Post Rehab Articles

Establish 30-day and 90-day goals for your post rehab clients. The 30-day goals are short-term and accomplished in 30 days. The long-term goals are accomplished in 90 days. Your program should consist of exercises to accomplish these goals. Your focus during the post rehab assessment should be the identification of “residual functional deficits” remaining after physical therapy. Exercises should be used that will enhance function based on the deficits identified.

Your role as a post rehab professional is to identify these residual functional deficits and improve the client’s functional capacity. As you can see, your role is vitally important to enhancing function and exercise is definitely the key to long-term management of most medical conditions.

Goals serve as the direction of and milestones for your post rehab program. Once the client accomplishes the short-term goals, new short-term goals are established and the long-term goals are re-adjusted. The ultimate result of the long-term goals is the return of the client to his or her maximal functional capacity.  When establishing short and long goals please remember the following:

• You must perform a thorough medical history on your client.
• Ask questions and don’t chase symptoms!
• Know the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the condition affecting the client.
• Ask about the client’s home and work related critical physical demands. These demands will include how much, how often and how long the client may have to perform such activities as stair climbing, lifting, bending and reaching.
• Maintain communication with the referring physician or physical therapist. Keep them in the loop as the client progresses or when complications develop. If you want future referrals, this is the time to distinguish yourself from the other fitness professionals by communicating professionally and effectively with the medical community.

Refer to the PostRehabWorks and/or the PREPS – Post Rehab Exercise Protocols Manual to help develop a safe and effective functional conditioning program and determine if your client is appropriate for exercise. The residual functional deficits determined in the initial session are the “keys” in the design of the post rehab program. In an upcoming Post Rehab Tips podcast we will discuss residual functional deficits.  Click the link below to listen to the podcast.