Physical Rehabilitation Medicine

OVERVIEW

Physical Rehabilitation Medicine services in Prince Court Medical Centre comprises of 3 areas namely:

1. Physiotherapy
2. Occupational Therapy
3. Speech Therapy

 

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Our Physiotherapist help people affected by injury, illness or disability through systematic movement, exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. They maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease. We assist in developing structured program to facilitate recovery in enabling patients to work and remain independent for as long as possible.

The primary areas of PCMC Physical Rehabilitation Medicine (“PRM”) unit includes:

1. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physiotherapy

We assist by providing structured rehabilitation programs for cardiopulmonary disorders, pre and post cardiac or pulmonary surgery. Primary goals of this specialty include increasing endurance and functional independence. We use variety of manual therapy and breathing exercises to assist in clearing lung secretions.

2. Hydrotherapy and Aqua Rehab
   

Hydrotherapy is a treatment that involves physical movement and exercising in water, essentially physiotherapy underwater. Here in PRM, our pool heated to a constant 35° Celsius to ensure the warm water allows your muscles to relax and eases the pain in your joints. The water supports your weight, which helps to relieve pain and increase the range of movement of your joints for those who are recovering from mobility issues due to neurological or sports-related injuries.

Our hydro pool is also used for antenatal and postnatal aqua fitness. Lead by our Women’s Health Physiotherapist, we conduct special classes for expectant mothers as well as mothers post pregnancy. 

Additionally, PRM Sports Aqua Rehab programme is specifically designed to gather all sports injury patients for strengthening, flexibility, proprioception, and endurance and balance training in the pool. This programme is conducted in groups to promote interaction among patients with similar clinical conditions, about rehabilitation plans and progress.

3. Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based program is designed to address issues of vertigo, dizziness, and improve overall balance. Treatment of vestibular problems may include manual manoeuvers to correct Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), vestibular habituation exercises and balance re-training.

4. Burns Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy aims to maintain and restore the joint’s & muscles’ range of motion. Activities depend on the size of the burn injuries. This

consideration is important because healed skin often contracts, or pulls together.

5. Neurological Rehabilitation

Common impairments associated with neurologic conditions include impairments of vision, balance, and mobility, activities of daily living, movement pattern, muscle strength and loss of functional independence.

6. Spinal Rehabilitation

Spinal cord injury rehabilitation team treats people with all causes of traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injuries, including spinal cord tumors, spinal cord or vertebral infections, transverse myelitis, myelopathies, spinal cord infarctions and aneurysms.

7. Sports Rehabilitation

Promotion of safe physical activity participation, provision of advice and adaptation of rehabilitation and training interventions for the purposes of preventing injury, and restoring optimal function.

8. Paediatric Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists are specialized in clinical assessment treatment, and management of infants, children, and adolescents with a variety of disorders/ diseases including congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal, or acquired disorders/diseases. Treatments focus mainly on improving gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination, strength and endurance as well as cognitive and sensory processing/integration.

9. General Lymphedema management

Manual Lymphatic Drainage [MLD] is a unique, gentle type of skin massage technique that promotes lymph to drain out of a limb into an area that drains normally. It is mainly used for patients suffering from lymphedema.

10. Women’s Health

Here in PRM, we provide physical therapy specifically dealing with problems related to women’s health. Physical therapy includes:

a) Pelvic floor dysfunction

• Incontinence
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• Overactive Bladder (Frequent urination)
• Vaginismus (Pain during sexual intercourse or during gynaecological examination)

b) Gynaecology surgery

• Pre & Post Op Physiotherapy
• Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation

c) Ante-natal issues

• Neck and Back pain
• Pelvic Girdle Pain
• Plantar Fascitis
• Antenatal exercise classes & Hydrotherapy

d) Labour Preparation

• Breathing technique
• Pushing technique
• Labour Room visit

e) Post-natal/Post Caesarean

• Confinement Class
• Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation
• Core re-training exercises

f) Menopausal related symptoms

• Osteoporosis (Weight bearing exercises)
• Osteoarthritis (Hydrotherapy)

