Jade Integrated Health

View Original

Recovery After Prolonged Illness

Many individuals who battle a serious illness that involves prolonged hospitalization can list a Physical Therapist as part of their care team.  An illness of this extent often negatively impacts the muscles, bones and nervous system leading to a significant loss of function.  Early PT intervention in the hospital promotes independence with the most basic of physical abilities including something as little as maintaining a seated position on the edge of the bed.  Once an individual is medically stable and has returned home, they often have not fully recovered physically.  This is where outpatient Physical Therapy comes into play.  

Jade Integrated Health offers Physical Therapy services that can address this need and help individuals regain their prior level of function.  On your first visit, your Physical Therapist will assess your physical ability & help set goals for treatment.  Ongoing treatment will incorporate specific activities, exercises, manual treatment and other modalities to promote improvements in the following areas: 

  • Balance / Coordination training: from static (think balancing on 1 leg) to dynamic (think sobriety test) this helps individuals not only regain prior function but improve safety and reduce fall risk with daily tasks.

  • Strength / Endurance training: regaining strength and stamina for the demand of daily life from carrying grocery bags to walking the dog.

  • Gait training (walking ability):  With specific activities, cueing & support, goals are to normalize gait pattern & progress from use of a restrictive device such as a walker to a cane or no device at all.

  • Functional mobility training:  this includes tasks like going up & down stairs, getting in & out of bed without help and moving from sit to stand from varied surfaces without assistance. 

At Jade, Physical Therapy treatment is highly individualized and always carried out one patient at a time meaning you aren’t lost in a group. If you are recovered from COVID, but have not yet returned to your full strength or function, physical therapy may help. Call us today!  

Portland: (207)773-5778

Brunswick: (207)844-8280


Meet Melissa Belcher MSPT

Melissa Belcher graduated in 2001 from Husson College with her masters in Physical Therapy. She has experience in the outpatient orthopedic setting combined with a strong manual therapy background. She also has additional experience and training having completed the APTA CAPP-OB series, with the pregnant and postpartum population, which holds a special interest for her.

Call to scheduled with Melissa today!

Portland: (207)773-5778