Physical/Occupational and Speech Therapies
As a large mirror reflects the scene, people flex their muscles,
working to build strength and range of motion under the careful
guidance of therapists. It is serious business, because no road
is longer than the one facing people who have lost their ability
to walk, to use their arms, to do the everyday things that most
people take for granted.
Recognizing that every patient has needs like no other's, the hospital's physical medicine specialists draw on years of training and experience to craft individual care plans for every patient, whether they are outpatients or from our rehabilitation unit or the acute hosptial.
Each patient works closely with a primary physical or occupational therapist, forming a bond that further strengthens the healing process. This combines well with advances in technology, which now allows therapists to use advanced programs to help patients who are physically challenged develop new skills for daily activities.
Orthopedics and sport medicine are among the services
therapists provide, as well as help for patients
with neurological disorders, children with
disabilities, seniors, stroke patients and for industries seeking to prevent injuries.
Whether it is helping a hip-replacement patient learn to walk again, helping an accident victim regain strength and overcome pain, or helping a senior with arthritis learn how to put on socks, Lake Region Hospital's Physical Medicine staff has a common goal: help patients along the road to independence.
In the Speech Therapy department, work often looks like play. That's because the speech therapists many times use board games, computer games and flash cards to help people develop or regain language.
But what looks like play is actually helping
their patients put words together, find the right words, or use their thinking skills to
determine the next move.
Speech therapy patients may be children who are slower in developing their language skills. Or they could be someone who stutters, or has had a stroke, has suffered a head injury, or is having trouble swallowing because of an illness or disease.
The speech therapists at Lake Region Hospital are committed to working with each individual to help them with their own language, speech or swallowing disorder so they can play and work to their fullest.