Physical Therapy

In Home Physical Therapy Services

Being able to return to the normal functions of daily life after a debilitating illness or injury can be extremely difficult. The good news is that you can get back on the path of being yourself again much quicker and with much more confidence through the help of physical therapy services. The better news is that you can get the help you need in your own home through home care physical therapy.

What is Physical Therapy?

After a stroke, major injury or extended period being bed-ridden, muscles and muscle coordination are often very limited. Disuse tends to weaken the muscles and limits their range of motion. Physical therapy is a process that helps you regain the necessary muscle strength, muscle coordination, and range of motion in a safe environment and brings your recovery along much more rapidly.

The goal of physical therapy services is to decrease symptoms while encouraging the functional return of your strength and coordination through physical exercises guided by a physical therapist. Through physical therapy, you will recover the necessary coordination to achieve maximum mobility for in and out-of-bed functions as well as safe ambulation and transfers. Physical therapy also helps regain balance, strength and stamina to get you back into a more normal lifestyle.

Why Might I Need a Physical Therapist?

Outpatient Physical Therapy

Outpatient physical therapy achieves the goals of physical therapy within a private clinic or hospital department. An outpatient program requires the patient to come into the clinic on a regular basis in order to be guided through the necessary physical exercises to regain maximum physical function. In an outpatient facility, there is often specialized equipment to aid in the process of rehabilitation and symptom reduction.

Though outpatient facilities certainly have a number of advantages over other forms of physical therapy, they do require the patient to transport themselves or be transported to the facility for treatment.

Home Care Physical Therapy Services

In-home physical therapy is designed to achieve the same goals of physical therapy that we mentioned above. With at-home physical therapy, the physical therapist comes to your home and guides you through the necessary exercises to speed your recovery and orient you toward a more normal lifestyle. Though in-home therapy lacks some of the equipment of a clinic, it tends to provide faster recovery due to the fact that your sessions are carried out in the privacy of your own home.

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What Are the Benefits of Physical Therapy in the Home?

The main advantage of home health physical therapy is that the therapy is performed in the privacy and comfort of your home. Here are three specific benefits:

Physical therapy works best when a person is able to be more relaxed and at ease, which tends to be the case when a person is in their own home.
At-home physical therapy allows the physical therapist to have a better understanding of the daily challenges and obstacles present within the person’s home which will have to be overcome in order to perform normal living functions within their home.
Avoids the need for transportation and transfers which tend to leave the patient stressed and already exhausted before therapy sessions begin when outpatient physical therapy is used.

What Specific Goals Are Achieved Through In-Home Physical Therapy?

We have discussed the goals of physical therapy and even pointed out reasons why a person might need physical therapy, but let’s take a closer look at the specific goals to be achieved through in home physical therapy, such as:

Gait Training Therapy. Gait training is meant to help improve walking with or without the aid of medical equipment. The goal is to improve strength, balance and flexibility to the point that the patient is able to achieve the maximum mobility their condition will allow.
Balance Drills. Balance is an essential function of safety. Often involved in walking is balance, but balance plays a significant role in a number of other situations as well. Sitting, standing, lying down and getting up are simple functions which require balance to perform.
Therapeutic Exercise. Therapeutic exercise is used to improve musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and neurologic functions. Guided therapeutic exercise allows the patient to be closely supervised to prevent additional damage from improper exercise, but also allows for encouraging the patient to meet and exceed goals they might not set for themselves.
Fall Prevention & Home Safety Assessment. Assessing home safety and the risk factors present for falling is an important aspect of physical therapy. Through an accurate evaluation of the home and the addition of any equipment which might prevent falling, the physical therapist can help decrease the risk of falls and customize their therapy to suit the challenges presented in the home.
Fall Prevention & Home Safety Assessment. Assessing home safety and the risk factors present for falling is an important aspect of physical therapy. Through an accurate evaluation of the home and the addition of any equipment which might prevent falling, the physical therapist can help decrease the risk of falls and customize their therapy to suit the challenges presented in the home.
Surgical Rehabilitation & Recovery. Oftentimes recovering from surgery can best be achieved at home. Home health physical therapy can help patients return to functionality faster by providing a number of post-surgical recovery services in the patient’s home. Those services include things like:

As you consider these questions, also consider some of the most common individuals and needs that are associated with occupational therapy:

1. Pain management

2. Edema control

3. Activity management and pacing strategies

4. Overall return to function

Choosing a home health care service provider can be overwhelming, so know that if you need any information or have questions and concerns about the services available to the residents of Rochester, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding cities of Minnesota, or the qualifications necessary for home care services, please feel free to contact us by phone or online. We will be happy to assist you in any way we can.