Physical rehabilitation is a therapeutic program designed to assist patients who have experienced significant life changes due to undergoing an illness, injury, or surgical procedure. In short, it is a step-by-step process toward recovery. While the primary goal of physical rehabilitation is to restore independence, it also addresses physical limitations and adjustments expected to impact the individual’s life in the future.

It might be tempting to regard physical rehabilitation therapy as a modern concept, but its practice actually dates back thousands of years. In fact, Hippocrates, also known as the “father of medicine,” advocated physical rehabilitation with innovative therapies of his time, including hydrotherapy and massage. However, global acceptance and formalized training in this field didn’t occur until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Finally, by the early 1920s, research into the potential benefits of physical therapy took off and several key physical rehabilitation organizations sprung up. This may be due in part to reports of the successful physical rehabilitation in American children who had been afflicted with polio.