Rehabilitation for Repetitive Motion Injuries

A rehabilitation program for repetitive motion injuries is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient, depending upon the type and severity of the injury. Active involvement of the patient and family is vital to the success of the program.

The goal of rehabilitation after an amputation is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially.

In order to help reach these goals, repetitive motion injury rehabilitation programs may include the following:

• Occupational therapy/hand therapy
• Exercise programs to stretch and strengthen the area
• Conditioning exercises to help prevent further injury
• Heat or cold applications
• Use of braces or splints to immobilize the area
• Pain management techniques
• Patient and family education, especially regarding proper ergonomics for the workplace (ergonomics is the science of obtaining a correct match between the human body, work-related tasks, and work tools)

The rehabilitation team for repetitive motion injury

Rehabilitation programs for repetitive motion injuries are usually conducted on an outpatient basis. Many skilled professionals are part of the repetitive motion injury rehabilitation team, including any of the following:

• Orthopaedist/orthopaedic surgeon
• Neurologist/neurosurgeon
• Physical therapists
• Physiatrist
• Occupational therapist
• Vocational counselor