Category: Research
From Aide to Diagnostician: An American Physical Therapy Transformation
How current physical therapists became diagnosticians illuminates the trajectory of the profession and the value we offer. My recent exploration into this American story was recently published as an historical essay in Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal (PTJ). Here, I provide a brief overview of the article. Transformation didn’t occur …
The History of Physiotherapy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The following is from an article titled, The History of Physiotherapy in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Mirjana Dujmović and Jasmin Avdovićwritten; published in Fizioterapija Macedonica Journal. It was translated into English by Google Translate and then summarized. Pre-History Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) located on the European Balkan Penisula is geologically …
A Nobel Prize for Physiotherapy?
The following story is a summary of an article by Nils Hanson and Anders Ottosson, titled ‘Nobel Prize for Physical Therapy? Rise, Fall, and Revival of Medical-Mechanical Institutes’. In his will of 1895, the Swedish innovator Alfred Nobel stipulated that of five yearly prizes, one should go to the person, …
A Brief History of Physiotherapy in The Netherlands
Rise of Remedial Gymnastics and Massage in the 19th Century Physiotherapy, as it is now known, in the Netherlands has its origins in the first half of the 19th century. The forerunners were healing gymnasts and masseurs who came from Sweden and Germany. Initially separate professions with separate training, they …
Mental Health in Wales in the Early 20th Century
OT History Matters is seeking interest from Physiotherapy colleagues on a project about the history of mental health in Wales. They have made contact with the IPHA and provided the information below: This note introduces a new project in Wales. If any physiotherapy colleagues are interested in this era (circa …
The ways we lose our culture
A few years ago, I was going through some old papers and came across a fragile yellowed newspaper cutting celebrating the refurbished physiotherapy school in Dunedin, New Zealand. The broadsheet report had some lovely pictures of the wooden lecture theatre and a handful of women students in uniform studiously taking …
Request for help: The Historical Genesis of Manual Therapy
This post comes from Cameron MacDonald, IPHA Exec member, who trained originally in Australia and has been a practicing clinician and researcher in the USA. Cameron is currently working on a Ph.D. provisionally titled: Identifying the basis of manual therapy for the physiotherapy, chiropractic, medical and osteopathic professions: Is there …
Fysiotherapie in perspectief, 50 jaar verleden – heden
Physiotherapy in Perspective, 50 years past – present The Stichting Gescheidenis Fysiotherapie (SGF) (History of Physiotherapy Foundation) of the Netherlands, through 2018 to 2021 published a series of short historical articles in the journal PhysioPraxis. The series was titled “Physiotherapy in Perspective, 50 years past – present”. With great thanks …
Introduction of General Management into the UK NHS – CSP Response
The introduction of General Management into the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK) which commenced in 1983/1984 was one of the most extensive and radical sets of changes to have taken place in the Service during its 73-year history. Arguably, the Griffiths recommendations which brought general management …
Significant Landmarks in UK Physiotherapy Through Official Memorobilia
Historical Notes and Personal Reminiscences 1994 was a significant date in the history of physiotherapy in the British Isles; it was the celebration of the Centenary of the founding of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). It was during the summer of 1894 that four nurses and midwives, Lucy Robinson, …