Rehabilitation Therapy

Physical Therapists apply research and proven techniques to help people get back in motion. They are trusted health care professionals with extensive clinical experience who examine, diagnose, and then prevent or treat conditions that limit the body's ability to move and function in daily life. (APTA definition)

Physical Therapy focuses on your arms, legs, and spine and will help in restoring flexibility, strength, speed and power.

Occupational Therapy is a skilled profession which enables people of any social circumstance, age, ability, injury and/or disease to engage in meaningful life activities - the Occupations - of life. (MEOTA.org)

Occupational Therapy at Stephens Memorial Hospital focuses on helping improve your effectiveness in completing daily living activities, with hand rehabilitation or with cognitive perceptual skill application. Occupational Therapy helps people throughout the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do.

Our speech language therapists at Stephens Memorial Hospital can help you complete a barium swallow study in coordination with your physician or assist you in recovering from speech impairments due to developmental delay, stroke, head injury, or other neurological disorders.

Speech Therapists are educated to assess speech and language development and to treat speech and language disorders. Speech-language pathologists can also help people with swallowing disorders.

On the field or off. For recreational or competitive athletes. Our sports medicine team is here to help get you back in the game. We partner with local doctors, orthopedic surgeons and athletic trainers.

• Expert care for sports injuries
• Muscle strains and joint sprains
• Knee, hip, shoulder and spine injuries
• Concussion management

What is BIG and LOUD?

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) BIG and LOUD is an internationally recognized exercise program for people with Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinson-like conditions and has been supported through research at the National Institute of Health for over 25 years.

Parkinson’s disease affects the brain and muscles in the body; slowing walking, impairing physical function, and weakening the voice. BIG and LOUD helps to improve movement and communication by a series of specific evidence based exercises. The BIG portion focuses on improving physical function; including walking and other activities of daily living. The LOUD portion focuses on improving voice volume and speech function.

How to Get Started

BIG and LOUD are services offered by physical, occupational and speech therapists at Stephens Memorial Hospital. The program runs 4 days a week for 4 weeks. Visits are one-on-one with a therapist and are one hour each. Daily homework and carryover are essential to success.

Because Parkinsons affects both speech and movement, we strongly recommend that you receive both treatments as soon as possible after diagnosis. Both the BIG and LOUD treatments can be undertaken in the same month. However, some people choose to receive one treatment first and the other at a later time.

How to Sign Up

BIG and LOUD programs are covered by most insurances plans. A physician’s referral is required. For more information, please call 207-744-6160.

What is vestibular rehabilitation (rehab)?

Vestibular rehab therapy emphasizes evidence based, hands-on training in the treatment of vestibular problems. Our specially trained physical therapists will help make a customized treatment plan based on your goals with the main focus to help you get moving again and manage your dizziness at the same time.

Who could benefit from vestibular rehab?

Vestibular rehab helps people who suffer from:

• Vertigo
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• Post-concussion syndrome
• Meniere’s disease with chronic dizziness
• Lasting balance issues
• Vestibular neuritis
• Vestibular hypo function
• Chronic migraines with related dizziness

Conditions that cannot be treated:

• Acute concussion (0-10 days)
• Anxiety related vertigo
• Motion intolerance / car sickness
• Acute Meniere’s
• Acute migraine vertigo
• Perilymphatic fistula

How do I get vestibular rehab?

Talk to your doctor to find out if vestibular rehab is right for you. A doctor’s referral is required.  For more information, please call 207-744-6160.

Balance Programs

Matter of Balance

 A more in depth balance program that entails 8 two-hour sessions.  Matter of Balance is offered in the Spring and Fall.  Small group discussions helps reduce the fear of failing by increasing activity levels, providing exercises to increase strength and balance and giving recommended changes to decrease fall risks at home.

To sign up for a Matter of Balance class, call 207-744-6160.

Exercise to Energize

Exercise to Energize is a program for adults age 60 and older that combines seated and standing exercises to help build strength, flexibility, and improve balance and function.
This program is led by certified personal trainers at Stephens Memorial Hospital and does not replace exercise prescribed by a doctor or therapist. It is offered in two separate programs based on physical ability:

Level 1 Basic - Mostly Seated Exercises: Wednesdays & Fridays 1- p.m.

Participant must be able to:
• perform exercises independently
• complete a balance screening with a physical therapist annually (screen is free of charge)
• walk with a walking aide such as a cane, rollator, or walker

Level 2 Advanced – Mostly Standing Exercises: Mondays & Wednesdays 10am

Participant must be able to:
• perform exercises independently
• stand on one leg for 5 seconds
• walk briskly for 5 minutes; with no walking aides such as a cane, rollator, or walker
• Complete a balance screening with a physical therapist if needed (screen is free of charge)

Program Information

• Programs run September through July
• Runs for six weeks (12 total classes)
• Cost is $60 per program (must be paid in full at first class)

Registration Information

Registration opens one week prior to program start date. To register, call 207-393-3487 and leave a voicemail message with your full name and phone number and which level you are registering for. You will receive a call back only if the class is full.

For more information call 207-393-3487.

Expert lymphedema care, close to home

Our certified lymphedema therapists offer complete lymphedema services at Stephens Memorial Hospital's outpatient rehabilitation department. Complete decongestive therapy consists of: skin care, manual lymph drainage (specific type of gentle message), compression bandaging and exercise. Patients transition to a home program after maximum decongestion is achieved.

We look forward to partnering with members of the community that will greatly benefit from this service. In particular:

• Medical practices
• Woman's imaging centers
• Wound clinics
• Cancer programs