Polio & The Development of the Field of Physical Therapy

I just wanted to share this remarkable article by Donald A. Neumann, PT, PhD in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2004 Volume:34 Issue:8 Pages:479–492  titled: Historical Perspective—Polio: Its Impact on the People of the United States and the Emerging Profession of Physical Therapy showing how the field of physical therapy emerged as a profession as a result of to address the public health challenge posed by the epidemic of polio in the first part of the 20th century in the United States.

Writes the author: "the polio epidemic was one of the most influential factors to transform a profession of revered ‘‘reconstruction aides’’ of the First World War era ... to a profession of physical therapists as recognized today. From the design of the Hubbard tank to the evolution of manual muscle testing, our response to treating persons with polio has left many permanent impressions on the practice of physical therapy, both technical and philosophical"

Article Abstract: 

Admittedly, it may appear incongruous that a review of a disease that infected the nervous system of persons in the first half of the twentieth century would appear in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy at the start of the twenty-first century. As will be described, however, most of the physical therapy procedures developed during the polio epidemic involved muscles and their interaction with the skeletal system. Many of the treatments and rehabilitation philosophies created during this time are still very evident today. The “polio days” presented an enormous challenge and an equally enormous opportunity for the budding profession of physical therapy.
Much of the growth had to do with timing. Managing the rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands of persons, many in the prime of their own lives or careers, required just the services that a physical therapist could potentially provide. In essence, the polio epidemic created a unique void in the medical arena-a void that was filled by the rapid expansion of the profession of physical therapy.
A full appreciation of the impact that the polio epidemic had on the profession requires a history lesson of the many interrelated and concurrent events that transpired in this country between 1916 and 1955. Within these turbulent times, the United States experienced 2 world wars, the Great Depression, the Korean War, and the insidious rise and swift fall of the polio epidemic-one of the most significant public health epidemics ever to strike the United States. For more than 2 decades leading up to the success of the Salk vaccine in 1955, the treatment and care of persons with polio dominated virtually every aspect of the physical therapy profession.
The full story of how the growth, politics, philosophy, and even “personality” of physical therapy were shaped by the interactions between physical therapists and those infected by polio has been well chronicled. Two notable works are a recent article by Dr Marilyn Moffat and a very well presented text, Healing the Generations: A History of Physical Therapy and the American Physical Therapy Association, by Ms Wendy Murphy. This present historical review, intentionally less global than the aforementioned works, focuses more on the poliovirus itself, its impact on those it infected, and, most importantly, on several important lessons and benefits gained by the profession's steadfast involvement with the epidemic.
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2004;34(8):479–492. doi:10.2519/jospt.2004.0301

Keyword: polio, physical therapy