A ORIGEM E EVOLUÇÃO DA FISIOTERAPIA: DA ANTIGUIDADE AO RECONHECIMENTO PROFISSIONAL

Abstract

Physiotherapy has its foundation in antiquity (it was Hippocrates, the father of medicine who used for the first time the term "Rehabilitation Medicine”), it is a profession in the health field, considered as a field of professional activity. Since the beginning, it has been used empirically and throughout its history, it has followed the changes and transformations of the 20th century. It was in Europe, the emergence of the first schools, first in Germany and then in England. In Brazil, with laws, decrees andamendments, they gained professional legality, conferring rights and duties. Currently, the physiotherapist training process is aimed at developing general skills and abilities for health care, such as prevention, health promotion and protection actions, in addition to individual and collective rehabilitation. This work aimed to show the evolution of physiotherapy considering three major subdivisions of human history: periods before the First World War (Antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Industrialization), periods of the great wars and contemporary period. The methodology used was through searches of bibliographic references in electronic databases. The study inclusion criterion was the approach of themes related to the issues of the evolution of Physiotherapy and professional recognition. Articles available in full in Portuguese and English were used for the search. It concludes that physiotherapy, throughout history, has been strengthening the recognition of the importance of the profession, establishing functions to body movement, but also enhancing functions to the subject as a person. The changes were positive, both professionally and academically. The physiotherapist is present at all scales with all areas growing.