Orthopedic Rehabilitation

At some point, you may experience an injury or illness that makes it hard for you to move around or take care of yourself. If pain, stiffness or weakness prevent you from walking, driving, grooming or performing household chores, you may need orthopedic rehabilitation.

What is Orthopedic Rehabilitation?

The terms “orthopedic rehabilitation” and “physical therapy” are often used interchangeably. Whatever you prefer to call it, orthopedic rehabilitation is a kind of therapy that treats muscle, bone and joint problems. It’s performed by licensed health professionals called physical therapists. They manage your pain and help you move better, including:

• Restoring your mobility after an injury, such as a torn meniscus or sprained ankle.
• Helping you safely get back on your feet following joint replacement surgery.
• Improving your ability to function with a painful medical condition such as arthritis or spinal stenosis.
• Preventing loss of mobility following a serious illness or injury, like an amputation.

Orthopedic Rehabilitation at Mercy

No matter what’s keeping you from getting around and getting things done, Mercy’s physical therapists can help you overcome it. We’ll help you manage your pain. And we’ll help improve your strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance and coordination.

Some of the ways we do this include:

• Teaching you therapeutic exercises.
• Performing manual therapy, including joint and muscle massage.
• Applying heat packs or cold compresses to relieve pain or swelling.
• Teaching you how to use assistive devices, including crutches, braces or an artificial limb.
• Using occupational therapy to rebuild strength and function in your hands and fingers.
• Providing health or safety information, including home exercise instructions.

Our physical therapists care for people at every stage of recovery. If you’ve had surgery, you may begin therapy while you’re still in the hospital. If you are home-bound, you’ll likely work with our home health physical therapists. Or you may have regular appointments at one of our outpatient clinics that specialize in orthopedic rehabilitation.

No matter where you receive therapy, you can rest assured you are in good hands. As we help you regain strength and mobility, we’ll also restore your confidence. And before you know it, you’ll be functioning just fine on your own.