May is National Physiotherapy Month!
Did you know that the Canadian Physiotherapy Association was founded in 1920, and was originally called The Canadian Association of Massage and Remedial Gymnastics? In 1935 it was renamed the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA).
During the First and Second World Wars, physiotherapists played a key role in rehabilitation of injured soldiers. During the Second World War, physiotherapists were even recruited as first officers in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Since 1946 Physiotherapy has been a regulated profession in British Columbia. In December, 1994 the College of Physical Therapists of BC (CPTBC) was born, and physical therapy was designated as a health profession under the Health Professions Act in BC.
With the creation of the CPTBC, Physiotherapists in BC were recognized as primary care providers, which meant a physician referral was no longer required to see a physiotherapist.
In the 1970’s, the standard for physiotherapy educational programs in Canada became a Bachelor’s degree, and since 2012 all educational programs in Canada have been Master’s level university degrees. In BC, the University of British Columbia is the only institution through which physiotherapists can obtain their Masters in Physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy continues to be an evolving profession. New research is published every day. At Kamloops Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of our profession. Between our 3 locations, we have 13 physiotherapists who provide a wide range of assessments and treatments, including:
- Manual therapy
- Sports therapy
- Dry needling and acupuncture
- Vestibular therapy
- Temporomandibular treatment
- Realtime ultrasound imaging
- Running assessment
- Chronic pain treatment
- Hand therapy
- Exercise prescription
To learn more about the history of physiotherapy in BC and in Canada, visit the Physiotherapy Association of BC’s website at www.bcphysio.org.
