Sister Kenny

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"Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sister Kenny conducting a class for doctors and nurses at the Elizabeth Kenny Institute. The patient is Harry Higginbothom of Dallas, Texas" from Jack Delano. February 1943, Library of Congress.
Sister Elizabeth Kenny began practicing a new method of therapy for those suffering from polio. Her physical therapy encouraged her patients to move and work to rebuild their muscle strength. The previous treatment left patients immobilized with little emphasis on movement, usually leading to little/no chance of recovery. Kenny faced a lot of discrimination both for being a woman and for developing a new treatment. Eventually, the "Sister Kenny Method" became the norm for treating polio.

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