Who invented physical therapy

The Physical Therapy Association of Georgia awarded her the Education Achievement Award in for her commitment to student growth and the advancement of research, as well as her focus on evidence-based care. In a career packed with achievements, perhaps the most important contribution Woodruff made before her death was helping to diversify the PT profession.

Enid Graham trained in both Europe and the United States, which provided her with a keen, well-rounded understanding of the benefits of rehabilitation. However, few of her Canadian colleagues shared this viewpoint, underscoring her desire to devote her career and life to the development of physiotherapy in Canada.

Graham believed physiotherapy would bring many benefits to civilians—not just those in the military. Graham helped persuade the Montreal Society that the general Canadian population would benefit from nationwide practice and education standards, and in , the Canadian Association of Massage and Remedial Gymnastics CAMRG was formed with Graham as one of its charter members.

Despite losing her husband when he was just 38 years old, she pushed forward with her vision of university-based physiotherapy education, and she helped establish a physiotherapy school at the University of Toronto. While physiotherapists in Canada were initially poorly trained, bereft of rank or recognition, and lacking appropriate compensation for their value, Graham worked tirelessly to change this. By the time WWII came about, military leaders finally recognized the value of physiotherapy to returning soldiers.

Her impact on establishing practices, standards, and a Code of Ethics for PT practice in Canada cannot be overstated. Helen Hislop is on the list for her countless contributions to the literary and academic sides of the physical therapy world.

She served as the editor of Physical Therapy from to , during which time the content and circulation of the journal more than doubled. In that talk, Hislop delivered a compelling message about the importance of establishing standards for clinical performance, producing outstanding PT scholars, and elevating the role of the physical therapy professional. Hislop always made a point to push the physical therapy profession toward excellence.

Her editorial pieces called for an embracement of technology, and she encouraged PT professionals to become true academicians and professionals, supporting the idea of clinical residencies.

Together with Dr. Herman Kabat, a neurophysiologist and physician, Knott developed the philosophy, principles, and techniques of the PNF approach during the s. The early focus of PNF was hands-on treatment designed to improve movement patterns in patients with neurological impairments especially multiple sclerosis and poliomyelitis , but PNF techniques were also successfully applied to patients with later occurring musculoskeletal impairments.

Knott and Kabat later became world-famous for both practicing and teaching the PNF approach. The book has seen multiple updates and revisions over the years, with additional contributors sharing their insight and ultimately carrying the torch with new titles.

While other influential PTs might tie with Knott on the overall professional influence scale, her impact on the world of PNF is simply unmatched. Throughout her 94 years, Dr. Jacquelin Perry made major strides in the PT world—namely in gait analysis—before moving into medicine and taking a stance as a staunch ally to the physical therapy profession. She originally trained as a physical therapist at Walter Reed Army Hospital from to Perry was a rockstar in the surgical world, with bragging rights as the first surgeon to attempt a complete spinal fusion.

This procedure was intended to restore breathing and mobility to patients with life-threatening spinal curvatures resulting from polio. It was only in the late s that physical therapists started treating the patients beyond hospitals.

In , many doctors in the United States specialized in physical therapy. Further development in the field of physiotherapy was recorded in the s , when the use of computers became prevalent in Medical Science.

Various devices, such as electrical stimulators, were introduced for practising physiotherapy, which increased the effectiveness of the treatment. During the next two decades, the profession of physical therapy increasingly diversified. Specializations, such as cardiopulmonary physical therapy , skin therapy , neurological therapy and sports therapy , were recognized by APTA , and the discipline continued to become more widely regarded.

Today, physiotherapy is used to treat a variety of ailments and conditions. As computers became more prevalent in the medical world, the field of physiotherapy evolved even further. The advent of the electronics age made possible by ever smaller components allowed for the introduction of new devices to use in therapy.

Electrical stimulators as well as ultrasounds are examples of some of the devices that increased effectiveness in treatment. While the field of Orthopedics has continued to grow in effective treatments and therapy, another area of specialization has formed. Murphy W. With vision, faith, and courage, Lyme: Greenwich Publishing Group Inc; Licht SH.

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