Some interesting info on the origin of Physical Therapy in the US….
The first PT Association was formed in 1921 in the United States called the American Womens Physical Therapeutic Association and included 274 members.
By the end of he 1930s, the Association changed its name to the American Physiotherapy Association and at this time, men were allowed to join. This brought the membership up to a beaming 1,000.
The Polio Epidemic of the 40’s and 50’s brought a great demand to Physical Therapists and the PT Association grew to an astronomical 8,000 members. This in turn increased the number of PT educational programs to 39 throughout the US. It was also during this time that the Association changed it’s name to what is now known as the American Physical Therapy Association.
By the 1960s, the APTA increased to 15,000 members and over 50 educational programs in the US. The headquarters moved from NYC to Alexandria Virginia (and still stands there today). It is considered one of the most rapidly-growing therapy careers in the US.