Learn About Physical Therapy

Learn the science of movement rehabilitation — musculoskeletal assessment, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and how physical therapists restore function after injury and surgery.

Physical therapy as a formal profession emerged during World War I, when "reconstruction aides" (almost exclusively women) were trained to rehabilitate wounded soldiers, and the American Physical Therapy Association was founded in 1921. The profession has shifted toward direct access in many U.S. states, allowing patients to see a physical therapist without a physician referral — a change supported by research showing that early PT reduces opioid use, decreases healthcare costs, and improves outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions. Neurological physical therapy has been transformed by the concept of neuroplasticity, with constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), developed by Edward Taub in the 1990s, demonstrating that forcing use of a stroke-affected limb can rewire brain pathways and restore function even years after injury.

Superlore makes learning about Physical Therapy effortless with AI-generated audio lessons. Listen during your commute, workout, or downtime — and absorb complex ideas at your own pace. Every lesson includes citations so you can dive deeper into the sources.