Rehabilitation

Medical professionals like physiotherapist, occupational therapist and rehabilitation physicians are viewed as the front of all wisdom regarding disability. The purpose of people with disability attending rehabilitation services is to improve a person’s quality of life. Normally rehabilitation services are focused on a person’s functional independence in the society. Among the common goals are increasing strength and mobility; improving one’s ability to accomplish activities of daily living. Basically rehabilitation services are based on one’s ability rather than disability. This highlights the fact that one of the most important responsibilities of physiotherapists is to enhance on a person’s ability according to an individual’s needs instead of fixing the disabilities in question.

Some people were born disabled, there are others who become disabled after a lifetime- whether brief or long, it may happen in a catastrophic moment, or it may take days, weeks, months or years for illness to develop and manifest. In some cases a full recovery is expected but in most cases the damage is done and hopes of recovery if any is slim or takes a long process. This kind of disability is not something anyone can fix or undone over a short period. Trying to fix a disability is like trying to accommodate a rectangular into a cube of the same parameters.

I have attended a new rehabilitation center recently; all the medical professionals involved from the rehab physician, physiotherapist to occupational therapists were very good. They were most encouraging and helpful, besides they teach me new tricks on how to improve my mobility.

However during my second visit to the center I was saddened to find that not every physiotherapist applies the same approach to their patients, apparently one of the physiotherapists still possesses the mentality that a patient’s disability can be fixed. Instead of working to improve my physical weakness the wise therapist spent time perfecting the exercise routines which was previously taught by her colleagues and trying to correct my immobile ankle and outward right foot. Using her professional knowledge the therapist kept asking me to perform what would look normal to her. After trying a few times without success the therapist said I was not doing it according to her way, I was so frustrated and upset that it almost reduced me to tears. I immediately escaped to the washroom to regain my composure. After that I decided to cut the session short and went for some personal grooming.

Although most professionals are intentioned and sincerely desired to help, their personal knowledge about the disability was limited to textbooks and offices. If a patient spent time doing physical therapy throughout the day till she is too tired to continue with her daily activities, then just how could she improve on her quality of life? Should this patient double her effort in doing more physical therapy till she recovers one day, then only start doing the things which she enjoys? According to MedicineNet.com the definition of quality of life is; Quality of life: An important consideration in medical care, quality of life refers to the patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Some medical treatments can seriously impair quality of life without providing appreciable benefit, while others greatly enhance quality of life.

Generally, it is necessary to evaluate the ways the various impairments impact people's lives. Disability is a highly individual issue; as such there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach when dealing with people with disability. For example deafness or even blindness may impede a person's participation in a conversation, whereas physical disability might prevent one from attending the gathering at all. In physical therapy there appears to be a number of categories of disability. For example; disabilities could be due to spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy and neurological problems. Furthermore how a person reacts to disability was greatly influenced by the fact that whether the disability was present at birth or happened later to a previously normal individual. And how people react and adjust to disability is partly determined by the mix of helps and hindrances they encounter in their lives.

In recent years through concerted efforts by World Health Organisation, respective Ministries in the Governments(in this particular case no doubt the health ministry and the relevant departments), Non-Government Organisations, Disability Rights Movements, Disability Advocates Groups and an increasing society and cultural awareness have made adjustments to a whole new life easier for the disabled. I hope the day would come when everyone at least everyone in the medical profession who are working with disabled person will be guided by the vision that one day all people will live, work, learn and play based on abilities, not disabilities.