicemen in a military hospital as they undergo physiotherapy using heavy logs as part of a rehabilitation program for injuries sustained during combat.

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Sports physiotherapy -

Physiotherapy geared towards sport emerged in the early 20th century. But it was only in the 1970s that sports physical therapy was recognized as a specialist field. The International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy (IFSPT) represents national sports physical therapy organizations worldwide. Pictured in 1950 is Boston Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams receiving treatment from the team physiotherapist. 

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National Spinal Injuries Centre -

German-British neurologist Ludwig Guttmann (pictured, right) established the Stoke Mandeville Games National, the sporting event for people with disabilities that evolved in England into the Paralympic Games. Guttman also founded the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1943, and played a vital role in training and instructing physiotherapists specializing in spinal injuries.

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Canadian Physiotherapy Association -

The Canadian Association of Massage and Remedial Gymnastics was founded in 1920 and renamed the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) in 1935. The CPA was among the founders of World Physiotherapy, established in 1951, and the sole international voice for physiotherapy.

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Physio beyond the hospital -

It was only in the late 1950s that physiotherapy was practiced outside hospitals, in outpatient orthopedic clinics for example, and rehabilitation centers and medical centers. In this image, a young girl is learning to walk at a Miami rehabilitation center, assisted by her physiotherapist.

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Expansion of orthopedic field -

In 1974, the Orthopedic Section of the APTA was formed for those physiotherapists specializing in orthopedics.

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Federation of Orthopedic Manipulative Therapy -

That same year, 1974, also saw the establishment of the International Federation of Orthopedic Manipulative Therapy, which has played an important role in advancing manual therapy worldwide since.

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Electrostimulation physiotherapy -

In the 1980s, advances in computer technology saw the introduction of new equipment to assist the physiotherapist's role, devices such as electrical stimulators, exemplified by TENS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation—a method of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical current.

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Physiotherapy today -

In the modern age, physiotherapy embraces a vast range of techniques designed to address conditions associated with different systems of the body.

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Neurological physiotherapy -

Neurological physiotherapy, for example, is a discipline that focuses on the treatment of individuals with neurological conditions that impact the functioning of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, disorders like stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.

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Neuromusculoskeletal physiotherapy -

Neuromusculoskeletal physiotherapy treats disorders that affect muscles, resulting in weakness, joint tightness, and functional problems. Back pain, whiplash associated disorder, arthritis, and sports injuries are typically addressed using this technique.

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Cardiovascular physiotherapy -

Cardiovascular physiotherapy is an area of physiotherapy that specializes in the prevention, rehabilitation, and compensation of clients with diseases and injuries in the heart and lungs, for example chronic heart disease and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

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Respiratory physiotherapy -

Respiratory physiotherapy is designed to assess and treat disorders of the respiratory system, conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis.

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Suspension physiotherapy -

Suspension therapy is defined as suspending a body part or whole body with the use of ropes and pulley and sling to allow frictionless movement to increase range of motion, muscle power, and to support the frame. It's often used to treat spinal injuries.

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Ultrasound physiotherapy -

Ultrasound physiotherapy is used to detect and treat various musculoskeletal issues experienced by a patient, including pain, tissue injury, and muscle spasms. The technique is also employed in diagnostic and pregnancy imagining.

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Prenatal physiotherapy -

It's common to experience lower back, hip, or pelvic pain during pregnancy. Prenatal physiotherapy is an effective practice to reduce painful symptoms such as lower back pain, pelvic pain, and involuntary urination.

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Kinesiology -

Kinesiology is the study of the mechanics of bodily movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health include biomechanics and orthopedics, methods of rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational therapy, and sport and exercise physiology.

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Rehabilitologist -

A rehabilitologist functions in the same manner as a physiotherapist in that the aim is to adapt a patient with functional disorders resulting from diseases and injuries to new living conditions.

Sources: (APTA) (World Physiotherapy) (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy)

See also: Meeting the challenges of long-term care

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