Welcome to National Rehabilitation Awareness Week

This week, September 19-25, 2022, is National Rehabilitation Awareness Week!

#PowerOfMedicalRehab

To build awareness of the benefits of rehabilitation and the successes of those who have received treatment through all forms of rehabilitation, the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation (NRAF) established National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, which is recognized every year during the third full week in September. In honor of this important initiative, we invite you to improve your health literacy, gain a better understanding of your personal healthcare needs, and help build awareness of the value and benefits of physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

Physical Therapists (PT’s) are best know for their ability to decrease pain and improve weak muscles and joints.  This can be done preventatively, meaning before you become so weak or hurt; in a rehabilitative manner, such as after a joint replacement surgery; or for people who have chronic conditions, such as chronic back pain. In addition, physical therapy can treat difficulty with motor control issues such as after a stroke or with Parkinson’s disease or with other movement disorders. Finally, PT’s can even help with conditions you many have never thought of, including cardiac rehabilitation or urinary incontinence. We don’t always think about our hearts or our bladders being muscles, but they are, and PT’s love to improve muscle strength regardless of which part of the body it lives.

Occupational Therapists (OT’s) understand our daily occupations, such as preparing meals for your family, playing on the floor with your grandchildren, taking a leisurely walk or run, or any other daily activity you engage in regularly are meaningful independent tasks that affects our overall health. When we cannot engage in these activities due to physical health concerns, poor mental health, or general aging, we begin to experience a decreased quality of life. While aging and certain health issues are inevitable, OT’s can help by using various strategies, adaptive equipment, rehabilitative strategies, and health and wellness techniques to improve the ability to engage in preferred occupations.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP’s), also known as Speech Therapists, work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Most people are not aware of what a SLP does to help an adult. The four most common diagnosis an SLP treats are difficulty swallowing food and/or liquids, slurred speech, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, and voice disorders leading to a hoarse voice or an “old person” sounding voice. Because we have muscles inside our throats, many of the treatments an SLP uses include muscle strengthening of the lungs, throat, and tongue. Other interventions can include strategies to swallow food safer and changes in diet.

We can help!

Now that you know a bit more about the rehabilitation benefits resulting from physical, occupational, and speech therapy, take advantage of  National Rehabilitation Awareness Week and think carefully about your health care needs, as well as how a PT, OT, or SLP may help improve your abilities to remain active or get back to doing the things you love. If you believe you may benefit from the help of a therapists, give us a call at 830-331-8604.

Jennica Colvin, Owner & Occupational Therapist
Trio Rehabilitation & Wellness Solutions
Boerne, Texas