The Romanian Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, with a history dating back 101 years, is the former Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology, recording significant achievements year after year. As might be expected in a country like Romania, rich in springs with thermal and mineral waters, the history of PRM here has its roots in the field of Balneology. Due to the great wealth of spas in Romania, the use of natural elements in these resorts was considered one of the most important therapeutic resources for different medical conditions. There is evidence of the springs being used since Roman times, although less documentation is available. In the 19th century, with the establishment of the first universities of medicine, numerous scientific papers on Balneology were published. The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked the beginning of the use of other therapeutic physical interventions found in Western medicine, in addition to natural ones.

A milestone in the evidence-based speciality development in Romania was the foundation of the Romanian Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology in 1922. In the last quarter of the 20th century, the speciality shifted toward modern Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, creating a wide network of hospital and ambulatory facilities in many cities and spa resorts.

The modern concept of medical rehabilitation was adopted by the Society in the 1970s and 1980s, encouraging the development of specialized rehabilitation settings and chairs of disciplines in medical faculties all over the country. After the 1989 revolution, Romania adopted and applied international standards regarding human rights and special regulations for people with disabilities regarding equal rights to health, medical assistance, rehabilitation, and quality of life. The core concept of our specialty changed accordingly, toward the new values of modern rehabilitation.

Aimed to continuously improve PRM practice, education, and research in Romania, with the overarching goal of facilitating optimal health, functioning, and quality of life for people with disabilities, RSRM has a rapidly growing membership of more than 500 registered specialists and residents. The young specialists are trained in a five-year residency program with a curriculum that has been upgraded according to recommendations of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Over the past few years, about 60 doctors have enrolled in the speciality each year to meet the demand for specialists across the country.

Each year, RSRM organizes the National Congress and other scientific events throughout the country. With Romania’s accession to the European Union in 2007, the society became a member of ESPRM and UEMS–PRM and is actively involved in its achievements and developments. More recently, in 2013, the name of the speciality was changed to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the name of the organization became the Romanian Society of Medical Rehabilitation.