Due to their age, some seniors need more time to recover from injury or surgery. Here’s how rehab and physical therapy help seniors return to normalcy after injury.

How Rehab Helps Seniors

1. Restores Strength & Range of Motion

Simple static stretches or basic yoga postures prevent connective tissues in the legs, hips, and shoulders from tightening around muscles and joints. This keeps the body flexible so that seniors can continue basic physical tasks with a reasonable range of motion. Additionally, targeted therapeutic massages loosen muscles and provide gentle compression, relaxing connective tissues.

Walking with a therapist or marching in place helps limbs regain strength through usage. A physical assessment by a therapist will determine the type, duration, and repetition of a strengthening exercise. It’ll also dictate whether the activity should be performed with assistance, at home, or under supervision at a facility.

2. Builds Confidence

An injury, stroke, or fall can be frightening and can temporarily make seniors more dependent on their medical team or family. Fortunately, their confidence will grow as their strength, flexibility, and movement return during rehab. Enhanced confidence can also positively affect their mental outlook since most seniors want to remain independent as long as possible.

3. Addresses Specific Medical Conditions

Patients who recently had a stroke can recover by participating in constraint-induced movement therapy to regain control over compromised limbs. They can also benefit from speech therapy to regain their verbal abilities.

Arthritis can cause discomfort in the joints, but it can be alleviated with hydrotherapy and electrical stimulation. In rehab, seniors with Parkinson’s will perform exercises that reduce involuntary movements, which is a side effect of the condition. Alzheimer’s patients can benefit from physical therapy and gentle, directed exercise because motion can improve memory and cognitive function.

4. Support & Social Engagement

Exercise boosts the feel-good chemicals in the brain and can improve mood and outlook, which will quicken recovery. Gently exercising in a structured setting with a therapist helps seniors feel supported while benefiting their health. A senior center or skilled nursing facility may offer opportunities to exercise with a supervised walking or swimming group, which provides social engagement. This type of interaction is essential for seniors who may feel separated and unfulfilled in the hospital or at home.

If you’ think you may benefit from physical therapy, talk to your doctor or the Rehab team at Hale Makua Health Services in Kahului, HI. Since 1968, these professionals have provided Maui seniors with physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help them live a healthy, independent, and active life. Learn more about their rehab programs online, or call (808) 877-2761 for more information.