Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services
VHA Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS)
What is VHA's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services?
VHA Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) is committed to providing the highest quality, comprehensive and interdisciplinary care and promoting advancements in rehabilitative care and evidence-based treatment.
VHA's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services is responsible for the national policies and programs for medical rehabilitation that promote the health, independence and quality of life for Veterans with disabilities. This office aligns clinical expertise and clinical and practice guidance to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services across the VHA health care system in the most, economical and timely manner.
What are the Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Clinical Services?
VHA Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) provides medical, rehabilitative and preventive strategies. This treating specialty emphasizes restoring and optimizing function through physical modalities, therapeutic exercise and interventions, adaptive equipment, modification of the environment, education and assistive devices.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services is comprised of the following rehabilitation disciplines:
Kinesiotherapy (KT)
Provides treatment programs to improve patient function through the use therapeutic exercise and mobility training. Kinesiotherapists provide evidence-based interventions and therapeutic exercise adapted to enhance the strength, endurance, and mobility of individuals with functional limitations and improve Veterans’ well-being.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Provides goal-directed treatment utilizing a variety of techniques and activities to improve functional daily skills, upper extremity range of motion, muscle strength, coordination, balance, endurance, visual-perceptual, and cognitive skills. Occupational Therapists provide evaluation and treatment in areas of self-care, work, productive/leisure activities to achieve participation in their everyday life occupations.
Physical Therapy (PT)
Physical therapists treat Veterans with movement disorders which include impairments of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular/pulmonary, neuromuscular and integumentary (skin) systems. Physical Therapists (PTs) are licensed independent providers who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages with medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs are further supported by Physical Therapist Assistants who can provide treatment based on a physical therapy plan of care.
Physiatry:
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians or Physiatrists are nerve/nervous system, muscle, and bone experts who treat injuries or illnesses that affect how you move and manage everyday tasks that may have been affected by disease and trauma. Rehabilitation physicians are medical doctors who have completed training in the medical specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R).Physiatrists specialize in diagnosing, treating and directing an interdisciplinary rehabilitation plan for individuals with acute and chronic disability and pain to maximize the Veteran’s functional status.
Outpatient Services
Patients throughout the continuum of care settings often need rehabilitation services, including outpatient clinics, inpatient settings, telemedicine and Veteran’s homes. The patient will be evaluated for the most appropriate rehabilitation. Individualized plans of care focus on specific rehabilitation needs and goals for each patient.
Specialty Services and Population Served
- PMR&S serves Veterans and Active Duty Service members with neurological, orthopedic, medical, psychological, and surgical conditions.
- Special populations include age-related disability, stroke, spinal cord injury, brain dysfunction or polytrauma and traumatic brain injury, orthopedic injury and dysfunction, and amputation.
Inpatient Services
Acute rehabilitation is provided for Veterans who require the intensity of medical and rehabilitation services that can only be provided at an inpatient facility are admitted to a Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program (CIIRP). CIIRP programs are designed to optimize functional recovery after an acute illness, injury, or exacerbation of a disease process and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
Subacute rehabilitation is available at multiple sites (special parts of acute care hospital), designed to provide rehabilitation therapies for individuals who have a lower level of tolerance for exercise and activity, but still require the holistic, interdisciplinary approach in an inpatient setting. This rehabilitation is more intensive than traditional nursing facility care and less intensive than acute inpatient rehabilitation care.
Resources:
- American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation*
- American Kinesiotherapy Association*
- American Occupational Therapy Association*
- American Physical Therapy Association*
- Amputation System of Care
- Concussion Coach
- Mental Health Information
- Polytrauma/Traumatic Brain Injury System of Care
- PTSD Information
*Link will take you outside of the Dept of Veterans Affairs (VA) Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites. The link will open in a new window for the content of the linked websites.
