Rehabilitation Therapies

Learning to Live Again

Sarasota Memorial offers a full range of rehabilitative services to meet the needs of those with physical, psychological and cognitive impairments caused by developmental disorders, physical or mental illness, trauma and/or the normal processes of aging:

Biofeedback training teaches us how to control body responses that we usually do not notice, such as muscle tension or hand temperature. Our clients learn to control responses that are overactive or under active and to bring the body to a healthy balance. Biofeedback can be helpful for managing pain, headaches, repetitive strain injury, high blood pressure, Raynaud's syndrome, and stress. This therapy is available at our Blackburn Point location. <Link to BBP Location>

Community and Work Reintegration services are offered to clients who are experiencing difficulty in returning to the life they knew.

Day-to-day activities are addressed by therapists in order to help patients return to their highest level of functionality in activities such as eating, bathing, toileting, dressing and grooming. They also assist patients in improving their functional ability in the areas of cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, money management and other homemaking tasks.

Driver’s Assessment and Re-Education services are available. Certified Driving Specialists evaluate the patient’s driving skills to determine the impact of physical or cognitive illness on driving safety.  Training in the use of adaptive driving equipment is also available.

Energy Conservation and Work Simplification improves endurance and the ability to complete daily tasks independently. Therapists teach organizing and simplifying techniques that focus on using one's energy effectively after illness or injury.

Hand Therapy to maximize overall hand function is administered by certified hand therapists, who work closely with physicians to provide splinting and post-surgery treatment for pain management.

Home Safety Assessment of the patient’s environment addresses safety concerns, the potential need for assistance or supervision, and/or recommendations for adaptive equipment and/or strategies to improve function. Caregiver training is also available.

Lymphedema Management is accomplished by non-invasive procedures such as manual lymph drainage, compression bandaging, exercise and associated skin and nail care by therapists certified in these specialized techniques.

Massage Therapy helps promote relaxation by increasing circulation within soft tissues and reducing muscle tension. Massage therapy is provided by certified neuromuscular and licensed massage therapists and is available at both Sports Medicine Center locations. Both Therapeutic and neuromuscular massage can be prescribed by your physician or are available on a walk-in basis.

Splinting and Positioning services are provided by Occupational Therapists, using orthotics that can ease discomfort and maximize function of the hand or arm.  They also teach techniques and provide adaptive equipment for proper positioning of the body to promote healing and function.

Stress Management and Coping Strategies are taught to patients. They include: relaxation techniques, problem-solving strategies and assertive communication.

Time Management and Daily Structuring strategies are available to assist patients in organizing their daily schedules in ways that help avoid unnecessary stress.

 Speech and Language Pathologists at Sarasota Memorial Hospital provide a wide range of services including evaluation and treatment for adolescent and adult patients who are experiencing problems with speech, language, thinking and swallowing. They aid patients with the following disorders:

• Aphagia
• Cognitive communication disorders that impair attention, perception, memory, organization, reasoning and problem solving are common after head injury or stroke and can interfere with a person's return to previous activities.
• Dysphagia, which causes difficulty with feeding and swallowing, can occur in children and adults after illness, surgery, stroke or injury.
• Language disorders that cause difficulty in understanding what is said or expressing thoughts, feelings and experiences, as well as difficulty with reading and writing.
• Spasmodic Dysphonia is one of a group of neurological disorders called “dystonias”, which are movement disorders characterized by forceful, inappropriate contraction of muscle groups.
• Speech disorders that occur because of the incorrect production of speech sounds can be treated. These disorders can begin in childhood or occur later in life, often as the result of stroke, injury or illness.
• Ventilator and tracheostomy dependency results in difficulty speaking and swallowing. There are a number of options available for speaking with a tracheostomy.
• A video swallow study (videostroboscopy) is instrumental in assessing swallowing problems and for making recommendations regarding diet and specific safety techniques.
• Vocal Cord Nodules are a benign condition that usually results from vocal-cord abuse or injury. Like other tissues in the body, vocal cords can be strained and damaged. But unlike a strained arm or leg muscle, strained vocal cords generally aren't noticed until the problem becomes severe.