PHYSICAL MEDICINE

Cherokee Regional Medical Center's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department is proud to offer a full spectrum of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy services.

Physical Therapy
In today's health care system, physical therapists are the experts in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular problems that affect people's abilities to move the way they want and function as well as they want in their daily lives.

Our physical therapists will work with every age group from premature babies to the elderly. We work in a variety of settings from patient's homes, schools, hospitals and outpatient clinics, health and wellness clubs and for companies treating injured workers and working to prevent worker injuries.

Some of the many conditions our physical therapists treat include: musculoskeletal injuries such as muscle, tendon or ligament tears, strains, sprains, tendonitis and bursitis, and fractures. We treat pain in backs, necks, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, pelvis, hips, knees, ankles and feet through therapeutic exercise, strength and flexibility training, gait training, traction, electrical stimulation, whirlpool, posture evaluation, ultrasound, massage and heat/cold treatments.

Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists work with people experiencing health problems such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, cancer, hand injuries, congenital conditions, developmental problems and mental illness. Practitioners work in a wide range of settings including schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, psychiatric facilities and community health programs.

Occupational therapy helps people regain, develop and build skills that are essential for independent functioning, health and well-being.

In addition to dealing with an individual's physical well-being, occupational therapy practitioners address psychological, social and environmental factors that may impede independent functioning in all aspects of life. This unique perspective makes occupational therapy a vital part of a health care program.2

Speech Therapy
People with communication disorders are young, old and in-between. Their problems may have existed from birth or resulted from an illness, accident or disease. At Cherokee Regional Medical Center, our speech clinician has a Master's Degree in Speech Pathology. She has been practicing for over 20 years in the areas of infant and early language development, play and thinking skills, in the school setting and in language and speech rehabilitation in the hospital setting.

People who have had strokes or trauma to the brain are helped to regain lost language and speech skills. They are assisted and taught to understand directions and conversation, learn to ask and answer questions, convey ideas and to simply interact verbally with other people. If the speech is difficult to understand due to muscle weakness in the mouth, the clinician creates an exercise program for the mouth. Swallowing difficulties can be a problem in any age group and the clinician assists with safe oral intake of food and liquids supporting hydration and nourishment.

Two other areas that can interfere with communication are stuttering and voice problems. Regaining fluency or retraining how to speak with a clear voice are important areas for the speech pathologist to help people better communicate.

Sports Medicine
The Sports Medicine Program provides physical therapy services to individuals of all ages. From the collegiate and high school athlete to the weekend warrior or senior athlete, individuals of all ages can benefit from this service.

Injury assessment and rehabilitation services are provided by licensed professionals who are committed to returning athletes with injuries to their previous activity level. The staff includes physical therapists, therapist assistants and certified athletic trainers.

CRMC Sports Medicine specializes in caring for musculoskeletal injuries, especially the unique injuries that occur in athletics. Such specialization includes assessment and treatment of injuries to elbows, shoulders, hands, neck, back, knees, ankles, feet or any other body part. Muscle strains, tendon injuries, overuse injuries and osteoarthritis are also commonly treated by the sports medicine staff.

Services Provided
• Sports Injury Assessment and Rehabilitation
• Athletes of all levels and age groups
• Active individuals of all ages
• Pre-operative, post-operative, and non-operative care
• Biomechanical assessment of individual functional needs
• Orthotic evaluation and molding
• General Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
• Emphasis on joints and muscles
• Overuse, degenerative, acute injury, post operative, non-operative care
• Specialized Equipment
• Biodex® for isokinetic testing and rehabilitation
• Pool for aquatic therapy
• Wellness Center weights and machines for therapy use
• Plyometric training equipment
• Acceleration Program
• Free athletic injury assessment during normal business hours:

7:30 am to 7:00 pm Monday & Thursday
7:30 am to 6:00 pm Tuesday
7:30 am to 5:30 pm Wednesday & Friday