New Article Published
The International Physiotherapy History Association is pleased to announce that it has published an editorial in the journal Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. This editorial, titled “Physiotherapy: The history behind the word”, explores how the current profession, having evolved from a series of disconnected practices (such as manipulation, gymnastics, massage, hydrotherapy, …
The Value of Physical Treatment
The following Letter to the Editor, published in The Lancet in 1918 provides an extraordinary review of the growth of physiotherapy from the First World War. SIR,—The Prime Minister in his speech on Nov. 16th, in placing the case for the Coalition at the Central Hall, Westminster, said: ” The …
Paralympic History
On the eve of the Paralympics Games Paris 2024 where more than 4,000 athletes, representing 169 nations, will compete over twelve days for 549 medals across 22 events it is instructing to consider its humble beginnings. At a hospital for war veterans in Stoke Mandeville, located 60 kilometres north of …
Physiotherapy First
The phrase, “Physiotherapy First” could be interpreted as a call-to-action to prioritize physical treatments over pharmacotherapy and surgery. Use of the phrase is likely presumed to reflect the modern physiotherapy profession’s progression into primary care, the growing physiotherapy research base of high value care, and the concomitant confidence accompanying them. …
Interview with a Historian
American Physical Therapist and historian, Beth Linker’s latest book Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America has just been released. We provided a review of the book in a previous post but this time wanted to learn more about the author herself. Beth is unique in the physiotherapy community as a historian and …
A Personal History of Dry Needling
In 1992 when I was studying a post-graduate manual therapy course at Curtin University, Perth, the educational emphasis was primarily on joints and neural tissue, with an early smattering of pain science. Whilst assessing a patient during one clinical session, no tests related to any of the education provided were …
Executive Half Year Report – June 2024
The Executive Committee met on three occasions by Zoom teleconference in the first half of 2024. During this period founding member Rob Jones (United Kingdom) retired and new members Ximena Suärez Bonilla (Mexico/Spain) and Esther-Mary D’Arcy (Ireland) were welcomed. The current Executive Committee membership consists of Glenn Ruscoe, Chair (Australia) …
America’s Slouching Epidemic
In her recently published book “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America” Beth Linker argues that at the onset of the twentieth century the United States became gripped by a poor-posture epidemic: a widespread social contagion of slumping that could have deleterious effects upon individual health, and the body politic. Posture …
Tell Us About Your Student Days
Every physiotherapist was at some point, a student. Thrust into a steep and never ending learning curve of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and more. We are interested in how student days were different around the world and across time, and are asking for all physiotherapists to share their stories. Please tell …
A Distinctive Style
In September 1940, in the dark days of the Second World War, Denmark was occupied by Germany and Rudie Agersnap was elected chairman of the Danish Massage Association. Restrictions and rationing brought challenges for the profession, with a lack of necessary goods for the masseuses to carry out their work. …