In ancient China, in almost every province has a medical-school gym, where trained doctors(taosse) "who knew the technique of therapeutic exercises and massage.  In the book, “Cong-fou” (3000 BC) describes the active, passive and combined exercises and massage. In ancient India, yogis have used at least 800 of breathing exercises, most of all for holding your breath, with the help of these exercises are prevented and treated disease. Ancient Egyptian doctors were struggling with rheumatism with physical exercise, massage, diet, gidroprotsedur. In ancient Rome, therapeutic exercise was particularly well developed. The book Oribaza created in 360 AD, describes almost all the materials of the time, with remedial gymnastics play a full book.

 

Physiotherapy Dates back in 250 AD when goldfish- electric fish was used for pain relief in gout and headache cases. Physiotherapists today use a certain type of currents to give pain relief. Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna) in his book "Canon of Medicine" and "Book of Healing" describes in detail the treatment and prevention of various diseases with the help of medical gymnastics, water treatment, hardening, diet etc.

 

In 1573 published the first textbook on gymnastics Merkuriasa "The Art of Gymnastics". German Dr F. Hoffmann (1660-1742) developed a very popular at that time a non-standard treatment system, this system takes a significant share of the use of rubbing, diet, massage, physiotherapy, etc. Convincing his aphorism: "The movement - the best treatment for the body." In 1771 published a textbook in two volumes in orthopaedics, which are described in detail gymnastics, gidroprotsedury, massage, diet, etc.

 

In 1780 the published work of Tissot "Medical gymnastics, or exercise of human organs under the laws of physiology, hygiene and therapeutics, it sets out descriptions of various physical exercises, massage (rubbing) as well as their use for treating all sorts of diseases. the Swede T. Brandt developed a system of therapeutic exercise and massage to treat patients with gynaecological diseases in 1864. The German Ertel for the treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels suggested a method of climbing in mountainous terrain (terrenkur) in 1881. Schott developed exercises for heart patients, which was based on resistance exercises in 1884. A Swiss doctor Frenkel proposed a set of compensatory gymnastics for the treatment of ataxia, paralysis, paresis, and other diseases of the nervous system in 1889.

 

After the development of orthopaedics in the eighteenth century, machines like the Gymnasticon were developed to treat gout and similar diseases by the systematic exercise of the joints, similar to later developments in physiotherapy.

 

The earliest documented origins of actual physiotherapy as a professional group date back to Per Henrik Ling “Father of Swedish Gymnastics” who founded the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics (RCIG) in 1813 for massage, manipulation, and exercise.

 

The first use of the word physiotherapy is found in the German Language as the word “Physiotherapie” in 1851.

 

Modern physical therapy was established towards the end of the 19th century due to events that affected on a global scale, which called for rapid advances in physical therapy.

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Another landmark in the physiotherapy was during the breakout of the polio epidemic. These physiotherapists did groundbreaking work in the rehabilitation and treatment of the polio patient. During the First World War, women were recruited to work with and restore physical function to injured soldiers, and the field of physical therapy was institutionalized.

 

The first physical therapy research was published in the United States in March 1921 in "The PT Review."

 

The focus on joins and use of manipulation started gaining popularity in the 1950s.

 

In the late 1950s, physical therapists started to move beyond hospital-based practice to outpatient orthopaedic clinics, public schools, colleges/universities health-centres, geriatric settings (skilled nursing facilities), rehabilitation centres and medical centres.

 

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) Founded in 1951.

 

Specialization for physical therapy in the U.S. occurred in 1974.

 

The World Physiotherapy Day, established by WCPT in 1996, has grown in popularity and influence. Every year physical therapy organizations around the world organize campaigns and events to celebrate and publicise the role of physioherapists.

 

The history behind physiotherapy has grown and evolved a lot over the years and its evolution is an ongoing process. With each innovation, technique and procedure, the capability of the craft that physiotherapists use to treat their patients keeps getting better. Physiotherapy has come a long way since its beginning and with a lot of success.

 

Physiotherapy in today is an independent health care profession for all from birth to old age.

 

Physiotherapy Tomorrow

 

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Australian Physiotherapy Council. What better way to celebrate this milestone, then to leap ahead to the next 50 years?  Because it’s the future of physiotherapy will look like 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now that literally takes our breath away.

 

Did you know that…

 

• By 2040 every human will come with their hyper-personalized, constantly updated, instruction manual covering the body, health and mind – with real-time diagnostics (personal x-ray, MRI, ultrasound, blood tests, PET and CAT scans), x-ray vision and a colour-coded guidance system to pain, issues and ailments.  Physiotherapists will use this data to plan, perform and benchmark treatments against.

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• By 2045 – rehabilitation after illness – for the most part, will be relegated to the annals of history. Enter stage left: the new pre-habilitation – identifying and preventing disease before it even presents in the first place; a paradigmatic shift that will truly move physio intervention to become proactive and pre-emptive.

 

• By 2050 physiotherapists’ will be working inside the patient’s body, as well as outside.