Rehablitation

After a serious injury, illness or surgery, one may recover slowly. You may need to regain your strength, skills or find new ways of doing things you did before. This process is called rehabilitation.



Rehabilitation focuses on function. Being able to continue to function is key to maintaining or regaining independence and good quality of life, particularly after an illness or injury. Starting rehabilitation early can help you maintain function and increase your chances of returning to your previous level of function as much as possible. In restorative rehabilitation, the goal is to restore a function that you have lost.

Rehabilitation for Specific Diseases.

Stroke, Cardio Vascular Diseases, Cancer etc.
Several common diseases of old age usually require rehabilitation. These include stroke, cardio vascular diseases, Cancer after chemotherapy and radiotherapy, hip fracture, and diseases that result in amputation being necessary (eg, severe problems with circulation).Someone who has had one stroke is at very high risk for a second stroke. The rehabilitation phase is a good time to make sure that risk factors for stroke have been evaluated and any preventive treatments are started. For example, narrowing of the arteries that go to the brain (eg, carotid arteries) and certain heart conditions can lead to stroke. If someone has one or both of these conditions, along with use of aspirin or other blood thinners and other risk factor as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes can be controlled as many rehabilitation methods are being in use at our centre.

Most physical therapy programs do not require a high level of physical activity. In fact, it may come as a surprise that occupational therapy puts more stress on the heart and lungs than physical therapy does. This is because exercising the arms increases blood pressure and pulse rate more than exercising the legs. Therapy activities for people with heart disease are generally adjusted, especially if these activities cause chest pain, shortness of breath, light-headedness, or fatigue. Blood pressure and pulse rate are checked often. Sometimes, additional tests are needed to evaluate cardiac risk.

Hip, knee replacement\ fracture rehabilitation:
The goal of rehabilitation for people who have had a hip fracture or knee replacement is to regain as much function as possible. Rehabilitation focuses on physical therapy to strengthen the leg muscles. Stronger leg muscles can prepare the person for walking and can also help keep a hip fracture that has been fixed with pins or screws more stable. During therapy, arm muscles are also strengthened to help with use of walking aids such as walkers. In addition, arm strength and function are important for bathing and dressing, which may be affected by the leg problems..

Tools and Techniques of Rehabilitation:

Rehabilitation techniques are not limited just to programs for specific conditions, such as stroke or hip fracture. They are also used when people have difficulty performing various activities of daily living, such as transferring from wheelchair to bed or toilet, eating, bathing, and dressing.


 

Rehabilitation of walking problems:
Walking problems are most common when there is a problem with the muscles, joints, or nervous system. Various assistive devices for walking, such as canes, walkers, orthotics (eg, braces), and prostheses, are designed to improve balance and support while standing or walking.

Common reasons for using an orthotic on your legs include weakness, deformity, increased muscle tone (spasticity), ankle or knee instability, or pain on weight bearing which sometimes occurs after surgery or with inflammatory arthritis.

Rigid braces can be valuable for people who do not have enough stability in their spine. However, the areas where the brace presses on the body must be watched carefully so that sores do not develop. Similarly, people with neck problems (e.g., muscle strain, a narrowing of the spinal canal, or arthritis) can sometimes benefit from using a cervical collar. These collars are often made of soft foam or moulded plastic. Regardless of material, they all provide a similar amount of support to the neck, spine, and muscles. However, neck collars and spinal supports should be used very cautiously. The following important principles should be kept in mind when using spinal supports:

• These devices should be used for only a very short time to avoid psychological dependency.
• The prolonged use of neck collars may actually weaken and eventually wither or shrink (atrophy) your neck muscles.

Wheelchairs:
Wheelchairs are an easy and frequently used (if not overused) way for older adults to move about. Several factors are important in use of a wheelchair, whether it is used during the rehabilitation process or on a long-term basis.

Other rehabilitative techniques:
People who are undergoing either restorative or maintenance rehabilitation may benefit from electrical stimulation and thermal approaches. These techniques are used to increase circulation, stimulate muscles, and ease pain.

Electrical stimulation:
Two kinds of electrical stimulation are generally available:

• Functional electrical stimulation
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

TENS involves the direct electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. It improves muscle strength and mass, and it may relieve pain. It has been used to treat pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, poor circulation, and nerve diseases, possibly reducing the amount of pain medicine that is needed.

Thermal approaches:
Various thermal approaches are used primarily to treat pain, reduce inflammation, and increase muscle tone. Heat can be applied either superficially with a hot pack, or more deeply using ultrasound or diathermy. Heat can help muscles relax, relieve pain, help with tissue healing, and prepare stiff joints and tight muscles for exercise. Hot packs can be applied to most body surfaces. They may reduce muscle spasm in older adults who have arthritis involving the neck, muscular low back pain, or muscle contractions. Baths of liquid paraffin are used most often to apply heat to the hands or feet and may be particularly helpful to reduce hand stiffness and pain in people who have arthritis.

Hydrotherapy:
In this form of a whirlpool or other pool therapy may also be helpful. It has been used to treat arthritis and joint injuries or replacements. It has also been used to relieve pain, support wound healing, and help with various neurologic disorders.

Cold treatments or cold packs are commonly used to treat sudden muscle or bone injuries. They can sometimes reduce pain and muscle spasms, especially those caused by brain injury.

We at Josan Holistic Hospital has specialized rehabilitation program for long term benefits of the patients.

1. Yog and Pranyog rehabilitation program
2. Ayurved and Panchkarma rehabilitation program,
3. Acupuncture, Acupressure, Reflexology rehabilitation program,
4. Mind–body therapies- Prayer, Meditation, and Spirituality Program,
5. Massage and Manipulation therapies,
6. Gurubani Healing.

At Josan Holistic Hospital we strive to establish high standard of rehabilitations program custom made for individual needs and requirements in context to Indian conditions and environments.