The role of the physical therapist is to help your family member regain the motor control needed to achieve the highest level of independent mobility. They evaluate the patient's balance, endurance, ability to walk and negotiate stairs, the need for assistive devices such as walkers or canes, as well as the need for any lower extremity bracing. Therapeutic activities may be basic, such as exercises on a mat, or advanced, such as working outdoors or in crowded situations.
The unit offers a fully equipped gym to maximize strength, endurance, balance, and overall functional mobility. Most of the physical therapists on Mt. Pleasant are certified brain injury specialists (
ACBIS) with significant knowledge and experience in management and treatment of the patient following a brain injury.
Technologies such as the Nintendo Wii are often incorporated to work on balance, endurance, and reaction times.