11. Men’s Health

Our Men’s Health Physiotherapist provides management of symptoms relating to male pelvic floor dysfunction, which includes:

• Pelvic Floor Muscle training (strengthening)
• Pelvic Floor Muscle Release
• Bladder retraining
• Manual Therapy/Trigger Point release
• Postural Correction
• Core Stability Training
• Relaxation Techniques

12. Orthopedic Physiotherapy

This is the branch of Physiotherapy concerned with the treatment of injuries or disorders of various skeletal system and associated muscles, joints and ligaments. The treatment goal of the orthopaedic Physiotherapist is to provide pain relief, increase joint range, improve strength and flexibility and restore the patient to full function.

13. Acute & Chronic Pain Management

Electrotherapy modalities available at PRM includes:

• Ultrasound
• Interferential Therapy
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
• Laser Therapy
• Shockwave Therapy
• Hot pack
• Paraffin Wax Bath
• Cryotherapy

14. LOKOMAT Pro

LOKOMAT Pro is an advanced robotic-assisted physiological gait rehabilitation for severely impaired neurological patients. This robot-assisted therapy enables effective and intensive training to improve their mobility and recovery potential.

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 

Occupational Therapy is the use of assessment and intervention to develop, recover, or maintain the meaningful activities, or occupations of affected patients. Occupational Therapy (OT) services at Prince Court Medical Centre are divided into 2 distinct areas:

1. Adult services
2. Pediatric services

A. Physical Adult Dysfunction Occupational Therapy program:

1. Hand/Upper Limbs therapy

Occupational Therapist specialized in restoring hand functions to integrate with our daily activities and job demands. Whether writing with a pen, typing on a computer or turning a screwdriver, our hands are important tools in our daily lives.

2. Neuro-rehabilitation (injuries related with stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury)

Stroke/Brain Injury survivors face multiple challenges, such as weakness on one side of the body, decline in cognitive and emotional functioning, social disability, inability to walk and care for themselves, and a decrease in community participation. Treatment sessions focus on engaging individuals in meaningful and purposeful activities in order to assist in achieving their optimal level of independence, productivity, and satisfaction.

3. Burn Rehabilitation

Occupational Therapists are responsible in assisting burn survivors to participate independently from Activities of Daily Living (ADL) until Return to Work Journey. Additionally, personalized splinting are prescribed to prevent joint deformity due to scarring; pressure garments are tailored-made for persons to prevent formation of hypertrophic or keloid scarring after burns or injury.

4. Amputee Rehabilitation

Our Occupational Therapists provide critical interventions, such as:

1. identifying and achieving the client’s functional goals, which can include self-care, home management, work tasks, driving, child care, and leisure activities
2. analyzing tasks and providing modifications to achieve functional goals
3. providing education on compensatory techniques and equipment to accomplish tasks and activities
4. providing prosthetic training and care (integration for functional activity)
5. identifying and addressing psychosocial issues

5. Mental Health Rehabilitation

The aim of Occupational Therapy services in mental health is to help all individuals develop and maintain positive mental health, prevent mental ill health, and assisting to overcome mental health challenges in order to live full and productive lives.

6. Work/Vocational Rehabilitation

Our Occupational Therapists partner with employers, case managers and insurers to provide a comprehensive program focusing on three main components:

1. Injury prevention
2. Rehabilitation and treatment
3. Return-to-work / case closure

7. Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) provides a comprehensive evaluation that measures strength, endurance, physical demand work level and positional tolerance. The data gathered through this evaluation objectively defines the injured employee’s physical capabilities.

8. Aids & Adaptation (Assessment & Prescription)

We make specific recommendations for the most appropriate assistive technology to facilitate improved functional ability.

9. Wheelchair Assessments & Prescriptions

We match client’s functional needs with wheelchair usage before prescribing. Additionally, we assess patient’s suitability with body index measurements to match with wheelchair needed.

