Principles of Rehabilitation

Developing and implementing a rehabilitation program is one of the most challenging patient care skills because it requires a firm grasp of the healing process and available treatment options, which must then be serially compared with the pathologic condition of the injury and the patient's progress. This cyclical problem-based approach to rehabilitation allows clinicians to most effectively individualize the rehabilitation plan to the patient's individual needs and progress. In each phase of the rehabilitation process, problems should be identified and goals developed taking into consideration the phase of healing.