History of Physical Therapy in the US

Physical therapy is a field of medical care that is actually quite a bit older than most people realize. In fact, Hippocrates is thought to have been one of the first to practice physical therapy, all the way back in 460 B.C., though the physical therapy he and eventually others used was much different than the physical therapy used today. Hippocrates and others, such as Galenus, are said to have used massage, manual therapy, and hydro or water therapy. All of these methods were believed to work due to the exercising of the joints of the body.

It would take many, many years, however, for physical therapy to actually be recognized and even more years for it to reach the United States. Physical therapy first became a "profession" in 1887 in Sweden with the development of the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics where massage and exercise were used to help suffering gymnasts. A few years later, in 1894, England opened the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, followed by the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Otago in New Zealand in 1913. Finally, in 1914, physical therapy caught on in the United States with the opening of Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

It wasn't until about 1921, however, that physical therapy began to more closely resemble what we think of today as physical therapy. It was during this time that research first began being conducted and the findings published. The Physical Therapy Association was also formed. Despite these advancements combinations of exercise, massage therapy, and traction therapy would be all that was practiced throughout the 1940s. Soon after, however, in 1974, the Orthopedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association was organized, as was the International Federation of Orthopedic Manipulative Physical Therapists. These two organizations played a large role in further developing the field.

Today, the American Physical Therapy Association, formerly the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association, is still in existence. It boasts over 76,000 members and defines modern physical therapy as applications that work to restore, maintain, or promote optimum physical health and functioning.