A recent ruling attempts to change the perception that beneficiaries are only eligible for therapy coverage if their health is improving. The ruling is related to a 2013 settlement that established that improvement is not one of the criteria for coverage.

A new study shows that occupational therapy has the potential to "be an effective intervention to maintain cognition and functionality and to reduce psychiatric symptoms in dementia patients."

"Occupational therapy places a unique and immediate focus on patients’ functional and social needs, which can be important drivers of readmission if left unaddressed." - Study authors Rogers, Bai, Lavin, and Anderson

Early research suggests that rehabilitation before cancer treatment can prepare the body for treatment and minimize some long-term effects, reports Kaiser Health News. According to a study published last year in the journal Anesthesiology, patients who receive prerehab for cancer treatment may be able to return to regular physical functioning more quickly than patients who do not.

A stroke can be a life-changing event for stroke survivors as well as their loved ones and caregivers. But quality rehabilitation that begins early after survival can preserve function and cognition to return people to independence and the activities they enjoy.

Each year, approximately 30,000–40,000 lower extremity amputations are performed in the United States. 30% of lower extremity amputations are performed above the knee (AKA), and 70% are performed below the knee (BKA). In every instance, intensive and specialized rehabilitation is required to adjust to a prosthesis and adapt in order to return to activities of daily living and the hobbies a patient enjoyed prior to surgery.

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) recently introduced the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (H.R. 775) last week in support of a permanent solution to the therapy cap issue that threatens patient access to essential care.

Approximately 332,000 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year. Hip replacements are among the most common and effective surgeries in orthopedics, and quality rehabilitation following surgery returns restores function for patients whose activities have become limited by difficulties with walking.

Total knee replacement can be a good option for individuals with a deteriorating knee joint and progressive pain. Learn exactly what knee replacement entails and what to expect following surgery.

We published a series of posts about our favorite mobile applications beginning in 2012. Our therapists continue to reap the benefits of using apps on their company mobile devices while delivering care, so we want to provide an update with some can’t-miss apps. Mobile applications have tremendous opportunities to make therapy engaging while saving paper. Adults and children alike can benefit from the use of apps in therapy. These are a few mobile applications that come highly recommended by our therapists and other clinicians.