Range and Scope of Rehabilitation - An Overview

Introduction

Rehabilitation is one of the WHO (World Health Organization) strategies concerned with the education and training of individuals to become functionally independent, improve self-care, and carry out their daily activities. Rehabilitation helps patients of all ages, including children, adults, and older people, and it depends on individual goals and preferences. Various rehabilitation strategies are introduced to improve the scope of recovery after critical illness.

What Is Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation refers to restoring the physical and mental abilities lost due to injuries or diseases. It includes services and programs to assist individuals with physical, psychological, social, or vocational impairments. Rehabilitation is started while the patients are still in the hospitals to speed up their recovery.

The rehabilitation team includes many specialists according to the need of individuals. They are:

• Physiatrists - Rehabilitation specialized doctors who plan and manage the overall program.

• Physical therapists - Teach exercises to promote the strength of arms, legs, or operated body parts.

• Occupational Therapists - Visit home and help regain skills to improve basic life activities.

• Dietitian - Helps to plan healthy meals after surgery.

• Speech Therapists - Help with skills like swallowing and talking after brain surgeries.

• Nurses - Care for the patients in the rehabilitation center and home.

• Psychologist or Counselor - Helps to treat depression and stress after surgeries.

What Are the Different Types of Rehabilitation?

A wide range of rehabilitation programs is available to recover patients in critical care. The three main types of rehabilitation are:

1. Physiotherapy.

2. Occupational therapy.

3. Speech therapy.

Other different types of medical rehabilitation services are available, such as:

1. Musculoskeletal and orthopedic rehabilitation.

2. Cardiovascular rehabilitation.

3. Respiratory or pulmonary rehabilitation.

4. Cognitive rehabilitation.

5. Oncological rehabilitation.

6. Post-traumatic rehabilitation.

7. Postoperative rehabilitation.

8. Burns rehabilitation.

9. Addiction rehabilitation.

10. Neurological rehabilitation.

11. Geriatric rehabilitation.

12. Renal rehabilitation.

All these rehabilitation programs are provided in two settings, such as:

1. Inpatient Rehabilitation - Refers to the treatment provided at the hospitals or clinic before discharge.

2. Outpatient Rehabilitation - Refers to the treatment provided when patients are not admitted to a hospital.

There are different rehabilitation settings according to the patient's needs. They are:

1. Acute Care Rehabilitation Setting - For patients with severe trauma who need intensive care.

2. Subacute Care Rehabilitation Setting - Less intense than acute care and is of shorter duration.

3. Long-Term Acute Care Rehabilitation Setting - For patients who require long-term hospitalization.

4. Home Care Rehabilitation Setting - The therapists travel to the patient's home.

5. School-Based Rehabilitation Setting- Physical and occupational therapy in the classroom for children with trauma to continue education without interruption.

6. Skilled Nursing Facility Rehabilitation Setting - Nurses provide medical assistance round the clock.

What Is the Scope of Rehabilitation in Recovery?

Rehabilitation takes a longer duration and increased efforts for recovery. The main objectives of rehabilitation include the following:

• Improvement of function.

• Compensation for loss of function.

• Maintenance of current function.

• Prevention of loss of function.

• Increased independence.

• Return to everyday life and occupation.

• Improved quality of life.

Rehabilitation helps people throughout their life, according to their age and specific needs. The following are some examples of the scope of rehabilitation at different ages.

1. Development of New Skills - Rehabilitation helps children with developmental disorders to maintain health and independence and to develop necessary skills.

2. Recovery From Trauma and Illness - Rehabilitation helps people with anxiety, depression, chest infections, stroke, and significant trauma to improve their daily activities, independence, and return to work.

3. Self-Manage Conditions - It helps people with long-term illnesses or conditions to maintain their health and prevent secondary complications such as depression, anxiety, muscle weakness, pressure ulcers, and pain.

4. Enhance Performance and Independence - Early assessment and rehabilitation help people maintain their independence for an extended period and enhance performance for sports or athletes after injury.

5. Access Advocacy - Rehabilitation interventions advocate for people with cognitive impairments and communication difficulties.

What Are the Benefits of Rehabilitation?

The various benefits or the scope of rehabilitation include:

• Physical Benefits - Increase muscle strength, physical activities, balance, coordination, flexibility, and joint mobility. It also reduces pain, swelling, risk of falls, and unnecessary complications.

• Psychological Benefits - It provides independence and mental well-being and enhances self-confidence and the psychological ability to deal with illness.

• Lifestyle Benefits - It improves the social participation of patients and helps with a quicker return to work. In addition, it improves general health that allows patients to exercise or play sports.

• Economic Benefits - Rehabilitation helps with financial concerns by enabling people to return to work. It also reduces the cost of extended hospital stays.

• Scope of Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation - Musculoskeletal and orthopedic rehabilitation aims to ease symptoms and pain, decrease deformities and disabilities, and help patients return to everyday life. It allows patients who have suffered a stroke, trauma, spinal cord injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and orthopedic surgeries. Physiotherapists provide personalized aerobic and strengthening exercises for individuals, medical aids, and equipment.

• Scope of Neurorehabilitation - Neurorehabilitation helps people with spinal cord injury, stroke, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis who have muscle weakness, spasms, difficulties in speech and swallowing, and impaired coordination and balance. It also helps people to perform daily tasks with the help of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and assistive devices.

• Scope of Cardiorehabilitation - It provides health education, physical activities, and stress management for people with cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction. As a result, it reduces mortality, morbidity, and extended hospital stays.

• Scope of Pulmonary Rehabilitation - Pulmonary or respiratory rehabilitation aims to improve patients' respiratory function and capacity with chronic lung diseases.

• Scope of Oncological Rehabilitation - It helps patients with malignant diseases to improve their physical and psychological conditions.

• Scope of Addictology Rehabilitation - It helps drug addicts or alcoholics control their desires and activities.

• Scope of Geriatric Rehabilitation - It helps older adults with multi-morbidity and chronic conditions. It improves older adults' psychological, physical, and cognitive disorders with physical exercises.

• Scope of Burns Rehabilitation - It has many positive effects on burn patients. Virtual reality, kinetic exercises, music therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy are used in burns rehabilitation programs.

Conclusion

An ideal rehabilitation program should aim high, focus on good outcomes, respond to changes in people's needs, give hope, and depend on the patient's needs. A wide range of rehabilitation therapies is used nowadays that improve the scope of recovery for individuals, families, communities, and economies.