Prvi počeci medicine su bili nagonska borba. Medicinom su se u povijesti većinom bavili svećenici. Najvažnije povijesne ličnosti medicine su bili Galen i Hipokrat. Filozofi Platon i Aristotel su također imali velikih zasluga za medicinu. Srednji vijek se smatra najvažnijim u povijesti kulture i medicine zbog propasti Zapadnog Rimskog Carstva. Razvoju medicine pridonijela su i prirodna otkrića, kao što je otkriće RTG zraka i radija, te je zahvaljujući tim otkrićima i razvojem računala medicina postala onakva kakvu je mi danas poznajemo. Opći napredak čovječanstva pa i medicine započinje u 16. stoljeću. Razvoj fizioterapije također počinje u doba Galena i Hipokrata. Fizioterapija pravi razvoj ostvaruje tek u 19. stoljeću zbog ratova koji su povećali broj osoba kojima treba pomoć fizioterapeuta.

The beginning of medicine was an impulsive struggle. The priests were practicing medicine in history. The most important historical figures of medicine were Galen and Hippocrates. Philosophers Plato and Aristoteles also had great merit for medicine. The Middle Ages is considered the most important in the history of culture and medicine because of the collapse od Western Roman Empire. Natural discoveries, such as X-rays and radius have also contributed to the development of medicine, and thanks to these discoveries as well as the development of computers, medicine has become as we know it today. The general progress of humanity and medicine begins in the 16th century. The development of physiotherapy also begins at the time of Galen an Hippocrates. Physiotherapy real development is realized only in the 19th century because of the constant wars that have increased the number of people whoo need the helps of a physical therapist.