Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Manatee Memorial Hospital offers outpatient rehabilitation services for patients across the lifespan.
Elizabeth A. Brown, M.S., CCC-SLP, Director of Outpatient Therapy Services for The Rehab and Sports Medicine Center, a service of Manatee Memorial Hospital, talks about the benefits of outpatient therapy in a patient’s recovery and what the Center offers.
Q: What is outpatient physical therapy?
A: Outpatient physical therapy involves rehabilitation services provided to individuals on an outpatient basis, typically in a clinic or healthcare facility, rather than as part of an inpatient hospital stay.
Q: Who can benefit from outpatient physical therapy?
A: Outpatient physical therapy can benefit individuals of all ages and abilities who are recovering from injury, surgery, or medical conditions affecting their mobility, strength, balance, or function. It can also be beneficial for those seeking preventive care, performance enhancement, or management of chronic pain or disability. Additionally, outpatient therapy may be suitable for athletes looking to rehabilitate sports-related injuries and return to play safely.
Q: What are the advantages of outpatient physical therapy?
A: Outpatient rehabilitation programs provide patients with the flexibility to schedule appointments around their daily routines. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for individuals who wish to maintain their work, school, or family commitments while undergoing rehabilitation. By eliminating the need for overnight stays, outpatient rehab allows patients to receive essential care without disrupting their lives significantly.
Q: Why should patients come to The Rehab and Sports Medicine Center for their care?
A: Our patients enjoy a 1-to-1 patient ratio with their therapist for every session. Some clinics have a therapist seeing multiple patients at one time and overlapping treatment sessions, but our center uses a service model of 1-to-1 direct care for a more intensive program with exercises tailored to the patient and their life goals. Therapy sessions range from 45 to 60 minutes.
Q: Do pediatric patients require a different level or method of rehab compared to adults going through therapy?
A: Our pediatric outpatient therapy provides development and orthopedic services for ages birth to 16 years in a transdisciplinary team approach. This means that the patient and family are cared for by occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy team members who are specially trained in the neurotypical patterns of growth and development of children and can identify the areas of concern that are impacting the development of a child. With sports-related injuries for the pediatric patient, the key to successful rehab is all about making the exercises fun, safe, easy to remember, and carry over to the sport that the child loves to do.
Q: How are sports-related injuries treated at the center?
A: Sports injuries are an inevitable part of the game. Athletes often face physical setbacks that require specialized care to recover and return to peak performance. Our rehab programs are designed to address not only the immediate effects of injury, but also underlying imbalances, weaknesses, and movement issues that may predispose athletes to future injuries. Through targeted exercises, corrective techniques, and performance training, our therapists help athletes improve strength, flexibility, agility, and endurance.
The Rehab and Sports Medicine Center has two locations to serve our community:
8770 East State Road 70, Bradenton,
FL 34202 in the Ranch Lake Plaza
206 Second Street East,
Bradenton, FL 34208,
on the campus of Manatee Memorial Hospital
For more information, call 941-745-7559 (SR 70 location) or 941-745-7550 (hospital location), or visit manateememorial.com/rehab
Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Manatee Memorial Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.
