Animal Physical Therapists

From the early days of agriculture, it’s likely that farmers used basic forms of animal physical therapy (e.g., therapeutic massage, thermotherapy) to try to heal domesticated animals such as horses and cows that had been injured. But it was not until more recent times that animal care and rehabilitation became established professions. The origins of the related fields of veterinary science and human physical therapy can be traced to the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively.

In the 20th century, Charles Strong, a London-based physiotherapist (a term used for physical therapist in the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries) and the personal physiotherapist of the British Royal Family, adopted the use of variable electrical currents to treat muscle and joint injuries in horses. In 1967, he published a book on physical therapy for horses, and was knighted by the Royal Family for his groundbreaking work. In 1984, the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy was founded in the United Kingdom. It is considered the first special interest group that was created to promote the use of physiotherapy in animals. Today, animal therapy associations and special interest groups exist in many countries, including Canada, The Netherlands, Australia, Finland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and the United States.