Hierarchy of Post Rehabilitation Fitness – “How do I manage the post rehab program for clients with multiple medical conditions safely?”

Many post rehab professionals are faced with managing clients with multiple medical conditions. We developed a “Hierarchy of Post Rehab Fitness” to allow you to determine which safety precautions have priority and should be closely followed during the exercise session.

As you can see from the pyramid, the safety guidelines/precautions for cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary disorders have the highest priority on the pyramid. These conditions, if their exercise safety precautions are not followed can be life threatening. These conditions include diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarct, congestive heart failure and congestive heart failure to name a few.

The next level on the pyramid are surgical procedures. These include any surgical interventions such as joint replacements, reconstructions, organ transplants and other surgical procedures. Surgical procedures are next on the hierarchy due to the delicate nature of most operations.

Neurological conditions are at the next level. They major concern with neurological disorders are the possibilities of loss of balance and falls. Of course, falls can result in fractures and serious injury. These conditions include multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cerebrovascular accident to name a few.

Soft tissue disorders with radiating pain are at the fourth level of the pyramid. These conditions, though not as serious as neurological disorders, surgical procedures and cardiovascular/pulmonday disorders, must be managed properly to avoid further tissue damage. These conditions include lumbar disc hernation with radiating pain and impingement syndrome with radiating pain.

Last on the pyramid are soft tissue disorders without radiating pain. The safety precautions for these conditions, though important, have the lowest priority in the pyramid. This doesn’t mean the safety precautions for these conditions should be ignored.

Use this pyramid to apply the safety precautions as necessary to manage the exercise programs for your post rehab clients. Click the link below to listen to a detailed explanation of the “Hierarchy of Post Rehab Fitness Pyramid”.

Dr Mike