Physiotherapy

Exercise for strength training and conditioning helps to improve patients’ general strength, flexibility and range of motion, and enable better performance and function. We train patients to do both passive and active exercise routines and create a program for them to continue at home. In passive exercise therapy our physiotherapists apply force and stretch to patient’s muscles or joints, while the patient relaxes. With both exercise therapies our physiotherapists design specific program for the patient, based on the medical condition and issues determined at initial evaluation.

Strength training and conditioning include the utilisation of the following:

• Bowflex: This provides a full gym experience that allows patients to work every muscle group.
• Recumbent Bike: The recumbent bike, unlike the traditional upright bike, enables patients to sit in a more comfortable and laid back reclining position, which gives more support to the buttocks and back. It also provides an effective way to increase cardiovascular fitness, build endurance and tone the body in the comfort of your rehab centre.
• Treadmill Exercise: Treadmill exercise provides fitness and conditioning under the supervision of our well trained physiotherapists. Patients undergo progressive treatment allowing them to walk, jog or run while being monitored by the physiotherapists for form and gait patterns. Progress is followed and changes in heart rate, distance travelled and calories are monitored.
• Balance and Proprioceptive Training/Core Strengthening and Stability.
  1. Fitter: The Fitter 3D Cross trainer provides a challenging but fun way to achieve better balance, coordination, core strength and stability plus upper and lower limb strengthening.
  2. BOSU Ball: The BOSU ball exercise routines provide improvement in balance, coordination and core strength plus upper and lower limb strengthening.
  3. Exercise Swiss/Physio ball: We incorporate the use of the exercise ball for core strengthening, stability and stretching.
  4. Upper Body Ergometer (UBE): We utilize UBE to increase flexibility, range of motion and strength in upper extremity conditions such as frozen shoulder or after stroke. UBE is a closed chain, low impact aerobic upper body muscle-conditioning platform, designed for patients to strengthen and condition their upper body, as well as providing a cardiovascular workout using the arms only.

We treat patients who have neck and back pain from injury, disc herniation/disc bulge, or from natural progressive degenerative disease of the spine. Included in our treatment are:

• Mechanical Evaluation of the Spine: TPatients with neck and back pain are evaluated to determine the direction of motion and mechanical preference which improves their pain. This mechanical evaluation looks at muscle imbalances, inflexibility of tendons, joint stiffness and muscle weakness. In conjunction with the numerous available modalities at Rehabilitation Institute of the Caribbean, our physiotherapists provide patients with spine rehabilitation routine specific for the medical condition resulting in improved pain and function.
• Cervical Traction: We incorporated cervical traction in the treatment of conditions including: neck pain associated with herniated disc, cervical referred nerve pain (radicular pain), nerve root compression, cervical spondylosis/neck arthritis, muscle spasm and stiffness, cervicogenic headaches.

Patients after traumatic spinal cord injury after motor vehicle accident, assault, falls; stroke; degenerative illness of the spinal cord; tumour (cancer, benign); after infection e.g. meningitis, polio, and more.

• Tilt Table: TPatients with neck and back pain are evaluated to determine the direction of motion and mechanical preference which improves their pain. This mechanical evaluation looks at muscle imbalances, inflexibility of tendons, joint stiffness and muscle weakness. In conjunction with the numerous available modalities at Rehabilitation Institute of the Caribbean, our physiotherapists provide patients with spine rehabilitation routine specific for the medical condition resulting in improved pain and function.

Patients with traumatic brain injury as a result of motor vehicle accident, assault, falls; stroke; tumour (cancer, benign); brain injury after infection.

Patients with cerebral palsy, Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (TSP, where pioneer studies where done in Jamaica), Multiple Sclerosis, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and more.

Patients with spasticity, stiffness in muscle which prevents free movement and coordination.

To assist the cancer patient to obtain maximal physical, social, psychological, and vocational functioning within the limits created by the disease and its resulting treatment.

For patients after acute phase and hospitalisation who will need rehabilitation for maintenance of range of motion and function which is critical during the initial stage of healing to prevent contractures of skin, muscles and disfigurement.