Tag: profession

Physiotherapy is Handling: Then and Now

The seminal paper “Physiotherapy is Handling” was presented by Joyce Williams at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) Founders’ Lecture at the CSP Annual Congress in 1985 and was reproduced in the Physiotherapy Journal in

The New Zealand Private Practice Boom

In the years before 1974, private physiotherapy practices were few and far between in New Zealand. Patients either paid the full cost of treatment themselves, or claimed against private insurance schemes which had highly unregulated

Mildred Elson

The Mother of #GlobalPT

The hashtag #GlobalPT emerged on the social media network Twitter at the World Confederation of Physical Therapy (now World Physiotherapy) Congress in Capetown, South Africa in 2017.  It worked to connect digital commentary and build

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 &

The “Grandfather” of New Zealand Physiotherapy

In 1921, when the presence of men within the massage profession was still largely frowned upon, Matthew Guinan was the 77th masseur to be registered with the New Zealand Masseurs Registration Board.  His registration was

Member Malaise in 1921

It is 102 years since the first editions of The P.T. Review were published. A periodical which would become the Journal of Physical Therapy, now PTJ. Taking the time to step back and immerse ourselves

Britain’s Napoleonic Sailors and the Luxury of Physiotherapy

The physical therapies of massage, exercise, heat/ice, electricity, light, etc., have existed for thousands of years across all civilisations, but it was not until the 20th century that physiotherapy emerged as a significant and unique

Bonesetters of Brittany

Forty Years of Dutch Manual Therapy

Introduction The 40th anniversary of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Manuele Therapie (NVMT) in 2021 was a trigger for this historical review by Huub Vossen and Anton de Wijer.  Their writings were translated to English via

100 Objects of Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a profession synonymous with its hands, however there is much equipment we also use. The 100 Objects of Physiotherapy project aims to tell a story of the profession through the tools that it

Time for Change

Fifty years ago the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) elected its first physiotherapist President.  Previously the APA had always been presided over by a medical practitioner; which seemed perfectly natural when medical referrals were required for

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