When you hear the word “rehabilitation,” you might think about treatments for recovery after an injury or medical condition--but the specialty of rehabilitation is much more.

There are many specialty areas within rehabilitation. Experts at Lifespan Rehabilitation Services include the following types of specialists:

  • Physical therapists use treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, relieve edema, restore function, and prevent disability. Our therapists also have access to the latest equipment and assistive devices that will help you on your road to recovery.
  • Occupational therapists help patients become as independent as possible in performing daily tasks such as eating, drinking, dressing, bathing, cooking, reading, writing, and toileting. They may also help with splints or orthotics, or with specific tasks such as getting into a car from a wheelchair, eating using a nondominant hand, negotiating stairs, and reaching into cupboards for dishes.
  • Audiologists evaluate hearing loss and related disorders, including balance (vestibular) disorders and tinnitus. Remember, it’s a noisy world out there, and some hearing loss is preventable!
  • Speech-language pathologists help patients improve their ability to swallow, improve memory and cope with reduced memory, and relearn language and communication skills.  They are specially trained to assist patients in the hospital after a stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, or other medical conditions affecting the head and neck. Patients with these diagnoses frequently have difficulties with speech, language, voice, and swallowing.  

Did you know…

  • Rehabilitation can help manage pain. Physical therapists have a wide range of skills and use treatment techniques that can help reduce your pain, even without medication. The recent opioid crisis has shown us that other options for pain relief need to be explored. While there is no magic cure for pain, there are safer and effective alternatives to opioids. Physical therapy is one that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. 
  • Rehabilitation can help people recover from a stroke or better manage treatment and recovery from breast cancer. Stroke treatment requires a variety of specialists, and rehabilitation is a vital part of that team. Rehabilitation can also reduce the treatment side effects and help with the recovery process for someone during and after breast cancer treatment. 
  • For children with autism, occupational therapy can help them access their natural environments with greater ease, increase their independence, and improve their ability to take part in activities that are meaningful to the child and family.
  • Rehabilitation techniques can also be done in the water. When you have an injury or arthritis, pain can make exercise feel too difficult to perform. Gravity and impact associated with exercise can be tough on an injured limb, so rehab specialists suggest aquatic physical therapy. This pool-based exercise offers many benefits while reducing impact on joints.
  • Children with physical injuries can benefit from physical therapy. Playground injuries can result in fractures, sprains, strains or concussions. Physical therapists can help reduce recovery time and get your child back to their favorite activities. 
  • There’s a specialty within rehabilitation that focuses on something called vestibular disorders. Vestibular therapists specialize in techniques, maneuvers and exercises that can help inner ear and balance disorders, like vertigo

For more information on the many areas of rehabilitation and how we can help you, visit the Lifespan Rehabilitation Services website

Lifespan Blog Team

The Lifespan Blog Team is working to provide you with timely and pertinent information that will help keep you and your family happy and healthy.