Tag: history
Ukraine’s Short History of Physical Therapy
Before the restoration of Ukraine’s Independence in 1991, rehabilitation occurred within the Soviet paradigm, which set itself in opposition to Western ideology – not out of rational consideration, but out of the need to be …
The Making of World Physiotherapy
On the 8th September 1951, delegates representing seventeen national physiotherapy associations met in Copenhagen, Denmark to establish the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT); now World Physiotherapy. Seventy-five years later it represents more than 600,000 …
History Quiz
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of World Physiotherapy (formerly the World Confederation for Physical Therapy – WCPT) on 8 September 2026, we’ve created a special 75-question challenge to put your knowledge of the profession to …
Goniometer: An Instrumental Revolution in the Transition from Profession to Physiotherapy Science
The goniometer, as a fundamental measurement tools in physiotherapy, has played a pivotal role in transforming the field from a manual profession into a scientifically grounded discipline. Its application has enabled the objectification of therapeutic …
Australia’s First Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy emerged from nursing and hospitals in the United Kingdom, and later physical education and the military in the United States. In contrast, physiotherapy began in Australia in private practice. Migrants, predominantly British, brought their …
The Birth of Women’s Health
In 1912, Dr John Shields Fairbairn, a leading consultant obstetrician at St Thomas Maternity Hospital, London, commenced a program to revolutionise the medical approach to child delivery. He aimed to replace the 19th century medical …
100 Years of Enraf-Nonius
Enraf-Nonius is a Dutch medical equipment manufacturer celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. For many physiotherapists Enraf-Nonius have provided the equipment used across entire careers, and so they have grown in parallel with the profession. Founded …
Embracing Bias in Physiotherapy History
Modern medical research dictates that studies with a potential for bias be identified and excluded from a systematic review. Historical research approaches dictate the opposite. The more bias that is present in a study, the …
Seventy Years of Studenthood
Studying physiotherapy was as beautiful as it was difficult. Every physiotherapist was at some point a student; a period of their lives full of unique but familiar experiences. We asked physiotherapists from around the world …
Dutch News
Thanks to the efforts of the Dutch History of Physiotherapy Foundation (Stichting Gescheidenis Fysiotherapie – SGF) all Royal Dutch Society for Physiotherapy (Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie) journals are now digitally accessible. Articles beginning from …