Physical rehabilitation is a therapeutic process in which medical professionals work to restore a patient’s health and physical capabilities. Medical professionals implement rehabilitation when a patient has experienced a physically disabling disorder, disease, or injury that requires physical therapy to heal and regain mobility. This process aids patients in regaining independence and allows them to increase their overall physical functioning. Rehabilitation uses many tools and pieces of equipment that help advance the patient’s healing process. Each tool has its own specific uses and purposes that are intended to assist a patient in their recovery. Here are five pieces of medical equipment that help speed rehabilitation.

Orthopedic Braces

If you have a patient that has suffered a serious injury involving the musculoskeletal system, the use of an orthopedic brace may be necessary for the healing process. These braces help to correct the position of parts of the body. During rehabilitation, they work to stabilize, support, protect, and properly align injured bones, muscles, or joints. For example, if a patient has a knee injury, a knee brace would serve as the proper piece of rehabilitation equipment.

Orthopedic braces separate into two different categories based on the location of the injury: upper and lower limb braces. Upper limb braces are useable on the fingers, hands, wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders, and collarbones, while lower limb braces are useable on the legs, knees, feet, and ankles. The use of these braces prevents unwanted movement and maintains the proper alignment of a patient’s joints to ensure that healing goes as necessary. Orthopedic braces will significantly speed up the rehabilitation process of various injuries.

Wobble Board

In physical therapy and rehabilitation, medical professionals use wobble boards to improve patients’ balance, posture, and coordination. There are several different models of wobble boards. Some are made of wood, while others are like a medicine ball with one flat side. No matter the material they are made out of, they all serve the same purpose and can aid in the speed of recovery during rehabilitation.

Medical professionals most commonly utilize wobble boards when healing from lower limb injuries such as knee and ankle injuries. There are countless exercises patients can perform with the wobble board to strengthen their lower limbs. Wobble boards even have exercises that work the upper limbs and the abdomen as well. With the guidance of a medical professional and the help of a wobble board, a patient will be able to significantly speed up their recovery.

Resistance Bands

Another piece of equipment that can aid in the speed of rehabilitation is resistance bands. Resistance bands are pieces of elastic or rubber used to rebuild strength and flexibility. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and levels of resistance. Medical professionals and physical therapists commonly use resistance bands for patients who have suffered muscular injuries. Even patients who have suffered from a heart attack can utilize resistance bands with a doctor’s approval.

Various exercises can be performed with the bands to strengthen the particular muscle affected by the injury. The purpose of these exercises is to force muscle fibers to contract, increasing a patient’s muscle and bone strength. The best part of resistance band training is that it can target nearly any muscle group in the body, making it an incredibly versatile rehabilitation tool.

Foam Roller

Foam rollers have a number of beneficial uses, including alleviation of muscle soreness and fatigue. These rollers are also valuable for improving flexibility and overall muscle performance. Patients use foam rollers to apply pressure to their muscles in order to massage them and relieve soreness. The rolling motion of the roller places direct pressure onto the soft tissue of the designated muscle, causing it to stretch and release soreness. This process is both simple and time-efficient, allowing patients to recover quickly from muscle fatigue during rehabilitation.

Patients can use rollers both before and after physical activity and muscle performance. Rollers are fantastic to use prior to exercise to help loosen up the muscles so they are ready for the workout. They also work wonders after exercise to help release tension and muscle fatigue that occurs after strenuous activity. Even after rehabilitation and recovery, patients can still utilize the roller and all its benefits.

Pain Management Tools

The process of recovery from an injury or incident can be a painful one. While a patient is healing, it will take time for this pain to subside gradually and go away altogether. Therefore, it is helpful for patients to have tools to manage their pain while they are recuperating from their injuries. Physical therapists and rehabilitation professionals use several different methods for managing chronic pain, such as physical therapy, exercise, interventional pain treatment, and medication management. Each of these methods has its own specific course of action for dealing with a patient’s pain.

One tool that works wonders for managing pain is a warm or cold compress. The use of a cold compress on an injury slows blood flow to the affected area, which reduces pain and swelling. In comparison, the use of a warm compress on an injury increases the blood flow and nutrients that your body sends to the affected area, soothing muscle pain and stiffness. Compresses help significantly in the pain management process, which speeds up rehabilitation and recovery.

Healing and recovering from physically disabling diseases, disorders, and injuries can be a long and taxing process on the patient and their body. Therefore, it is helpful for patients to have all the necessary rehabilitation equipment to aid them in their recovery and ultimately make it a smoother and easier healing process to get through.

We’ve gone over five pieces of medical equipment that help speed rehabilitation to give some examples. These examples offer an effective tool that patients can utilize during their healing to get the best possible results. American Hospital Supply carries a vast array of products that will help speed up a patient’s healing. From orthopedic braces to warm and cold compresses, American Hospital Supply has what you need.