Rehabilitation

Hospital Rehabilitation is rehab treatment provided by hospitals in an outpatient setting. 

There are five major types of rehabilitation:

  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Speech Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Pelvic Floor Therapy

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation (cardiac rehabilitation) combines prescribed exercise training, cardiac risk factor modification, education on heart health, diet and nutrition counseling, and psychological support for people recovering after undergoing a heart procedure or undergoing medical treatment for a heart issue such as a heart attack.

A center-based cardiac rehab program usually takes at least three months, and healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, clinical exercise physiologists, counselors, and dietitians offer expertise and guidance. 

Whether your heart issue was minor or major, cardiac rehab can help you.

The staff of your cardiac rehab program will work with a doctor to review and assess your risk factors for cardiovascular disease and to develop an individualized treatment plan to guide you through your rehabilitation program. 

The process will include identifying safe and effective target training zones for your exercise program, and setting long-term and short-term heart-healthy goals for you to achieve.

In a group setting, cardiac rehab staff will supervise your exercise in the gym as you begin slowly according to your prescribed training zones. 

When you complete more sessions and gain confidence and endurance, the staff will help you to progress by increasing the intensity and/or duration of your exercises according to your fitness level and medical history. 

To ensure that you’re safe while exercising, they’ll also check your heart rate and blood pressure regularly.

During your hospital stay, you will undergo the initial phase of cardiac rehab. 

You will most likely be recommended to begin cardiac rehab shortly after you leave the hospital by your healthcare provider. 

In addition to hospitals, cardiac rehab is available at rehabilitation centers as well. 

Depending on your insurance company, you may also be able to do cardiac rehab at home.

You should feel comfortable participating in your cardiac rehab style of exercise, over the long term, even after you have “graduated” from a center-based program. 

You can also improve the heart-healthy benefits of regular exercise if you continue to use everything you learned about controlling your cardiovascular risk factors, managing stress, preparing heart-healthy meals, and avoiding tobacco use. 

You can benefit from these for the rest of your life.

Exercise during cardiac rehab can cause injury or a dangerous heart rhythm in very rare cases. 

You will have to stop exercising if this occurs so the cardiac rehab staff can treat you right away. 

The cardiac rehab staff will also communicate with your cardiologist or primary healthcare provider so they can examine you or order additional testing before you return to cardiac rehab.

Most insurance companies (and Medicare) cover cardiac rehab sessions for a period of 12 weeks. 

This is equivalent to three one-hour sessions each week.

While you can discuss concerns with the supervising provider in your cardiac rehab program, you can also contact your regular primary healthcare provider if you’re struggling to follow instructions. 

Besides attending cardiac rehab regularly, make sure you attend your follow-up appointments with your other healthcare providers as well.

Taking part in a cardiac rehab program puts an entire team of professionals on your side to help you recover from a heart attack or other heart issue. 

Studies indicate that cardiac rehab can extend people’s lives and improve their quality of life. 

You can improve your everyday life and become stronger in just a few months when you have medical professionals monitoring you at every step.

Occupational Therapy

Through occupation, occupational therapy promotes health and well-being for clients. 

Occupational therapy’s primary objective is to enable people to participate in everyday activities. 

The occupational therapist can achieve this outcome by enhancing the ability of people and communities to engage in the occupations they wish to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or environment to improve occupational engagement.

Occupational therapists work with all age groups and in a wide variety of areas, both physical and psychological.

Assessments are conducted at the beginning and throughout the occupational therapy process. 

Working together with the individual they are working with, the occupational therapist focuses on abilities and problems related to activities in the person’s daily life.

During the assessment process, standardized procedures, interviews, observations in a variety of settings, and consultation with significant people in the person’s life are used.

Assessment results are used to create a treatment plan that includes short- and long-term goals. 

A person’s development stage, habits, roles, life-style preferences and environment should all be considered in the plan.

Speech Therapy

The purpose of speech therapy is to diagnose and treat communication problems and disorders. 

A speech-language pathologist (SLP), also known as a speech therapist, performs this process.

It may be necessary to receive speech therapy for children with speech disorders or adults with speech impairments caused by an injury or illness, such as a stroke or brain injury.

As part of speech therapy, an SLP will identify the type of communication disorder and the best treatment method.

If your child has a speech disorder, speech therapy may take place in a classroom or small group, or one-on-one. 

Your child’s speech therapy exercises and activities will vary depending on their disorder, age, and needs.

Assessment is also the first step in speech therapy for adults to determine your needs and the most effective treatment. 

Adults can benefit from speech therapy exercises to improve their language, cognitive skills, and speech.

The use of speech therapy techniques improves communication. 

Depending on the type of speech or language disorder, these activities may include articulation therapy, language intervention, and others.

Retraining swallowing function may also be necessary after an injury or medical condition, such as Parkinson’s disease or oral cancer, has caused swallowing difficulties.

Parents In Speech Therapy

A child’s progress in speech or language therapy depends heavily on the parents. 

The kids whose parents participated finish the program the quickest and with the longest-lasting results.

Ask your therapist what you can do. 

If your child needs assistance with at-home activities, you can assist him or her. 

As a result, your child will continue to improve and carry over new skills.

Physical Therapy

In addition to improving a person’s ability to move and quality of life, physical therapists aim to prevent further injury or disability.

Physical therapists work in a variety of settings in healthcare, including private practices, outpatient practices, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, sports and fitness facilities, nursing homes, home health care, hospices, schools, research centers and government agencies.

