Whether you play on an intramural softball team or enjoy hiking with Fido on weekends, the activities in our lives keeps us strong physically and mentally. Unfortunately, our bodies can’t always keep up with our fervor for life. Thankfully, rehabilitation programs can help us get back in the game.

“The goal of a rehab program is to return you to your level of activity before the injury,” says John Lee, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. He stresses, however, that this type of program is better left to professionals. “If you’re too aggressive with therapy before you’re ready, you can actually end up doing more harm than good.”

At Adventist Midwest Health, physicians and physical and occupational therapists work together to develop individualized rehab programs for patients, as well as monitor their progress and educate them on therapy goals. The care team helps patients of all ages, including those recovering from joint surgery or stroke and those with balance difficulties.

The journey back to an active lifestyle
For anyone who comes to rehab with a serious injury, therapists first control swelling and pain by using the R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method. This also helps protect the injured area and speed healing. From there, patients work to regain mobility. “Once you injure a joint, the first step is leaving it alone for awhile,” Dr. Lee says. “However, the area has a tendency to get stiff, so the second step of therapy is used to make the area flexible again.” After patients regain mobility, they work on rebuilding strength.

For patients who were injured at work, Adventist Midwest Health offers tailored therapy through its Work Hardening Program. This requires a slightly different treatment approach because the goal is to help them return to work. “Once patients reach a certain goal in therapy, their rehab environment is set up to simulate their work conditions,” says Dr. Lee. For example, if a supermarket stocker sprained his or her shoulder while lifting a heavy box overhead, therapists would help him or her simulate lifting boxes overhead in a controlled environment after regaining strength through resistance and balance exercises.

Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital also offers patients specialized therapy.

Electrotherapy helps muscles regain strength quicker through stimulation. For example, after knee surgery a patient’s muscles will be weaker because of the trauma from the surgery. “We would put electrical devices on the patient’s knee to help the muscles fire correctly,” Dr. Lee says.

Hydrotherapy lets patients exercise in a specialized pool. Because gravity is reduced in the water, there’s less pressure on joints, which makes this therapy an ideal choice for older patients and people with osteoarthritis.

Cryotherapy is used for new injuries or after an operation when swelling needs to be controlled. Applying cold compresses decreases the flow of fluid into the tissues, which helps reduce inflammation. It also slows the release of chemicals that cause swelling, pain and spasms.

Thermotherapy helps patients with stiff joints and extremities – mainly hands. “After trauma or surgery, the tissues in the hand will be tight,” Dr. Lee says. “However, when those joints are relaxed, they move easier.” Therapists wrap patients’ hands in a paraffin-like solution and guide the joints to obtain the necessary movements.

At Adventist Midwest Health, the main goal is getting patients back on their feet. “We engage all patients in functional training,” Dr. Lee says. “We want them to be able to get back to their former lifestyle, whether that includes working in construction or playing golf.”