Rehabilitation Physiotherapy

Rehabilitation physiotherapy is an essential service for clients who have sustained injuries, are going through post-surgery recovery, are impacted by a neurological condition or physical disability, or are experiencing more physical limitations or discomfort as a result of ageing.

At Conscious Healthcare SA, we understand the challenges that can arise from these circumstances and conditions, which can include muscle weakness and/or atrophy, pain (transient or chronic), restricted movement, and impacted coordination. The key focus of rehabilitation physiotherapy is to help clients improve their physical health, function, and overall quality of life.

The role of a rehabilitation physiotherapist is to assess, treat, educate, and empower clients to take an active role in their recovery journey - whether they're recovering from an injury, surgery, or need strategies for living with a condition that impacts their physical capabilities. Physiotherapists work with clients to set achievable goals and provide the necessary tools and guidance to help them reach those goals.

If you or someone you know could benefit from rehabilitation physiotherapy, you can learn more about the service below. Simply click on the questions below to access the relevant information. If you need any further assistance or have other questions not covered on this page, get in touch with us today.

FAQs

What is Rehabilitation Physiotherapy and When is it Needed?

As its name suggests, rehabilitation physiotherapy is a specialisation within the field that’s focused on helping individuals rehabilitate physically and help them recover movement, strength, and function after an illness, injury, or surgery.

Many individuals and conditions can benefit from rehabilitation physiotherapy, and these include the following:

Post-surgery patients: Various post-surgery recovery efforts can be improved through physiotherapy. It’s often employed for patients who have gone through procedures such as knee or hip replacements, ACL reconstruction, and spinal surgery. It’s also beneficial as a rehabilitative follow-up to cardiac or thoracic surgeries.
Injury recovery: This includes sports injuries (e.g. a ligament tear), workplace or road trauma injuries, and repetitive strain injuries.
Neurological conditions: These include conditions such as stroke recovery, Parkinson’s disease, brain or spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, etc.
Chronic illness/disability management: Rehabilitation physiotherapy can be beneficial for conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and chronic pain syndromes.
Aged care: Geriatric rehabilitation is essential for the elderly, especially for older adults who are at an increased risk of falling or who’ve lost mobility due to ageing or illness.

How Long Does Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Take?

Rehabilitation timelines are very much determined on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the severity of the injury, condition or post-surgery recovery timeline, the appropriate rehabilitation framework will be developed. Given this approach, rehabilitation physiotherapy with Conscious Healthcare SA could involve a few sessions over the course of weeks or could involve several months of ongoing treatment.

What Techniques are Used in Rehabilitation Physiotherapy?

Treatment techniques and approaches can include, but are not limited to, the following:

Tailored exercise programs focused on strengthening specific joints, muscle groups, etc.
Manual therapy, which can include massage and joint mobilisation practices.
Balance and gait training to help with mobilisation, coordination, and restrengthening gross and fine motor skills.
Hydrotherapy (water-based exercises, which can be gentler on the joints, tendons, and muscle groups while actively rehabilitating).
Education on body mechanics, posture, and lifestyle adaptations.
Modifications in the home/place of residence to cater to individual needs.

How Does Conscious Healthcare in Adelaide Customise Rehabilitation Programs?

Every client who requires rehabilitation physiotherapy is different. They may be recovering from a minor or major injury, be impacted by a neurological condition, require assistance as they’re ageing, or could be recovering from an invasive procedure that will require months of rehabilitation as a result.

As such, our rehabilitation programs are designed to be bespoke to each individual client’s needs and ultimate health goals. One person recovering from an injury may need to build their strength all the way back up to reenter into specific sports or exercises they love, whereas another person may simply want to ease the discomfort they feel at the site of their injury.

We customise our rehabilitation programs accordingly to ensure we’re not just helping the client recover, but we’re helping them achieve the milestones they’ve set for themselves. The first session we hold with clients serves to understand what they’re aiming to achieve, which then informs how our physiotherapists map out their recovery plan.

Can Physiotherapy Help with Post-Surgical Recovery?

Absolutely. Recovering from most surgeries requires a progressive and measured approach, especially after major surgery to different joints, tendons, and muscle groups. For example, if a client has gone through knee surgery, they’ll need a post-surgical rehabilitation plan that helps them regain movement and strength without risking further injury.

Physiotherapists that specialise in rehabilitation know how to guide a client towards recovery in a manner that is safe and effective. Through manual therapies, stretches and exercises, and any necessary at-home modifications, physiotherapy presents one of the most effective and safest means of post-surgery recovery.

Is Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Only for Severe Injuries or Post-Surgery?

Not at all.

While it’s understandably effective at addressing major injuries or for recovering from more invasive surgeries, physiotherapy can also be an effective way of recovering from minor injuries and smaller surgeries. In fact, we’d argue that utilising physiotherapy to address minor injuries is critical to ensuring bigger injuries don’t occur down the line.

As an example, while the symptoms of a repetitive strain injury can start out small (such as a slight pain running down the fingers of the hand), those symptoms could worsen and become more severe without proper intervention and could lead to something like permanent nerve damage - think of a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

In such an instance, physiotherapy can help someone address the symptoms, strengthen the joints and muscles of the hand, and make adjustments to how they use and look after their hand so that it doesn’t get worse over time.

What are the Benefits of Rehabilitation Physiotherapy for Older Adults in Adelaide?

For older Adelaide residents and older Australians in general, the benefits of physiotherapy cannot be understated. As we age, various aspects of our physical capabilities can be impacted, from balance and coordination to strength and overall mobility. In addition to this, there can be more physical discomfort resulting from injuries or chronic pain.

In almost all areas of elderly physical health, rehabilitation physiotherapy can help. Some key benefits include:

Improvements in mobility and balance.
Strengthening of muscles and joints.
Improved management of chronic pain, such as arthritis.
Aids in recovery after injury, surgery, or hospital stays.
Can help enhance cardiovascular and respiratory health.
Improves posture and coordination.
Equips elderly clients with skills and techniques to help prevent further injury or decline.
On the psychology and qualify-of-life fronts, physiotherapy supports independence in daily activities and boosts the confidence and mental well-being of elderly clients.