Physical rehabilitation may be an important part of your treatment if you are in the hospital. You might get rehab if you are recovering from surgery, healing from an injury, or being treated for a disabling health problem.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation, or simply rehab, is a branch of medicine called physiatry. You may need this type of treatment for any health problem that affects your nerves, muscles, bones, or brain and is causing you temporary or permanent disability. Doctors who plan your treatment are called physiatrists. They work along with a team of other health experts, such as physical therapists.

Many health problems that cause pain or limit your ability to move normally may be helped by physical therapy. This type of rehab may be needed at the hospital before you go home or to an extended care facility. Here are some health problems that it may help:

• Stroke. Stroke is a block or burst of the blood supply to the brain. The most important part of stroke recovery is early rehab and often starts right away in the hospital. Rehab can help you relearn how to manage daily activities. It can also help you get back lost function and prevent more damage.
• Spine injury. Neck and back injuries need early treatment for the best results. Physical therapy and rehab for these injuries start as soon as possible at the hospital. They help limit more damage and shorten recovery time.
• Pain. If you have severe pain in the hospital after an injury or an operation or because of a nerve or muscle problem, physical therapy may help ease your pain. It can also help you handle pain better.
• Joint conditions. Joint problems can cause pain, stiffness, and limited movement. They may be treated with physical therapy in the hospital. Therapy can ease pain and improve range of movement. It can also teach you how to use your joints without causing more damage. Examples of these conditions are ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout.
• Other conditions. You also might need physical rehab for cancer, heart disease, lung problems, an infected wound, an amputation, or a severe burn. You will also need it after joint replacement surgery.

At the hospital, your physiatrist may talk with you, examine you, order special tests, and look at your health records. Then they will come up with a rehab treatment plan to fit your needs. A physical therapist (PT) may help you carry out your plan. A PT is trained in how to restore physical mobility and function after an injury or surgery. Other specialists may also be involved. These include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, social workers, and psychologists.

Here are some of the ways these health care providers can help you:

• Help you exercise and build up your muscles
• Help you stretch your muscles to gain flexibility
• Give you range of motion exercises to maintain or increase movement
• Give you exercises and activities to help your coordination and balance
• Teach you how to be safe when you leave the hospital
• Teach you how to be independent when you leave the hospital
• Improve healing by using massage, heat, cold, electric currents, or sound waves

Physical therapy is a vital part of recovery from many health problems in the hospital. In many cases, it is the start of a process that will continue after you leave the hospital. It may be done at an extended care facility. Or you may do it at an outpatient physical therapy department or at home.

You can improve your chances of recovery by learning as much as you can about your health problem. Also work closely with all the members of your rehab team.