Rehabilitation Therapy Helps Regain Function

August 03, 2024
Rehabilitation Therapy Helps Regain Function

An injury or illness changes your ability to function.  And a serious injury or illness can change your life in an instant.  It can result in weakness, pain, and cognitive impairment.  Things you used to be able to do easily can now be difficult.  And sometimes, recover is very slow. But rehabilitation therapy helps regain function and helps you recovery what is important to you.

What Is Rehabilitation Therapy?

Rehabilitation therapy is designed to help recover function as quickly and completely as possible.  Is a form of care that helps people regain abilities they need for daily life. It optimizes health function to reduce disability and improve function. Rehabilitation therapy can address physical, mental and cognitive functions that may have been lost due to disease, injury or medical treatment.  Or in can be used to help develop functions that never developed fully.  It is provided in a variety of settings including hospitals and residential facilities, in the home, in the school and in outpatient clinics.  

How Does Rehabilitation Therapy Help Regain Function?

Rehabilitation therapy can be a single service or it can involve a team of experts who will help you know what to expect and what to do to maximize your recovery.  Your rehabilitation therapy team can include:

Physical Therapy:  Physical therapy focuses on mobility - walking, sitting, standing, turning, running, and moving.  Your physical therapist will assess all the components of  mobility including your strength, range of motion, and coordination.  She will give you stretches to make you more flexible, exercises to increase your strength and endurance, and modalities such as TENS, neuromuscular simulation, and ultrasound to help control and reduce pain.  She will look at how your muscles work together and make corrections for poor movement patterns and gait deviations.  She will determine if bracing or orthotics are needed.

Occupational Therapy:  Occupational therapy focuses on activities of daily living - the things you need to do every day like get dressed, cook a meal, pay bills, do laundry, go shopping and drive a car.  Your occupational therapist will assess what interferes with your ability to complete ADLs including hand function, ability to reach, visual function, and stamina.  He will give you exercises to improve your strength, coordination and endurance and design activities to help you regain your independence.  He will identify adaptive equipment to help or compensate for tasks that you can't do.

Speech Therapy:  Speech therapy focuses on communication, cognition and swallowing.  Your speech therapist will assess your ability to process language - to understand what is being said to you and to express your thoughts and feelings.  She will assess your ability to articulate and swallow - to move your lips, tongue and mouth accurately for speaking and eating.  And she will evaluate your cognition - your ability to remember, organize and solve problems.

What Should I Expect From Rehabilitation Therapy?

Each person will have different problems and different goals.  Accordingly, the type of therapy will be different for each individual. An person who had an amputation may want occupational therapy to focus on being able to dress or bathe without help. A person who has had cancer may want physical therapy to focus on conditioning to return to work and normal activities. Someone with long term effects of COVID may want speech therapy therapy for breath support get to be able to breathe better and improve their quality of life.  Or a person who had a stroke may want all three services to focus on improving cognitive, visual and motor function to be able to live independently.

At the start, your therapist will complete an in-depth assessment to identify what your current level of fucntion is and what your specific goals are.  From there, she will work with you on developing a plan for how to reach your goals.  Your plan will include specific exercises or activities, modalities such as ultrasound or e-stim, or other treatment techniques.  She will guide you in how to progress at a rate that moves you toward your goal and will help you know if you are over-doing it.  She will re-evaluate you on a regular basis and teach you what to do at home to enhance your progress.  And she will help you know when you are at a point where you are ready to continue your progress on your own.

Why Should I Choose Therapy Achievements for Rehabilitation Therapy?

Whatever your rehabilitation therapy needs are, Therapy Achievements is ready to help.  Our team of physical, occupational and speech therapists are expert in their fields.  They have advanced training and certification in what they do.  And they are continually learning about the newest developments and most cutting edge treatments.  At Therapy Achievements, you will get a one-on-one appointment with your therapist who will not have to divide her attention with you and other patients.  But the best thing about our team is how much they care.  They will team with you, encourage you and give you hope.  Call 256-509-4398 for an appointment today!