History of Physical Therapy- Liz Rapp By lizrapp Sep 16, 1813 The institute of Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics was founded and offered massage, manipulation, and exercise. Sep 16, 1881 The first modren Physical Therapy School is opened Sep 16, 1894 Polio epidemic broke out causing an increased need of Physical Therapist Sep 16, 1917 Physical Therapy was used mainly to help WWI patients Sep 16, 1940 Massage, exercise and traction were the common practices of Physical Therapists Sep 16, 1946 The American Physiotherapy Association(APA) changed its name to the American Physical Therapy Association(APTA) Sep 16, 1950 Physical Therapy started treating patients outside of hospitals Sep 16, 1954 The first national Physical Therapy exam was given Sep 16, 1967 The APTA creates a policy to approve the training of Physical Therapists Sep 16, 1974 The manual therapy was popularized worldwide