FAQ

Rehabilitation Medicine, also known as Physiatry, is a specialty branch of Internal Medicine in Singapore. It focuses on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disabilities that may arise from an illness or injury. It often involves a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to maximise a person’s functional ability and improve their quality of life.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation is also known as the quality-of-life profession as the goal is to enhance the body’s overall performance and function.

A rehabilitation physician is an Internal Medical Specialist trained in the diagnosis and management of medical/rehabilitation issues affecting physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning arising as a result of immobility, chronic illness or injury.

The physician is trained in the prescription of medications, therapeutic exercises, physical modalities and mood management to reduce symptoms and maximise recovery due to functional disabilities.

A rehabilitation program involves:

• An initial screening and assessment of a person’s medical, physical, cognitive, behavioural and psychosocial needs due to immobility, chronic diseases or injuries.
• Following which, an individualised rehabilitation plan will be crafted out with goals set to deliver the best care available for maximising function and reintegration back to society.

This process may involve working closely with other specialists and allied health professionals.

You should seek a consult when you experience problems such as weakness affecting walking and performing activities of daily living, decreased balance and dizziness, numbness of hands and feet, poor attention and memory, anxiety and depression and fatigue which may arise as a result of your medical condition or treatment.

Our patients are often ones recovering from conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, fractures and prolonged hospitalisation.

The length of rehabilitation varies from person to person. It depends on the type and severity of the illness that you are recovering from, your overall health and your progress during rehabilitation. Some may require rehabilitation for a few weeks while others may require a longer time in order to maximise their function.

We will discuss your care with you and give you a general idea of what to expect, both at the beginning of your care and as you continue through treatment. Our ultimate aim is to ensure that we have helped you maximise your function and comfort before we end your course of therapy.

Your role is to be participative in therapy and carry on the therapy prescription in-between consultations. This will not only enable you to achieve your therapy goals hence maximising function more quickly but also maintain the function and other improvements which you had achieved in your rehab program.