Physiotherapy Information – Physiotherapy – Origins and Background
Physiotherapy has its origins in the time of Hippocrates. Even in those early days, massages were used as complementary medical treatments. From those simple beginnings, physiotherapy has grown into a complex science today.
In the year 460 a. C., Hector used a treatment known as aquatic therapy for physical treatments. Professionals to treat their patients even in advanced age today, use the same therapy, modified to suit different requirements.
The first incident of nurses using physiotherapy with the Chartered Society is recorded in 1894. Two decades after this, various systems of physiotherapy were implemented in different countries. 1931 saw the creation of the first physiotherapy clinic in New Zealand, and 1914 was the United States’ turn to follow suit.
Walter Reed College and Hospital in Portland Oregon was the leading light for professional physical therapists in America. In those days, they were known as rebuild helpers. Nurses who had received physical education practiced physiotherapy. Several World War I veterans owe their recovery to these rebuilding helpers.
In modern history, physiotherapy has been a widely researched topic. The United States has a comprehensive research study that was conducted and published in 1921. Research in the various specialized fields continues even today.
Mary McMillan formed the Physical Therapy Association in 1921. Now known as APTA, it remains the most important and influential association in the history of physical therapy in the United States.
In 1924, the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation was created. The main focus of this foundation was the problem of the spread of polio. Physiotherapy for polio victims was his main offering. Renowned for her work with patients suffering from the devastating side effects of polio, Sister Kinney was a revered figure at Mayo Clinic. Physiotherapy took a major turn at the point of the polio epidemic in history.
After the polio crisis passed, the popular treatments continued to be massage, traction, and of course, exercise. Chiropractic treatments emerged in the 1950s and are still the norm in Britain.
Since then, physiotherapy has become a treatment of choice both in hospitals and in other settings. Physical therapists have been working in places like nursing homes, private clinics, and even schools. Around this time, physiotherapy also developed a special line related to Orthopedics.
The International Federation for Orthopedic Manipulative Therapy developed at this time and introduced treatments that changed the face of the physiotherapy profession. One of the physiotherapists who made several important changes was Mariano Rocabado. A Norwegian physical therapist who is also known for his work on the East Coast of the US is Freddy Kaltenborn. Australian Geoffrey Maitland greatly influenced the methods used in training physiotherapists.
Technology came to the fore in the 1980s, when several new techniques were invented using modern technology. These new procedures included ultrasound and electrical stimulation that required the use of computers. As physiotherapy entered the 1990s, manual therapy came into the spotlight with Kaltenborn again pioneering new techniques.
Throughout its history, the practice and training methods have been repeatedly revised and revised. Several practitioners have left traces of their brilliance in history through the literature and the foundations of physiotherapy. Thanks to the efforts of all involved, today physical therapy is a respected and revered profession.