American Kinesiotherapy Commemorates 75th Anniversary of “Improvement Through Movement.”
Washington, D.C. — April 2021: Kinesiotherapy, one of the oldest therapeutic disciplines, announces the celebration of its 75th anniversary year as a profession.
Founded in 1946 on the battlefield of WWII, Kinesiotherapy (formerly Corrective Therapy) was created by U.S. Surgeon General Major Norman T. Kirk and Dr. Howard Rusk, early pioneers in the emerging field of rehabilitation medicine. With the increased survival of troops suffering from illness or injury, there was a great demand to return soldiers to active duty. Corrective physical reconditioning units were established to enhance this process.
The American Kinesiotherapy Association (AKTA), formerly the Association of Physical and Mental Rehabilitation, was created to support the rehabilitative services of Registered Kinesiotherapists (RKT) while promoting the health and wellness of all populations including Veterans and individuals with functional limitations.
“Kinesiotherapy is unlike any other medical fitness or therapeutic discipline because it encompasses the whole body” said Kendall Noble, president-elect of the AKTA. “RKT’s are educated and trained on behavior change in addition to physical rehabilitation.” Kinesiotherapists continue where traditional therapy ends – taking the client from injury or illness to whole-health.”
In recognition of 75 years of the profession of Kinesiotherapy, the AKTA is highlighting a few of the specialties that encompasses the best of their modalities. These include:
- Adaptive Sports including working with amputees and Para-Olympic athletes
- Aquatics
- Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Driver Training Rehabilitation
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
The foundation of Kinesiotherapy is in the administration of musculoskeletal, neurological, ergonomic, biomechanical, psychosocial and task specific functional tests, culminating in behavioral and physical modifications.
Dr. Timothy Silver, former Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGuire Veterans Affairs Hospital in Richmond, Virginia said, “Having an exercise physiology background makes kinesiotherapists (RKT) well suited for additional sub-specialization in many areas. We have RKTs who provide cardiac and pulmonary rehab, aquatic therapy, driver training, and functional capacity evaluations. The versatile nature of kinesiotherapists makes them well suited for interdisciplinary patient care.”
The American Kinesiotherapy Association is a nonprofit, member based organization committed to the support of all Registered Kinesiotherapists across the country. To learn more visit www.akta.org.
Contact:
Kathy Camp
AKTA Executive Director
ExecutiveDirector@akta.org
