MECHANICAL MEDICINE Exploring the History of Healing by Exercise, Manipulation and Massage. 23 May 2019, Science Museum, London. A symposium at the Science Museum, London, organised by Dr Kay Nias (Medicine Galleries Research Fellow). ‘Physical medicine’ or ‘physical therapy’ has ancient origins. For thousands of years, people with illnesses and disabilities have been treated with physio-therapeutic techniques including exercise, manipulation and massage, as well as air, water, heat and cold, electricity and light. These various healing methods have rich and diverse histories that span time, cultures and medical traditions. While documentary evidence representing the … [Read more...] about Call for Papers: Mechanical medicine – Exploring the History of Healing by Exercise, Manipulation and Massage.
The cult of the hero
Having talked with people about my last blog entry (Exercising our demons, 16th May 2010), one of the most interesting conversations centred around physiotherapy’s fascination with its heros; the ‘big names’ in the profession that are made famous by their inventions and innovations. The last blog entry touched on this only briefly, and only in the sense that I expressed my dislike for the naked evangelizing of some of the speakers at our conference. But there is a bigger point here that deserves consideration, because - as a couple of my colleagues pointed out - physiotherapy really does suffer, at times, from the cult of the hero. … [Read more...] about The cult of the hero
Touching on something important
In a fantastic comment on my latest blogpost in this mini-series looking at the innate and largely unspoken sensuality of physical therapy, Eric Kruger posted up a video from Youtube which shows Ken Cole and Rajesh Khemraj in a tutorial looking at the SI Joint at a 2014 NAIOMT Annual General Meeting (link to the original post and Youtube video here). In the comment, Eric concentrated on the question of the power asymmetry that exists in therapeutic practice. I wanted to extend this discussion on a little here, so iIf you haven't read it already, I strongly advise looking at it before reading on. Lets take a moment to deconstruct the video Eric posted up a little. Here we have three … [Read more...] about Touching on something important
History of spinal manipulation in New Zealand
The mysterious manipulator performing unpleasant-looking cervical traction in the picture I posted on the blog a few days ago was Jennifer Hickling, one of James Cyriax's physiotherapists, who traveled from England to New Zealand in 1954 and sparked the interest of a young Stan Paris, who subsequently set off in the early 1960s to work with Grieve, Stoddard and Kaltenborn in Europe before returning to New Zealand and being part of a renaissance in manipulative physiotherapy that has lasted nearly 50 years. New Zealand physiotherapists are rightly proud of their pioneers of spinal mobilisation and manipulation: Stan Paris, Rob McKenzie, Brian Mulligan, Michael Monaghan, Mark Laslett, and … [Read more...] about History of spinal manipulation in New Zealand
Neck manipulation c.1960 – but who is the physiotherapist?
Massage in Sciatica from 1886
From The Lancet, June 26 1886, p.1232 Professor Max Schüller of Berlin is convinced (Deutsche Med. Wochensch., No. 24) of the superiority of massage over other measures employed in the treatment of sciatica, and relates his experience of fifteen cases--all in males, and, except in one or two instances (which were traumatic), due to exposure to cold. Most of the cases were dealt with from the first by massage ; but in a few instances electricity, vapour baths, &c., had been fruitlessly employed prior to coming under his care. The modus operandi is as follows. The patient lies on the unaffected side with knees and hips slightly flexed. The course of the sciatic nerve is rubbed from … [Read more...] about Massage in Sciatica from 1886