For Patients and Visitors

Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Program at Children’s Hospital is designed to help children in need of rehabilitation due to trauma, disease or congenital disability. The program is led by physiatrists who specialize in overseeing medical/rehabilitation programs to help patients attain full physical and functional ability for overall improved quality of life. Care programs are comprehensive, with a holistic approach that incorporates all aspects of a child’s health care, from dental care to educational support. The program is a part of a Pediatric Rehabilitation Fellowship program, sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital, and one of the first such programs to earn full accreditation in the United States from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education.

What is a Physiatrist?

Physiatrists are physicians who have special training in functional ability. They specialize in prescribing medications, therapies and programs to restore skills and mobility to those facing temporary or permanent physical disabilities and loss of function. Physiatrists serve patients directly and also coordinate care programs with other specialists. The patients they treat have conditions ranging from ankle sprains to severe disabilities.

The specialty of physiatry emphasizes the patient as a “whole,” taking into account not only medical issues, but the physical, psychological, social, developmental and vocational issues affected by the loss in function. Pediatric physiatrists have special training in the medical and rehabilitative needs of infants, children and adolescents as well as in the developmental, social and educational needs each stage of growth presents.

SERVICES

The Rehabilitation Program serves children from birth to age 21. It is designed to help children with a disability and/or loss of function in one or more of the following areas: physical activities, daily living activities, communication, social interaction skills and/or cognition. Programs are available for diagnostic categories that include:

  • Amputation (orthotic & prosthetic evaluation)
  • Baclofen pump evaluations
  • Brachial plexus injuries
  • Brain injury, multiple trauma
  • Burns
  • Cardiac issues
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deconditioning & myopathies following prolonged critical illness
  • Muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular disorders
  • Myelodysplasia
  • Neurologic disorders, including stroke and epilepsy
  • Obesity
  • Pain disorders
  • Pressure sores
  • Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
  • Rheumatologic disorders
  • Spasticity management
  • Spina bifida
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Sports injury
  • Torticollis

CONTINUUM OF CARE

A child’s treatment plan is determined by individual objectives and is regularly reviewed throughout the treatment process.

Outpatient Rehabilitation Services

Children receiving outpatient rehabilitation services may require daily therapy, while others may need only one or two hours of therapy a week. Therapy is offered at the main hospital and Children’s Hospital Therapy Centers South and West, located in Midlothian and Glen Allen, and Children’s Hospital Therapy Center Fredericksburg.

Team-Based Treatment

A child’s care team includes a variety of therapists and specialists as determined by the child’s individual care plan. The physiatrist works closely with all specialties involved. The close association of Children’s Hospital’s physician specialists allows for multidisciplinary care of patients with multiple needs (e.g., spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, spasticity, cerebral palsy, etc.).

Team members can also include specialists in:

  • Assistive Technology
  • Therapeutic Recreation
  • Nutrition
  • Education
  • Physical, Occupational and Speech/Language Therapy
  • Psychology
  • Rehabilitative Medicine
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Case Management
  • Social Work
  • Pastoral Care

All team members work together to provide coordinated care programs involving direct services, consultation, support, counseling, discharge planning and follow-up care.

Family-centered care is also an important part of hospital programming. Family members, including siblings, are encouraged to participate in goal-setting and treatment sessions, ensuring a high level of support continues in the child’s home environment and daily life.

To refer a patient or for more information, call the Patient Services Call Center at (804) 228-5818.

The information on this site is provided for informational and educational purposes only; it does not contain specific medical advice. If you have specific health questions or problems, consult a health care professional for personal medical advice.