Rehabilitation Services

Wabash General Hospital’s rehabilitation professionals can reduce pain, improve function, and help you reach your full potential for whatever life has thrown your way. Our therapists understand the challenges faced after injury or illness and offer short-term and long-term rehabilitation options to improve your health by increasing your ability to function throughout life.

Our team is committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective, physical, occupational, and speech, rehabilitation programs to our patients of all ages. Our therapists are widely experienced in a variety of treatment settings, with specific expertise in outpatient orthopaedics, pediatrics, and lymphedema.

Beyond head to toe orthopedic care, the team is equipped to promote wellness throughout the lifespan of our patients.

Our facility is located within the Orthopaedic Medical Office Building at 1527 College Drive. We offer flexible appointments and a personalized approach to each patient’s unique needs.

Conditions Treated

We are equipped to many conditions resulting from injury, disease, or disability. The most common conditions include pain in the area, sprains and strains, fractures, sports injuries, and post-surgery rehab.

Back & Spine

• Compression Fractures
• Degenerative Diseases
• Herniated or Bulging Discs
• Low Back and Mid Back Pain
• Osteoporosis
• Sciatica and Radiating Leg Pain
• Spinal Arthritis and Stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis

Elbow, Wrist, & Hand

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• DeQuervian’s Tenosynovitis
• Nerve Injuries
• Tendon Repair
• Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow

Foot & Ankle

• Achilles Tendonitis
• Instability
• Plantar Fasciitis

Head & Neck

• Arthritis & Stenosis
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Headaches, & Migraines
• Herniated or Bulging Disc
• Radiating Arm Pain
• Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD or TMJ)
• Vertigo & Dizziness
• Whiplash

Hip

• Difficulty Walking
• Iliotibial (IT) Band / Trochanteric Bursitis
• Piriformis Syndrome
• Sciatica
• Total & Partial Hip Replacement

Knee, Balance & Walking

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears
• Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Tears
• Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Tears
• Meniscus Injury
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
• Poor Balance / Risk of Falling
• Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Tears
• Tendonitis
• Total Knee Replacement

Shoulder

• Bursitis/Tendinitis
• Dislocation / Instability
• Frozen Shoulder / Adhesive Capsulitis
• Labrum Tear
• Rotator Cuff Injuries

Services Offered

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

Oncology rehabilitation focuses on utilizing strengthening and stretching exercises along with manual therapy techniques to lessen the side effects of cancer and its treatments. These side effects often involve: pain, weakness/tightness and swelling of the affected area. Oncology rehabilitation allows the patient to maintain or return to their highest possible level of function and independence. We offer oncology rehabilitation therapy to breast cancer patients in any phase of their cancer treatment and beyond.

Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolism Program

The Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolism Program is designed to improve your quality of life through strengthening, balance training, and education. Our programs identify patients via risk stratification with Wells DVT/Wells PE assessment and refer to physical therapy. Community outreach assesses individuals using anticoagulants for fall risks.

By using Wabash General’s Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism Program, patients can experience the following benefits:

• Decreased risk of post-thrombotic syndrome
• Improved compliance with skin care and compression use
• Decreased fall risk and decreased risk for injury
• Frequent contact and assessment with a physical therapist to assess for clinical changes associated with DVT over a 10-week period

Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthosis (DAFO)

The Rehabilitation Department at Wabash General Hospital offers services for custom-fit orthotics and dynamic ankle foot orthosis (DAFO) through Cascade DAFO. Children who are slow to develop walking skills, have low muscle tone, walk on their toes, or just have difficulty with walking, may benefit from the use of a DAFO (an ankle or leg brace). It is very important to choose the correct DAFO early in a child’s development and our team can help.

Individuals experiencing foot pain caused by issues such as plantar fasciitis, arthritis, bunions, or flat feet may benefit from custom fit orthotics to wear inside their shoes to decrease pain and improve their quality of life.

Electromyogram (EMG)

Electromyograms are tests performed to evaluate the health of your nerves and muscles. It will assess how well your nerves and muscles are working and give your physician insight into your particular condition. A patient may be referred for an EMG if they experience numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, muscle cramping, or twitching.

Lymphedema Treatment

Certified lymphedema therapists (CLTs) are healthcare professionals who specialize in the treatment of lymphedema.

