Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
The Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation provides intensive medical, nursing, and rehabilitation services for children and adolescents through age 17. Physicians, rehabilitation nurses, therapists, psychologists, and other pediatric specialists at the hospital provide a comprehensive program designed to return the child to home and community. The goal of rehabilitation is to maximize the young persons ability to move, communicate, interact with people, and live as independently as possible. 
In a unique child-centered environment, we strive to encourage independence, provide support, and reacquaint the child and family with the everyday business of living and growing. Parents, siblings, and other concerned individuals are encouraged to observe and take part in the child's treatment program. They participate in education and support groups, counseling sessions, and family/team conferences.
Services Available:
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation programs include a ten-bed acute inpatient rehabilitation program, a comprehensive outpatient program, and a variety of outpatient clinics. Areas of expertise include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury (including ventilator dependency), congenital and acquired neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal dysfunction, burn rehabilitation, post-surgical orthopedic rehabilitation, spasticity intervention with intrathecal baclofen, and lymphedema evaluations.
Clinical services include:
- Academic therapy
- Augmentative communication
- Audiology
- Child life therapy
- Neuromuscular pain management
- Neuropsychology/psychology
- Nutritional therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Pediatric physiatry
- Physical therapy
- Prosthetics/orthotics
- Rehabilitation engineering
- Rehabilitation nursing
- Respiratory therapy
- Social work
- Speech pathology
Typical Diagnoses/Problems:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Cerebral palsy
- Spina bifida
- Muscular dystrophy
- Amputees
- Peripheral nerve disorders
- Neuropathies
- Lymphedema
- Other disorders affecting neuromuscular skeletal systems
Additional Resources:
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division refers patients and their families to additional resources such as the following:
- The Muscular Dystrophy Associations Web site: http://www.mdausa.org, provides information about muscular dystrophy.
- THE ROAD HOME - Produced by Nemours, this video follows a young spinal cord injury patients progress through the rehabilitation process. The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division shares this video with the families of all inpatient rehabilitation patients.
- The National Spinal Cord Injury Hotline, Inc. [(800) 526-3456] also offers information to spinal cord injury patients and their families.
