Physiotherapy

The Physiokinesitherapy Unit at the Abano Terme General Hospital can be found on the ground floor (elevator 7 and stairwell F). It offers a brandnew completely restored treatment center. In addition to the 100-square-meter gym and thermal swimming pools (for functional therapy in water), the center is equipped with diagnostic and rehabilitation treatment machines which allow integration between the clinical evaluation of motor abilities and the actual objective analyses of theses capacities in movement. The unit provides physical therapy and rehabilitation activities to people suffering from disabling diseases (regardless of the nature of their impairments) in the wards and to people coming to the outpatient clinics provided they have had a physiatric examination.

At the Abano Terme General Hospital, from the first steps after surgery until the full recovery, the patient always has made available to him or her a highly skilled team of professionals. The surgeon, rehabilitation team, and ward staff all work towards the same objective: to have the patient recover complete autonomy as quickly as possible. To meet this aim, the medical staff continuously communicates and coordinates during the patients functional recovery.

The use of ccelerated rehabilitation protocols allows the medical team to reduce the amount of discomfort the patient feels. In particular, the impact of the post-operative period is reduced so that even the patient's family can take a breather. In the same way, social costs are reduced for the local health services lessening the burden carried by the state.

In the new biomechanic and movement analyses laboratory, advanced systems are utilized in acquiring infrared optoelectronic and electromyography movement data. There are also systems for studying kinematic joint movement and muscular functionality while walking, diagnosing quantitatively the functional strength deficit, and measuring recovery from hypotonia and hypotrophia and functional disequilibrium between agonist and antagonist muscle groups in osteoarticular pathologies of upper and lower limbs (such as in the rehabilitation after prosthetic surgery or ligament reconstruction in the shoulder or knee).Moreover, there are special instruments that make it possible to diagnose problems of balance with the aim to help improve movement, body control, and postural stability.

The rehabilitation programs prepared during the physiatric exam make use of:

• Physical therapy performed in 10 highly equipped box stations. Traditional equipment includes: TENS unit, analgesic currents, diadynamic currents, interferential currents,  Electric muscle stimulation (EMS), Immersion and contact therapy, laser therapy, and magnetic therapy
• Elective hyperthermia treatment for tendon and post-traumatic lesion pathologies, and muscular distractions or hematomas
• Lithotripsy (shock waves) is useful in the treatment of calcific tendinitis (periarthritis of the shoulder, heel spurs, medial epicondylitis, lateral epicondylitis)

The function rehabilitation takes place in the new gym (100 m2) while the full recovery of movement and muscle strength comes in the new rehab thermal swimming pool where specialized physiotherapists design a personal and individualized program. All of the services done by the Physiokinesitherapy Unit can be performed in  conjunction with the National Health Service or by paying privately. Hypertherapy, shock waves, and hydro-kinesitherapy are not covered by the N.H.S. and, thus, must be paid individually.