Neurology Rehabilitation

Integrated Rehabilitation Services for Neurological Conditions

Loyola Medicine offers integrated neurology rehabilitation for a complete range of neurological conditions, whether you need the services of our acute rehabilitation unit following brain injury or heart disease or our convenient outpatient neuromuscular rehabilitation program for Parkinson’s disease.

Our multidisciplinary team of specialists is focused on providing you with integrated care that will help to increase your mobility, range of motion, balance, walking and endurance—as well as your physical and emotional well-being.

Neuromuscular rehabilitation may be a part of your treatment or recovery process if you have had one of the following conditions:

Loyola’s doctors, rehabilitation nurses, licensed physical and occupational therapists, social workers and psychologists will help you regain motor function, mobility, gait, speech, coordination, balance and psychological well-being.

Our goal is to help you get back to your daily activities and regain your independence. We seek involvement from your referring doctor to plan your treatment and follow-up care. Once you have completed treatment and rehabilitation, we aim to return you to the care of your referring doctor.

Why Choose Loyola for Neurology Rehabilitation?

Loyola’s compassionate team understands that a neurological disorder can be life-changing—not only for the patient, but also for family members. Loyola takes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care and provides support services for patients and families.

Our neurology and neurosurgery services are nationally recognized for providing exceptional care to our patients and training future leaders in neurosciences.

Loyola’s Stroke Center has been accredited by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. For nine years in a row, it has been recognized by the American Stroke Association with its Get with the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for our commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care.

Loyola is also the only academic medical center in the Chicago area accredited as a stroke specialty program by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) International.

What to Expect with Neurology Rehabilitation

Neurological disorders affect each person in a unique way, and together we will develop a treatment plan to provide solutions for the emotional, physical and behavioral challenges that you now face.

Your rehabilitation team will help you to regain your strength, reduce your pain and provide instruction on possible lifestyle changes, if needed.

Depending on your condition or injury, your highly experienced team may include these healthcare professionals:

What are the Risks of Neurology Rehabilitation?

Loyola offers rehabilitation therapies that are designed to aid you in your recovery from an illness or injury. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists is focused on providing you with integrated care that will help to increase your mobility, range of motion, balance, walking and endurance—as well as your physical and emotional well-being.

While some of the therapies may be challenging, they are all intended to help you reach your goals. Your Loyola team will inform you of any risks or preparation needed for your therapy plan.

What are the Different Types of Neurology Rehabilitation?

Depending on your condition, you may need one or more of the following unique rehabilitative services offered at Loyola:

• Acute inpatient rehabilitation — We offer highly focused acute inpatient rehabilitation care to help you recover from a wide variety of neurological conditions, including stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury. This unit has 32 private rooms on the fifth floor of Loyola University Medical Center. Each room has a wheelchair-accessible bathroom and is designed to meet the specific requirements of intense rehabilitation therapy. Our certified therapists are supportive and provide motivation to patients to accomplish their goals. Our unit provides specialized, certified care that is proven to produce more favorable results than most acute rehabilitation units.
   
• Aquatic therapy — During outpatient aquatic therapy, the buoyancy, support and water resistance will help you to regain strength and range of motion impaired by a range of neuromuscular conditions. Exercises in the pool are designed to improve or maintain function, aerobic capacity, endurance, balance, coordination, agility, body mechanics, flexibility, muscle strength and relaxation of stiff joints.
   
• Balance services — Loyola’s outpatient Balance Disorders Program has vast experience in treating debilitating balance disorders, which can cause dizziness, unsteadiness, vertigo (spinning sensation), buzzing in the ears and hearing loss. Our center brings together, in one convenient location, all of the diagnostic capabilities and specialists needed to improve your condition and quality of life.
   
• Biofeedback therapy — With biofeedback therapy, patients learn to use special instruments that provide instant feedback on their stress levels. Our certified therapists will teach you to become more aware of the effects of stress on your body, such as tense muscles, pain and headaches.
   
