National Physical Therapy Timeline
460 BC
The father of medicine documented physical therapy
Hippocrates introduced the idea of manual manipulation for pain relief.
1887
Physical therapy was officially recognized
Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare officially registered physical therapists.
1921
Therapists got organized
Mary MacMillan, the first physical therapy aide, established the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association, which would later become today’s American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
The 70s
Specialized therapies emerged
After orthopedic manipulative therapy gained recognition, more and more highly specialized fields appeared, including cardiopulmonary physical therapy, skin therapy, and sports therapy.
1992
A week became a month
National Physical Therapy Week, which was first observed in June of 1981, became National Physical Therapy Month.
Recommended Reading: Mary McMillan – The Mother of Physical Therapy (written by Mary Farrell and Marta M. Mobley
Physical Therapy provides you the opportunity to practice self-awareness. Physical Therapy assists in correcting your posture, reducing your aches and pains, and can help you recover more quickly from injury or surgery.
We asked our PTs to share their thoughts and experiences on why they became and love being a PT. Their heartfelt responses show that this really is a profession worth celebrating!
Why I Became a Therapist
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“I love being a PT because as the patient undergoes the rehabilitation and recovery process, I get to witness a level of perseverance and will power rarely seen in everyday life. There is great personal reward and joy in knowing that I had a role in seeing the patient’s quality of life and function restored. — Kathy |
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I’m a PTA, and I love what I do. This job gives me the ability to educate and empower people about how to be physically aware of their bodies and health, and in turn improve their overall quality of life. — Kathryn |
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I love working in PT because I get to help people get back to the things they love to do. You feel good about what you do and why you do it. — Adan |
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The most rewarding aspect of being a PT is getting to build personal relationships with people, and then guiding them on the way to recovery to allow them to achieve their goals in returning to their hobbies or jobs. I view discharging people from therapy as bitter-sweet: Bitter because we must say goodbye to them at that point, but so sweet as they have accomplished their goals. — Chaula |
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Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a part of a healthcare team. I enjoy helping people improve their quality of life and function. Most rewarding, is the smile on people’s faces. — Reshma |
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Since graduating I have worked solely in outpatient orthopedics and love being a PT because I can work with the diverse population that makes up the Bay Area. I enjoy the flexibility and background to treat a vast array of injuries and conditions. — Jon |
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Being able to use knowledge to problem solve and help people improve their function is fun and rewarding. — Kinjal |
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I love the pure joy on an athlete’s face when they return to their sport for the first time after an injury. Also, the collaboration between different disciplines in an effort to provide the best care for our patients makes teamwork a common goal. You feel good about what you do and why you do it. — Vinita |
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It’s very fulfilling when someone says, “I’m feeling so much better” and they say it’s because of what I did for them. I always tell them, “we are here to guide you to do the right things, but it’s you, the patient, who does the work.” It feels good to have a positive impact on someone’s life who at one point was a total stranger. Having fun during this process also makes you feel you don’t work a single day. I am happy I can contribute to making someone’s life a little better. — Karlo |