From the initial diagnosis to the restorative and preventative phases of recovery, physical therapists assist patients throughout the healing process. 

Physical therapy may be used alone or in conjunction with other treatments.

A doctor may refer a patient to a physical therapist, but others seek treatment on their own.

Even though physical therapists do not directly treat medical conditions other than pure musculoskeletal conditions, they do work to optimize recovery or teach a patient how to improve their movement.

Pelvic Floor Therapy

Using the guiding principles of physical therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy provides a structured, effective, and safe process of reconditioning pelvic floor muscles. 

The purpose of the treatment is to improve the strength and function of pelvic floor muscles and alleviate pain, weakness and dysfunction. 

Through the rectum or vagina, a skilled physical therapist manipulates the muscles to improve their strength and function. 

If the muscles are short and contracted, the therapist may stretch them, or apply resistance to improve strength if they are weak and dysfunctional.

Pelvic floor therapy targets the pelvic floor muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that support the pelvic organs, contribute to sexual arousal and orgasm, and aid in bladder and bowel control. 

The tissues support the urinary and reproductive tract, including the uterus, prostate, bladder, rectum, urethra, and vagina, and are attached to the pelvis, tailbone, and sacrum. 

Besides providing pelvic stability, they contribute to the proper function of pelvic organs, such as sexual and voiding function, as well as posture and breathing. 

A dysfunction of the pelvic muscles can cause pain and symptoms that interfere with normal functioning.

Many pelvic floor disorders can be treated with pelvic floor physical therapy as a first-line treatment. 

Women and men with weak pelvic floor muscles can strengthen the floor and improve bladder and bowel control with exercises. 

Patients with suspected neuromuscular causes of pelvic floor dysfunction will be referred for the therapy. 

The dysfunction may result from aging, illness, childbirth, surgery or other conditions, and it may also occur along with other genitourinary problems, such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, bladder-emptying problems, and constipation.

Who Should Have Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?

Patients who suffer from incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, painful intercourse, and difficulty with bowel movements or urination are referred for pelvic floor therapy. 

Pelvic floor therapists may treat endometriosis or vaginismus in women, whereas men may be treated for premature ejaculation and painful ejaculation. 

Pelvic floor exercises are beneficial for women who have a lower risk of vaginal prolapse, bowel and bladder issues, and those recovering from childbirth. 

Additionally, men who have undergone prostate surgery are likely to have a faster recovery, reduced risk of rectal prolapse, and improved bladder and bowel control with this treatment.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Process

During pelvic floor therapy, a history is taken, including past surgical and medical history, medications, and sexual, gynecological and obstetric history. 

An orthopedic examination is performed, paying close attention to the lumbar spine, hips, gait, and posture. 

An assessment of the pelvic floor muscles usually includes the evaluation of both internal and external muscles, as well as standing, walking, and sitting to enable the therapist to detect any existing posture or joint issues.

During the evaluation, the appropriateness of the therapy is determined and a care plan is created. 

This varies depending on the symptoms experienced. 

In some cases, relaxing and lengthening muscle exercises may be necessary to relieve symptoms, while in other cases strengthening exercises will be more appropriate.

Using a customized treatment plan, the physical therapist manipulates pelvic floor muscles to restore their strength and function. 

In order to treat pelvic floor pain caused by excessive tightening and cramping, shortened and contracted muscles are stretched in order to relax. 

Likewise, appropriate techniques are employed to strengthen muscles, reduce contractions caused by overactive bladders, and maintain the bladder, rectum, and uterus in their proper positions. 

Ultimately, the therapy relieves pain and associated symptoms, and restores normal function.

The majority of pelvic floor therapy techniques involve both internal and external treatment. 

Since internal therapy does not appeal to everyone, therapists tend to be sensitive to their patients’ needs and do not begin internal therapy until the patient is ready. 

Techniques used for external therapy include nerve release, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage (myofascial release), and skin rolling.

For internal trigger point therapy, specialized instruments may be used or a finger may be passed through the rectum or vagina. 

The therapy is then conducted by applying pressure on a specific point or injecting anesthesia into trigger points – the injections are administered by a doctor or nurse practitioner. 

Physical therapy is not the only treatment available. 

Injections can be used in conjunction with other pain treatments, such as muscle relaxants or Botox injections.

Rehabilitation Frequently Asked Questions

Known as an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF), a medical rehabilitation hospital treats patients recovering from debilitating injuries, illnesses, surgeries, and chronic medical conditions.

The ultimate goal of a rehabilitation hospital is to help patients recover and be able to function as independently as possible.

Rehabilitation therapy consists of five types: occupational, physical, pelvic floor, cardiac and speech. 

Although each form of rehabilitation serves a unique purpose in helping a person reach full recovery, all share the aim of helping the patient return to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Occupational therapists treat patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities using everyday activities as therapy. 

They help these patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills they need for daily life and work.

Occupational therapists work with adults who are experiencing emotional or psychological problems. 

They can help a person develop better ways to cope with mental illness in the context of daily life and work.

You can strengthen the muscles associated with your injury as well as surrounding muscles with physical therapy. Injuries are often caused by strength imbalances. 

Post-surgical outcomes are improved through physical therapy by addressing pain, scar tissue, strength, range of motion, and more.

The physical therapist manipulates pelvic floor muscles according to a customized treatment plan to restore their strength and function. 

To relieve pelvic floor pain caused by excessive tightening and cramping, shortened and contracted muscles are stretched to relax.

Within about two weeks, you should begin to see changes in your symptoms if you are consistent in your treatment and work.