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460
Earliest forms of physical therapy
Hippocrates advocated massage and Hector used hydrotherapy (water therapy) in 460 B.C. -
Earliest Document
The earliest documented origins of actual physical therapy as a professional group was when nurses in England formed the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.2 -
First started in the United States
In the United States, Physical Therapy began in 1914 at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC -
New term used for the name "physical therapy"
The term "Reconstruction Aide" was used to refer to individuals practicing physical therapy. -
First school of physical therapy established
The first school of physical therapy was established at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washtington D.C. following the outbreak of World War I. -
Profession was offically validated
The partnership of physical therapists with the medical and surgical communities grew, and the profession of physical therapy gained public recognition and validation -
Research first published in United States
The first physical therapy research was published in the United States of the first edition of The PT Review. -
First group organized
Mary McMillan first organized the Physical Therapy Association, which eventually changed its name to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). -
Physical Therapy used as threatment for polio
The Georgia Warm Springs Foundation promoted the field by touting physical therapy as a treatment for polio. -
New treatments were being used
Treatments for physical therapy primarily consisted of exercise, massage, and traction. -
Moved beyond hospitals
Physical Therapists started to move beyond hospital based practices into clinics, rehabilitation centers, etc. -
New procedures were developed
Manipulative procedures to the spine and extremity joints began to be practiced, especially in the British Commonwealth countries. -
Specialization for Physical Therapy
Specialization for Physical Therapy in the United States occurred with the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA being formed for those Physical Therapists specializing in Orthopedics. -
AAOMPT was developed
Norwegian manual therapist Freddy Kaltenborne helped create the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT). -
Computerized advances are approved
Advances have continued to grow, with computerized modalities such as ultrasound, electric stimulators, and iontophoresis with the latest advances in therapeutic cold laser, which gained FDA approval in the United States.