History of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy originated as a professional group that dated back to Per Henrik Ling, who is known as the “father of Swedish gymnastics.” He founded the royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in the year 1813 for massage, manipulation and exercise. In 1851, the term “Physiotherapy” first appeared in its German form “Physiotherapie” in an article written by Dr. Lorenz Gleich, a military physician from Bavaria. In an English article published in Montreal Medical Journal in the year 1894, Dr. Edward Playter used the word “Physiotherapy.” With time, the word “Physiotherapie” changed to “Physiotherapy” and then to “Physical therapy.”