What is Rehabilitative Therapy?

When we talk about therapy in general, we must first look at the types of therapy given at a CORF, these are:

• Rehabilitative Physical Therapy
• Rehabilitative Occupational Therapy
• Rehabilitative Speech/Language Therapy
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

In order to explain rehabilitative therapy, we must first understand therapy in general.  Therapy services are generally divided into two categories:  Rehabilitative and Palliative (or Maintenance) Therapy.  Even though the two categories use the same methods, they differ in their purpose.  Rehabilitative Therapies (in the case of physical, occupational and speech) are interventions by certified therapists designed to restore functionality to an affected body part (s), quality of life or speech ability, following injury, illness or loss of a body part.  That is to say, a person who has had part or all of their related functions impaired due to one of the above reasons can have those functions restored, on a permanent basis, back to a level specified by the examinations and plan of care that are established.  The CORF program is designed for patients who have had a rehabilitation potential established, it is not designed for patients with chronic or degenerative conditions. 

Palliative or maintenance therapies are also interventions by certified therapists, however their intervention in this category is designed to alleviate symptoms caused by age and chronic or degenerative illnesses.  Constant intervention is required for these patients in order to maintain a level of alleviation that will allow for them to continue to function productively. 

Pulmonary Rehabilitation therapy is similar in design, just different in its application.  There are also two types of therapy associated with the pulmonary system; pulmonary rehabilitation and respiratory therapy.  Pulmonary Rehabilitation, in contrast to the other therapies performed at a CORF, is specifically designed for patients with chronic pulmonary conditions such as COPD, congestive obstructive bronchitis or emphysema, among others.  The Pulmonary Rehabilitation program uses education, training techniques and therapeutic exercises to teach patients how to cope with their condition, how to control the onset of symptoms caused by their conditions and thereby improve the quality of life for them. 

Respiratory Therapy is a general medical program for treating all types of respiratory conditions, not just chronic ones.  Even though some types of respiratory therapy providers include some type of education in the provision of their services, the respiratory therapy is generally treatment driven; that is to say it uses diagnostic tests, aerosols and nebulizers, percussion techniques and other medical treatments to directly attack the respiratory condition.  Respiratory therapy is used to treat everything from transient respiratory infections, to asthma to severe respiratory conditions.

Most, if not all of those patients who may qualify for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program already have some type of respiratory therapy ordered for them by their physicians.  The CORF can also provide the some of the respiratory therapy treatments that may be indicated during the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program.