We Have Much to Celebrate on CPA’s Seventieth Anniversary

By Brenda Myers

Since 1920, when a group of physiotherapists got together to incorporate an association which would represent their small, relatively unknown profession, there has been a phenomenal amount of change on all fronts: Canada now stands as one of the leaders in the industrialized world; our universal health care system serves as a model for many countries around the globe; and the physiotherapy profession enjoys a high profile in Canada’s health care delivery system.

In 1995, as physiotherapists, we celebrate the success of our profession in its ongoing ability to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of a continuously developing health care sector.

The Diamond Jubilee celebration lasts all year, but the focal point is National Physiotherapy Week, April 23-29. CPA members across Canada will promote their profession by giving free clinics, holding open houses and appearing on radio and television.

Our 75th Anniversary theme, "Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future," is appropriate for several reasons. It relates to the evolving role of physiotherapists in Canada’s health care system. Physiotherapists have helped Canadians achieve their highest level of physical function for more than 75 years. They will continue in this important role, but are increasingly involved in promoting good health.

I believe our Diamond Jubilee is an occasion for our members to celebrate their profession and to reflect on the contribution physiotherapists have made to the health of Canadians. Given the changing times we live in, both from personal and professional perspectives, the main focus of the year will be on the latter part of the slogan -- "shaping the future."

However, a look back can be appropriate and it is interesting to note that physiotherapy in some form has been around for more than 2,000 years.

Physiotherapy originated with ancient Chinese practitioners who used massage for treating many ailments. Hippocrates, in 380 BC, observed that "a physician should be skilled in many things, but assuredly also in rubbing." The earliest record of corrective exercises for children is in a book published in Paris in the early 18th century by Nicholas Andry, in which he describes massage and exercises for the prevention and correction of disabilities in children. Eighty years later, Dr. John Shaw of London advocated graduated exercises and massage for spinal curvatures in children.

However, the greatest impetus towards massage and physiotherapy came from Sweden. Peter Henry Ling (1775-1839) is considered the father of physiotherapy.

In Canada, the history of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association parallels that of the profession in Canada.

On March 24, 1920, a group of 70 physiotherapists, based mostly in Toronto and Montreal, formed the Canadian Association of Masseuses and Remedial Gymnasts. Its name was changed to the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in 1935. The impetus for founding the association came from a small group of therapists involved in the rehabilitation of Canadian servicemen who had been shipped home to recover from injuries received during World War I.

Because there were few trained therapists in Canada before the war -- a one-year program at McGill University, started in 1915, was the only Canadian physiotherapy course at the time --therapists from Britain helped establish a professional six-month course at the Military School of Orthopaedic Surgery and Physical Therapy (known informally as "Hart House") in Toronto. By 1919, 250 people had been trained.

Following the initial surge of interest in rehabilitation that had occurred as a result of the war, many of these newly trained therapists turned to other interests in the post-war era. But in 1929, a two-year course in physiotherapy was instituted at the University of Toronto, and membership in CPA began to grow.

During World War II, more than one-third of CPA members were enrolled in the Canadian Medical Corps, holding the rank of commissioned officers and serving in every area where Canadian troops were in action.

During and after the war, with more and more of the injured returning to Canada, there was a chronic shortage of physiotherapists. Several new physiotherapy programs opened at universities across the country. (There are now 13 undergraduate physiotherapy programs at Canadian universities, with many of these institutions offering graduate programs.)

The 1950s, ’60s and ’70s were years of expansion for the association, with our membership increasing to 7,300 members in 10 provinces and two territories.

Now, in 1995, we can celebrate the success of the physiotherapy profession in its ongoing ability to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of a continuously developing health care sector.

The fact that our profession, represented by our national association, has survived and flourished all these years is a tribute to the many members from coast to coast who have stepped forward to take on the responsibilities of leadership roles at all levels of CPA. These are the people who have ensured that CPA remains relevant and resilient.

I invite you to attend special events organized by CPA members during National Physiotherapy Week and our Diamond Jubilee year to get a clearer idea of the important role physiotherapists play in the health care field.

(Brenda Myers is Executive Director of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.)