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patients get well and stay well
Outpatient rehabilitation services help patients
get well and stay well
Individuals who need help recovering from an illness
or injury can receive a full spectrum of services through
the outpatient rehabilitation services provided at McDowell
Wellness Center.
"We have had great success in rehabilitating individuals
who needed physical therapy, occupational therapy or
speech therapy," said Ron Barbato, P.T., director
of rehab services. "Our services are available
to individuals of all ages, from infants to senior adults."
Outpatient rehabilitation services are provided from
7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday by more than
20 licensed professional therapists, who represent more
than 210 years of experience in their respective fields.
These professionals regularly participate in workshops
and training to keep updated on knowledge and techniques
to share with colleagues and apply in patient treatment.
"Having this kind of depth and breadth of experience
available to patients is unique in this area of Kentucky,"
said Leslie Hardman, manager of rehabilitation services.
"Because we have all three disciplines available
here, it is possible for us to treat our patients as
a team, uniting the expertise of each specialty."
That is especially valuable when treating the children
through the Kentucky First Steps Program for conditions
related to birth defects and developmental delays. For
example, a child with cerebral palsy benefits from this
team effort to increase mobility, daily living skills,
language abilities, play skills and feeding skills.
The team also works with parents, often providing services
in the home on positioning, therapeutic play and safe
feeding techniques.
Unique to outpatient rehabilitation services is the
availability of a large pool at the Wellness Center
for use with aquatic therapy. Certain conditions and
types of patients benefit more from therapy performed
in water. Those include patients with fibromyalgia,
degenerative disc disease, low back pain, arthritis,
athletic injuries, post-surgical diagnoses, those with
multiple trauma and many pediatric conditions.
Hardman explains how aquatic therapy works well in
the case of a woman who injured her lower back in an
automobile accident. The physical therapy evaluation
revealed decreased strength in her lower back and abdominal
muscles. She could not walk more than 20 feet and was
unable to carry out most of her activities of daily
living.
"Occupational therapy assisted her with techniques
to perform daily tasks and physical therapy began in
the pool where she was weightless, had freedom of movement
and could begin strengthening her muscles against the
gentle resistance of the water," Hardman said.
"She then transitioned to physical therapy on land
after her strength and mobility had increased so that
she could tolerate this activity."
As patients progress in therapy, they move from the
gym in the outpatient rehabilitation area to the full-service
gym at the Wellness Center. There, patients continue
their rehabilitation on the full range of equipment
available for building muscle strength, flexibility
and endurance. When therapy has been completed, patients
are provided with individual programs to be continued
at home and at the Wellness Center or introduced to
existing land and water exercise programs offered at
the Wellness Center, which will help maintain the gains
made in therapy.
The professional therapists provide rehabilitation
for traditional orthopedic, neurologic and pediatric
conditions. In addition, they have developed specialty
areas and programs, such as:
- Occupational medicine/worker's compensation injuries,
which focuses on return to work and independence at
home following a work-related injury
- Lymphedema/complete decongestive physiotherapy
- Balance/vestibular rehabilitation
- Hippotherapy, which utilizes the movement of a horse
for rehabilitating children
- Programming for lifestyle change in managing chronic
conditions, such as diabetes
- Women's health evaluation and treatment for incontinence,
pelvic pain and obstetrical-related pain
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