Every year, millions of Americans suffer from disease or injury and many of them survive, although their lives are not quite the same afterwards. Following a serious injury, surgery, or other traumatic event recovery may be slow going. Because these events are life-changing, a patient will need to regain their strength and relearn life skills. Sometimes people need find new ways of doing things, especially after a stroke or cardiac even. The process of introducing new skills or relearning old ones is known as rehabilitation.
The term Rehabilitation encompasses several aspects including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and pain management. The course of rehabilitation will depend upon each patient’s particular needs. These therapies can be used alone or in conjunction with other forms. For instance, in the case of an older person who has suffered a stroke, therapy goals may focus on activities to be able to dress or bathe without assistance. Someone who has survived a heart attack may enter cardiac rehabilitation to return to work and normal daily activities.
Different traumas affect different parts of the body’s function and will guide the appropriate course of recovery. A stroke can cause significant and permanent disability, such as speech difficulties and paralysis and survivors have an uphill climb to recovery. A comprehensive rehabilitation program is essential to regaining control. When a patient enters stroke rehabilitation, a team of health care professionals will work with the patient, both in the hospital and in the home environment, to regain the skills lost as the result of the disease.
In addition to occupational therapy, physical therapy is a part of rehabilitation to improve patient mobility like walking and climbing stairs. Physical therapy is also employed for pain management and restores the basic physical functionality necessary to everyday activity. A physical therapist will commonly utilize various forms of exercise as well as heat, cold, and electrical stimulation. Whether rehabilitating from a cardiac event, stroke, or other injury; physical, occupational, and pain management can help the patient restore a little normal routine to an otherwise disrupted life.
