Pharmaceuticals and Physical Therapy: Movement with Medication

Course Description

Course Description:

Physical therapy and pharmacology have operated alongside each other for thousands of years. Physical therapy has been traced to ancient Greek civilizations, with Hippocrates in particular promoting medical treatment with massage application, manual therapy and hydrotherapy dating back to around 400 B.C. (Wharton, 1991). As a professional entity, physical therapy has existed for approximately 200 years, dating back to Per Henrik Ling and the Royal Institute for Gymnastics in Sweden. Pharmacology has also developed alongside humanity since ancient times, with recorded application on or before 1550 B.C., across a number of cultures around the world. The term pharmacology means “the study of medicine or the study of remedy and poison” (Watkins, 2013, p. 4). Over the course of human history, “healers,” also known as shamans, witch doctors, and/or medicine men and women, were sought after due to their knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants. Modern pharmacology is earmarked around 1800, when scientists were able to sequester the pure chemicals needed from specific plants.