10. Splinting Prescriptions & Fabrications

Splints are provided to position, maintain affected joints in normal or functional position, and prevent deformities in patients with hand injuries, arthritic hands, spastic/flaccid hand, burns and other injuries.

B. Pediatrics (ADHD, ASD, Autistic, Down syndrome, Global Delayed Developmental and other learning difficulty condition) Occupational therapy program:

Occupational Therapy aims at maximizing the abilities of infants and children to achieve self-help, play and learning skills appropriate for their age. The Occupational Therapist evaluates and trains children to achieve:

1. Early sensory stimulation programme
2. Sensory Integration therapy
3. Cognitive-visual perceptual-motor skill training
4. Functional academic training
5. Upper limbs and hand function training
6. Behavior management

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SPEECH THERAPY

Our Speech Therapists helps to restore communication disorders by offering assessment, treatment, counseling & education for speech and language difficulties, eating/ swallow disorders, voice problems and cognitive function.

At Prince Court Medical Centre, we believe in early intervention and emphasize upon personalized care and attention. We strive to optimize patient’s potential to communicate effectively. We provide counseling and education to primary caregivers who will monitor and ensure treatment goals are implemented and outcomes are successful at the home or school environment.

1. Stroke rehabilitation – Speech, Language and Swallowing Management

Eating and swallowing disorders (dysphagia) is another component (aside from slurred speech, a breathy voice and a slow rate of speech) that affects a stroke patient’s quality of life. Stroke patients may need a feeding tube to maintain adequate hydration and nutritional needs because they lose the ability to eat and swallow safely.

We also offer the following dedicated services and individualized care plan for stroke rehabilitation:

1. Bedside speech and language assessment and treatment
2. Bedside swallowing assessment and treatment
3. Cognition assessment and treatment
4. Assessment and management of patient in the ICU
5. Video fluoroscopic evaluation for swallowing
6. Endoscopic evaluation for swallowing
7. Transition from tube feeding to safe oral feeding
8. Diet modification – regular diet, soft diet, thick/ thin liquid
9. Teach safe swallow techniques and suitable postures during swallowing
10. Electrical stimulation for dysphagia with Intelect VitalStim

2. Voice rehabilitation

Voice therapy teaches the individual to use the correct muscles for speech and singing to obtain a clear and healthy voice. Any changes to a person’s normal loudness, pitch and quality should be identified and managed early.

3. Stuttering rehabilitation

Young children, teenagers and even adults may have difficulty to speak smoothly sometimes. Stuttering may occur in the form of blocks where a word is unable to come out, or prolongation of sounds or repetition of words or phrases.

4. Early intervention for newborns to toddlers

Many speech or swallowing difficulties may present itself from birth. Newborns at risk of developing hearing difficulties or have sucking and eating problems such as cleft lip/palate are jointly managed by a multidisciplinary team for treatment and management.

Our Speech Therapists provides oral sensory, oral motor and feeding therapy, which looks at the structure, function of the speech, and swallow muscles including the jaw, lips, tongue, head/neck stability and trunk control.  By improving the strength and grading of these muscles, a child will develop correct feeding and speech patterns in the early stages of development.

5. Early intervention for delayed speech

Toddlers from the ages of two start to speak in simple sentences such as ‘want car’ or ‘go there’. Children who do not speak in sentences at age three may portray their frustration in different ways such as throwing tantrums or hitting others when they are not understood. Speech intervention will boost a child’s confidence to prepare him for pre-school and make new friends.

6. Group therapy

Playing and learning in a group is always fun. As the child’s speech progresses, he/she is put in a group with one or two peers. In group learning, each individual has a chance to practice the skills learnt during the individual sessions. Group therapy is also available for adult patients.

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PERKESO Patients

We offer comprehensive physical rehabilitation programs for Perkeso patients, facilitated by our Rehab Physician & Perkeso case managers.