• Day rehabilitation — Loyola’s certified therapists will help you recover from impairments due to stroke, traumatic brain injury and other neurological disorders. Our structured, comprehensive outpatient program is designed to ease your transition from the hospital to your home and allows you to achieve your goals in a supportive, safe environment. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are offered during day rehabilitation.
   
• Driver rehabilitation — Driver rehabilitation offers a comprehensive outpatient evaluation to assess a person's ability to safely continue to drive or return to driving. Your clinical evaluation will include a medical history and tests of visual skills, perceptual skills, cognition, reaction time, physical ability and motor function. At the end of testing, the driver rehabilitation specialist will discuss the assessment with you and/or your loved ones and help you to understand any possible risks and, if needed, explore other options. We may recommend adaptations to the car, follow-up treatment such as occupational therapy or vision care, or a behind-the-wheel evaluation.
   
• Home care rehabilitation — Our supportive certified therapists will travel to your home to provide outpatient therapy to help you reach your recovery goals. Therapy is provided in the comfort of your home, often shortening or eliminating a hospital stay.
   
• Neuromuscular rehabilitation — Loyola’s experienced specialists will help you to regain or improve skills such as walking, talking, muscle control and daily activities in our outpatient rehabilitation program. Our team of certified physical and occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists also can help you recover range of motion, coordination, communication skills and swallowing control. Some conditions that may require neuromuscular rehabilitation include stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, post-operative spine problems, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and muscular dystrophy.
   
• Occupational therapy — Our team of certified therapists will provide evaluation and occupational therapy services focused on the tasks and movements associated with daily living. We take a multidisciplinary approach to providing outpatient occupational therapy and will help you regain your independence. In addition, we offer services for adults trying to return to their workplace after an accident, injury or medical condition, including functional capacity evaluations and job site visits.
   
• Physical therapy — Our certified physical therapy specialists provide outpatient and inpatient evaluations, rehabilitation and treatment for a variety of acute and chronic conditions. Our dedicated staff will educate and assist you in achieving your rehabilitation goals. We offer balance and coordination training, conditioning and endurance exercises, range of motion therapy, gait analyses and training, prosthetic training and pain management, among other services. Our staff will also support you in your efforts to return to the workplace after an accident, injury or medical condition by providing functional capacity evaluations and work evaluations. Our program emphasizes an individualized approach with tailored treatments.
   
• Speech therapy — Our certified speech and language therapy specialists provide evaluation and therapy services for patients with communication, cognitive and swallowing difficulties. Loyola’s experienced, certified and licensed speech and language pathologists are committed to your speech impairment prevention, rehabilitation and education.
   
• Stroke rehabilitation — If you have had a stroke, stroke rehabilitation is essential to regaining your quality of life and reclaiming independence. Our team offers extensive inpatient and outpatient services to help stroke survivors regain impaired or lost functions and skills. Our certified therapists will work with you to improve communication skills and recover muscle strength, coordination and balance. They will help you relearn everyday skills like walking, opening jars and dressing. The sooner you start rehabilitation, the more likely you are to recover.
   
• Support groups — Loyola offers several support groups because we understand how difficult it is to experience or recover from neurological conditions. Our social workers are trained to help you and your family overcome these difficulties. Whether you have been recently diagnosed or are completing treatment and resuming your daily life, our compassionate social workers can act as a sounding board, will recommend appropriate resources and provide support.
   
• Swallowing therapy — Loyola’s Swallowing Center offers the highest level of care and leading-edge technologies for swallowing disorders brought on by neurological disorders. Following a videofluoroscopic swallow study, your certified speech language therapist will review the results with you. Your team will then develop an individualized treatment plan with strategies for swallowing food and liquids to prevent aspiration and therapeutic exercises to improve swallowing function.
   
• Vestibular rehabilitation — Patients who experience dizziness may be referred to physical therapy for vestibular rehabilitation. Symptoms may include lightheadedness and a feeling that you are spinning, floating or unsteady. Once a vestibular diagnosis has been made, patients may be referred to physical therapy. Our certified therapists are specially trained in treating these disorders. They will tailor an individual exercise program designed to address balance, dizziness and overall fitness.