Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) was developed at the Kabat-Kaiser Institute (later renamed Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center) over a period of 5 years, 1946-1951, by Herman Kabat, MD, a clinical neurophysiologist, and Physical Therapist, Margaret “Maggie” Knott.

Mr. Henry Kaiser, whose son had Multiple Sclerosis, provided the financial backing for the Institute, at first in Washington, D.C., and later in Vallejo, California. Originally PNF was developed for patients with neurological deficits, especially Poliomyelitis. Later, the PNF concept was expanded into a treatment philosophy and approach which could be used for musculoskeletal as well as neurological deficits.