Wellstar Outpatient Rehabilitation

Outpatient Rehabilitation at Wellstar

At Wellstar, our patients continue to heal with effective rehabilitation treatment designed to regain the ability to move and perform functional activities in daily life.

If you’ve had surgery, illness or an injury, your physician may refer you to one of our outpatient rehabilitation facilities that specialize in the therapy that will benefit you the most.

Outpatient therapy services are provided at more than 80 convenient locations across the community.

Conditions commonly treated in our outpatient facilities include:

Neurological Conditions

• Stroke
• Brain injury
• Parkinson’s disease
• Myopathy/Muscular dystrophy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Guillian Barre
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Spinal cord injury
• Vestibular dysfunction/vertigo
• Nerve injury/entrapment
• Gait dysfunction

Post Surgical Conditions

• Total joint replacements, knee, hip, shoulder
• Post-surgical knee repair meniscus and ACL
• Laminectomy
• Rotator cuff repair
• Lymphedema
• Spinal fusion

Orthopedic Conditions

• Arthritis
• Amputations
• Bursitis
• Back and neck pain
• Hand injuries
• Tennis elbow
• Rotator cuff injury
• Plantar fascitis
• Scoliosis
• TMJ disorder
• Fractures
• Sprains
• Tendonitis

Our Rehabilitation Team

Our team is committed to assisting you in achieving your rehabilitation goals. Our experienced physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists will develop an individualized treatment plan to give you a wider range of movement, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. We will provide you with the care, information, and tools that you need to restore your health and confidence.

Physical Therapists

Physical Therapy services are performed only by a licensed qualified Physical Therapist or licensed Physical Therapist Assistant to work with you on regaining maximum mobility, function, strength, and endurance as well as decreasing pain. They also assess and train you in the use of adaptive equipment for gait and functional mobility.

Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapy services are performed only by a licensed qualified Occupational Therapist or Licensed Occupational Therapist Assistant to work with you on achieving maximum independence in activities of daily living such as dressing and bathing. The Occupational Therapist may focus on improving strength as well as sensory and cognitive abilities to resume normal daily activities. They also assess and train you in the use of adaptive equipment to increase functional independence.

Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech Therapy services are performed only by a licensed qualified Speech-Language Pathologist to work with you to improve functional communication skills, swallowing, cognitive/thinking skills, and voice therapy. They also assess and train you on the use of assistive technology for communication functions.

Rehabilitation Case Manager

Your rehabilitation case manager works with the team to ensure that the best possible care is provided to you while coordinating with you and your insurance company for services and equipment.

Specialized Outpatient Rehab Services Programs

Wellstar offers many specialized rehab programs to meet the needs of the communities that we serve.

Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic therapy provides an option for patients who may have medical/physical restrictions prohibiting participation in traditional therapy. Aquatic therapy is especially useful for patients with arthritis, orthopedic injuries, or patients with weight-bearing restrictions. By decreasing the amount of joint stress it is easier and less painful to perform exercises. These services are found at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill.

Hand Therapy

Certified hand therapists (CHT) offer advanced skill and high-level treatment to patients who require evaluation and/or post-operative recovery assistance for any loss of function of their hands and arms.

Common diagnoses managed by Wellstar CHTs include amputation, arthritis, burns, fractures, tumors, cysts, impingement syndrome, nerve compressions (Carpal Tunnel syndrome), sprains/strains, and nerve and rotator cuff injuries. A Certified Hand Therapist is located at Cobb Hospital. Other hand therapy services can be found at all Wellstar OP programs.

Custom Splinting

Braces and/or splints are custom fit for the patient and for their specific needs.

Lymphedema

Our Certified Lymphedema Specialists teach patients self-management techniques for the prevention and control of swelling. They also address restoration of strength, increasing mobility, nutrition guidelines, skin care and exercises.

Industrial Rehabilitation and Prevention

The Back in Action Center is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, industrial injury rehabilitation program located in the outpatient rehab center of Wellstar Cobb Hospital. Traditional therapy for workers’ compensation injuries, as well as specialized services including KEY Functional Capacity Assessments, Job Placement Assessments, Work Conditioning/Hardening, Job Site Analysis and Injury prevention classes are available.

Video Stroboscopy

Wellstar’s speech-language pathologists use an advanced technology called videostroboscopy to view the laryngeal area to visualize vocal cords during phonation.

Vestibular Treatment

Vestibular (inner ear) disorders can cause balance or movement-related dizziness. Even moderate dizziness may be debilitating enough to diminish a person’s quality of life. Our vestibular specialists provide an exercise-based treatment program that can reduce the symptoms of dizziness and improve balance.

VitalStim^® Therapy

VitalStim^® Therapy is a system to work with traditional exercises. This system utilizes electrical stimulation with the benefits of swallowing exercises. Combining VitalStim^® and traditional therapy allows clinicians to accelerate strengthening, restore function, and help the brain remap the swallow.

Pediatric Services

Therapists provide rehabilitation for newborns with torticollis to release tight muscles in the neck. Therapists also treat orthopedic injuries including fractures, sprains and post-surgical conditions.

Day Treatment Program

The Day Treatment Program, located in the Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, provides comprehensive rehabilitation for patients who need continued intensive oversight of their recovery from neurological injuries or illnesses. Under the guidance of a board certified physiatrist, our interdisciplinary therapy team of neuropsychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and case management focuses on regaining independence in self-care, home management and community reentry, including return to work or school.