Lymphedema treatment is done in 2 phases:

1. Intensive phase: The patient will learn how to manage lymphedema beginning with skin and nail care, manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), compression bandaging, and exercise.
2. Maintenance phase: This begins when the extremity reduces in size. Patients assume responsibility for protecting and monitoring their skin, performing self-MLD, maintaining/managing wear and care of compression garments (along with exercise), and following up with their healthcare provider(s) to keep their condition(s) manageable.

The "gold standard" for successful treatment consists of a multicomponent approach that involves skin care, MLD, compression (short-stretch bandaging followed by garments or wraps), and appropriately prescribed exercises.

Pelvic Floor Therapy

The Pelvic Floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, rectum, uterus, (in women) and prostate (in men).

Pelvic Floor Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that can help strengthen your pelvic floor, bladder control and proper pelvic floor muscle functioning. To confirm proper muscle function, muscle tension, activation voluntarily and involuntary control of pelvic floor function, an examination is the first step.

Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Treat:

• Urinary Frequency/Urgency/Incontinence
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• Stress Incontinence
• Urge Incontinence
• Constipation
• Post/Pre surgery
• Pre/Postpartum
• Pain in Pelvic Region

Occupational Therapy Services

Our occupational therapists help patients maximize their independence with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and cooking after surgeries or injuries. Our services are most often used to help patients with orthopaedic conditions involving the shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand, plus neurological conditions such as stroke, brain injury and multiple sclerosis with fine motor skills training and critical thinking skills training. We also assist patients with work-injuries and return-to-work programs to help them return to work.

Wabash General Hospital offers hand therapy services performed by a certified hand therapist (CHT). This therapy involves not only the hand but also the entire upper limb.

Parkinson's BIG and LOUD Programs

These two programs are designed to help improve speech and body movement, which Parkinson's disease primarily affects. These programs are led by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists.

LSVT BIG® Program - LSVT BIG® is a standardized treatment protocol, which is customized to the unique goals of each patient including both gross and fine motor skills. LSVT BIG can be adapted or progressed in order to meet each patient's needs across a range of disease severity and presenting impairments. Research on the LSVT BIG has documented improved ratings on tests of motor functioning in people with Parkinson's Disease following treatment include faster walking with bigger steps, improved balance, increased trunk rotation, improved UPDRS motor score, and improvements in activities of daily living such as transferring in and out of the shower.

The LSVT BIG® treatment consists of:

• 16 individual one-hour sessions spread over 4 weeks
• Daily homework practice
• Daily carryover exercises

LSVT LOUD® Program - LSVT LOUD® is an effective speech treatment for people with Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions. LSVT LOUD® is built on three key strategies to make the treatment as effective as possible: target, mode, and calibration. In addition to these key strategies, LSVT LOUD® keeps people highly engaged, not only with frequent treatment sessions but also daily assignments for practicing newly learned skills at home and in their communities. Further, LSVT LOUD® individualizes treatment exercises to each person’s interests and personal goals for improving communication. Like LSVT BIG, LSVT LOUD® involves 16 one-hour sessions spread over four weeks and home practice is essential for success.

Physical Therapy

Wabash General Hospital offers physical therapy services to both children and adults. Our therapists guide patients with movements and exercises designed to increase strength, mobility, and endurance. It is most often used following orthopaedic surgery, for neurological conditions such as stroke, brain injury and multiple sclerosis, and to help cancer patients reduce tiredness after treatment. Therapy can take place while admitted to the hospital or as an outpatient.

Speech Therapy Services

Our speech therapists assess and treat communication issues and disorders through individualized treatment. Speech therapy also involves treatment of swallowing dysfunction as a result of a stroke or brain injury, plus other voice disorders like hoarseness. In children, speech therapy can help increase communication skills if they are experiencing a developmental delay.

Short-Term Rehab/Swing Bed

Wabash General Hospital offers a solution for patients who need short-term rehabilitation or skilled nursing care after being hospitalized. Medicare calls this type of care a “swing bed,” but to us, it is just our family taking care of your family until it is possible to return home.

Care is individualized in short-term rehab, but may include:

• Skilled nursing care
• Physical, speech, and/or occupational therapy
• Nutrition counseling
• Activities
• Ancillary services (lab, imaging, respiratory therapy, pharmacy)

The average stay at Wabash General Hospital is less than 15 days. Once goals are met or maximum recovery is achieved, a member of our team will help make preparations for discharge.

Contact Us

To reach our Rehabilitation Services Department at Wabash General Hospital, please call (618) 263-6343 or fax us at (618) 263-6477.