Learn about the different specialists who make up the rehabilitation treatment team.
You as the patient and your family are the most important members of the rehab team.
The healthcare provider who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation is called a physiatrist.
A rehabilitation nurse helps people with disabilities and chronic illness to reach their best function and health, and adapt to a changed lifestyle.
A clinical social worker is a professional counselor who helps solve problems related to personal, family, or social situations.
Physical therapists focus on restoring a person's movement (mobility) and function, and preventing further disability.
An occupational therapist helps people with physical, developmental, or emotional disabilities be more independent. Read on to learn more about their work.
A speech-language pathologist helps treat people with communication problems that result from disability, surgery, or developmental disorders. This specialist also treats people with swallowing disorders caused by stroke or brain injury.
These specialists work with the rehab team to offer counseling and support for the patient and their family.
Recreation therapists design programs to help patients develop social skills and learn to participate in leisure group activities.
Audiologists measure and evaluate a person's ability to hear sounds. They specialize in treating people with hearing disorders.
Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) work with healthcare providers to calculate calorie and nutrient needs, design special diets, and offer other nutritional advice to patients.
Vocational rehabilitation counselors help people with disabilities find and keep satisfying jobs. Read on to learn more.
A detailed look at orthotists and prosthetists, and the work they do.
A case manager is a patient advocate. They often don't provide direct patient care. But they may work either as part of the rehab team or for the patient's insurance company.
Respiratory therapists help treat and restore function for people with airway and breathing problems.
Chaplains act as spiritual counselors to help patients and families through periods of crisis.
If you are in the hospital recovering from surgery, healing from an injury, or being treated for a disabling medical condition, physical rehabilitation may be an important part of your treatment.
If you’re recovering from an illness, surgery, or injury and need outpatient rehabilitation. This means you’ll receive 1 or more types of therapy after you’ve been discharged from a hospital or clinic.