The designation "Physiotherapist" appears at the beginning of the 20th century. Until 1957, this designation was used as a medical specialty, which was later replaced by Physiatrist, or specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The training of professionals (not doctors) as Physiotherapists began in 1957, through the "rehabilitation courses" created by Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML). The first responsible for the Physiotherapy course was Miss Anne Cepik, a Physiotherapist from the United States of America (USA). The first Physiotherapists were trained by professionals from the USA, Denmark and Great Britain.
On the 12th November 1960 the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists was created.
The first trained Physical Therapists had complementary training in the USA and from 1963 onwards Portuguese Physical Therapists took part. These Rehabilitation courses led to the creation of the Alcoitão Rehabilitation School, in 1966, integrated in the Alcoitão Rehabilitation and Medical Center. Also in 1966, the Portaria 22034, of June 4th 1966, marks the introduction of the "Professional Title of Physiotherapist" in Portugal.
In the first years of this profession, the dominant lines of training of Physiotherapists and performance of the respective function followed two great lines: At Santa Casa da Misericórdia, with the creation of the Rehabilitation courses and later the Alcoitão Rehabilitation School, and at the State Hospitals, with the creation of the courses of Physiotherapy assistant and Physiotherapist technician. It is also important to mention the specific training in the overseas territories and in the military area.
At the beginning of the 70's, the restructuring of the Health system, by the publication of the Law Decree 414/71, of 27th September, where the career of "Technical Therapist" was created, where the access was limited to the professionals with the "Professional Title of Physiotherapist".
In 1977, it is created the short term higher education ( Decreto Lei nº 427-B/77 ). Following this, the Alcoitão Rehabilitation School was included as higher education training.
Despite the attempt to maintain Physiotherapy as a Higher Education qualification, the Escolas Técnicas dos Serviços de Sáude de Lisboa, Porto and Coimbra were created in 1982, which included the training of Physiotherapy technicians. In 1985, the evolution of the professional career replaced the denomination "Técnico Auxiliar dos Serviços Complementares" by "Técnico de Diagnóstico e Terapêutica", which had 18 professions.
The new plan of studies in Physiotherapy came into force in the academic year 1990/1991 at the Escola de Reabilitação do Alcoitão. In 1993, the Higher Schools of Health Technologies of Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra were created and integrated in the national educational system of Polytechnic Higher Education.
In 1993, Decree-Law nº 415/93, of 23rd December, integrates Physiotherapy in Higher Education.
From 1999, the Department of Human Resources for Health (now ACSS) made it compulsory for holders of the Physiotherapy Course to have a Professional Register.
At the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the century, the number of Physiotherapy Teaching Institutions grew considerably, with the creation of 11 institutions between 1997 and 2009.
In 2004, the "Report on the Implementation of the Bologna Process at National Level, by Knowledge Areas - Health Technologies" (Lopes.A, 2004) proposes that the first cycle, in the Bologna model, should last 4 years, corresponding to 240 ECTS.