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Sep 17, 1500
The Invention of Prosthesis
During the Renaissance, prosthetics developed with the use of iron, steel, copper, and wood. Functional prosthetics began to make an appearance in the 1500. Although they began in the 1500s, they have greatly advanced and are no longer made with heavy substances. They are much lighter for patients and are more appealing to the eye also. They help patients function better, as they work to do the job of the missing body part. -
The Invention of the Bath Wheelchair
In 1783, John Dawson, invented a wheelchair and named it after the town in England he lived in; which was the town known as Bath. Dawson designed the chair with two large wheels and one small one. The Bath wheelchair outsold all other wheelchairs throughout the early part of the 19th century. -
The Invention of the Crutch
In 1917, Emile Schlick patented the first walking stick. The walking stick had a support for the upper arm to rest on. The walking stick went on to further update the crutch, making it adjustable to fit patients of different heights. Crutches are important in the physical therapy field when patients recover from knee surgeries, accidents, and broken bones. Crutches are still greatly used in our society today. -
The Invention of the Dynamometer
W. C. Dillon invented the dynamometer in 1937. A dynamometer or "dyno" for short, is a device for measuring force, torque, or power. In rehabilitation, dynamometers are used for measuring the back, grip, arm, and/or leg strength of athletes, patients, and workers to evaluate physical status, performance, and task demands. -
The Invention of the Excercise Machine
The 1960s saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Weight training became increasingly popular in the 1970s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie "Pumping Iron." Excercise machines are greatly used in phyiscal therapy settings to help gain movement and to build muscle stregnth. -
The Invention of the Swiss Ball
An excercise ball is a ball constructed of soft elastic. This simple invention is used greatly in the feild physical therapy. The ball is often referred to as a Swiss Ball because the balls were used when American physical therapists began to use those techniques with it in North America after witnessing their benefits in Switzerland. The excercise ball or Swiss Ball is used to this day in physical therapy settings in helping patients recover. -
The Invention of Laser Therapy
In 1967 a few years after the first working laser was invented, Endre Mester in Budapest, Hungary experimented with the effects of lasers on skin cancer. While applying lasers to the backs of shaven mice, he noticed that the shaved hair grew back more quickly on the treated group than the untreated group. Then laser therapy was born. Doctors will suggest a course of laser treatment for many inflammatory and pain-generating orthopedic conditions, such as tendonitis, bursitis, nerve entrapment, -
The Invention of the Ice Pack
In 1971, Jacob Spencer invented the ice pack. Jacob Spencer submitted an application for the nation's first patent involving a flexible gel application for hot and cold therapy. Patented in 1973 and the first Reusable Hot / Cold Gel Pack was born. -
The Invention of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
The first modern, patient-wearable TENS was patented in the United States in 1974. The electrodes were attached to an implanted receiver, which received its power from an antenna worn on the surface of the skin. Although intended only for testing tolerance to electrical stimulation, many of the patients said they received so much relief from the TENS itself that they never returned for the implant. -
The Invention of the Excercise Mat
In 1982, Angela Farmer, a yoga teacher in Germany; used carpet underlay the size of a towel during yoga sessions to make the experience more enjoyable. She later returned home to London with the material. Angela's father, Richard Farmer, contacted the German padding manufacturer and became the first retailer of "sticky mats"; which were later known as yoga or excercise mats.
