Rehabilitation and Therapy

No matter what your outpatient therapy needs, CMH offers the care you need. With a full spectrum of diagnostic, therapeutic and restorative services, our mission is to get you on your feet and back to normal activities as quickly as possible after an injury or illness. Our scope of services also goes beyond care after an acute injury or illness, offering services for patients who need help maintaining mobility and other abilities. All Central Maine Healthcare outpatient therapy services follow nationally recognized best practices for quality care, meaning you can receive the optimal care you need close to home.

Services Available: Every person is unique and distinct, so the outpatient therapy services we offer are, too. At your first appointment, our first step is to gain a thorough understanding of your needs, your medical history and your lifestyle. Based on those specifics, the outpatient therapy team will put together an individualized care plan to help you achieve your goals. This care plan may include:

• Orthopedic/Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
• Back and Spine Care
• Post Surgical Rehabilitation: Continuing Rehabilitation after Hospitalization
• Balance and Vestibular Program
• Work Injuries
• Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy
• Lymphedema Management
• Pelvic Floor Rehab – Bladder Control–Incontinence Management
• Swallowing Therapy
• Adult Speech/Language Therapy
• Pediatric Speech/Language Therapy
• Osteoporosis Program
• Neurological Rehabilitation

Occupational Therapy

When a person has difficulty performing activities of daily living due to an illness, injury or cognitive change, occupational therapy may provide solutions. Occupational therapy provides personalized guidance and intervention to help patients of all ages and walks of life participate fully at home, work, school or in social situations. For some patients, this will involve working to regain lost skills, while other patients will, with the help of the occupational therapist, learn to adapt their environment. Occupational therapy focuses on offering personalized care to help each patient reach their goals.

What Happens During Occupational Therapy? Occupational therapy sessions vary from patient to patient. Specialists will tailor therapy sessions to you or your loved one’s individual goals and needs. In some cases, occupational therapists help children with disabilities learn to navigate social and school situations. Older adults experiencing physical or mental changes may benefit from an occupational therapist helping them find newer, more manageable ways to complete their daily activities. Or, for patients who have sustained injuries that make performing some tasks difficult, occupational therapy can find workaround solutions to help them improve their quality of life. Occupational therapy focuses on physical, mental and emotional needs of each patient. Specialists work with the patient and family to help build a healthy, sustainable way of life that fits the patient’s goals and needs.

How Is Occupational Therapy Different from Physical Therapy? In short, physical therapy helps improve strength, endurance, range of motion and pain management. Occupational therapy can help with these things, as well, but it also focuses on fine-motor skills, such as moving fingers and toes. It also works to improve patients’ cognitive, perceptive, and sensory-processing abilities, while physical therapy does not usually focus as strongly on these things.

Occupational Therapy at CMH: Our Acute Rehabilitation Center is a 13-bed center that offers high-quality therapeutic care, including occupational therapy. Referrals are needed for admission. To learn more about our Acute Rehabilitation Center, request a tour by calling 207-795-2495 Monday through Friday and 207-795-2600 on weekends.

Physical Therapy

You may think of physical therapy in relation to injury, but it encompasses much more. Physical therapy is specialized to help regain or maintain physical abilities, including mobility, gait and function. Because every injury or illness is unique, a person’s physical therapy recommendations are also unique. A trained physical therapist will recommend a specific and individualized regimen designed to help a patient overcome deficits, reduce pain and improve overall functioning. The physical therapist works in conjunction with other members of a patient’s care team, including their primary care provider.

Why Do You Need Physical Therapy? You might need physical therapy for a variety of reasons. For example, if you experience an acute or chronic injury or undergo a surgical procedure to treat an injury, you may need physical therapy to help you regain strength and mobility in the affected limb. Patients who have experienced a stroke often require physical therapy to help them repair physical limitations that may occur when the brain is deprived of oxygen. Physical therapy can also be prescribed to help a person maintain their current level of functioning. This can be the case when a person has a progressive disease such as Parkinson’s disease, which can affect mobility over time, or when a person’s abilities begin to diminish with age.

What to Expect During Physical Therapy: Physical therapy differs from patient to patient, since therapy is individualized based on their specific needs. At your first appointment, your physical therapist will spend time reviewing your medical history and deficits you are experiencing. Based on this information, they will recommend a specific regimen to help you reach your treatment goals. Your physical therapy sessions will include guided exercises in conjunction with joint mobilization, manual therapy, strength training and, potentially, other types of therapy, including occupational and/or speech therapies.

Recovering From Physical Therapy: Because physical therapy requires you to move your body in multiple ways, it can sometimes cause discomfort. Your physical therapist or medical provider will offer suggestions on alleviating any residual discomfort. Physical therapy also often involves prescribed exercises meant to be performed at home between sessions.

Speech Therapy

Speech and language disorders affect a person’s ability to communicate. When someone has difficulty making sounds, communicating ideas or swallowing, speech therapy could help resolve the problem. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess, diagnose and provide a treatment plan for a variety of disorders in children and adults.

Why Do You Need Speech Therapy? Speech therapy can help with several types of impaired speech and language skills:

• Speech disorders such as apraxia, dysarthria and stuttering cause a person to have difficulty forming words and sounds.
• Speech and language delays occur when a child’s speaking abilities develop slower than average. This is a common developmental issue that affects up to 10% of children.
• Language disorders such as aphasia and auditory processing disorder affect a person’s ability to form words or understand and process language.
• Swallowing disorders, also known as dysphagia, are characterized by problems eating or drinking. These issues may be caused by muscle weakness, issues within the brain or nervous system, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or head and neck cancer.

Speech therapy should begin as early as possible to remedy the issue. Children who receive speech therapy before age 5 typically show better results than children who start at older ages. Adults who have a speech impediment from childhood, or a condition resulting from illness or injury, should seek professional help from an SLP. Treatment can still be effective at a later age, as adults also can see improvement after visiting a specialist.

Getting Ready for Speech Therapy: You will need to request a referral from your primary care provider to see a speech-language pathologist. They will direct you to a trusted, licensed SLP in your area. Be prepared to answer questions, as SLPs ask for specifics so they can understand the complete picture. You can bring a document that lists concerns with speech or language, a timeline of speech development and information about medical conditions that may affect speech. This helps assess the condition and create a personalized treatment plan.

What to Expect During Speech Therapy: Every session varies based on your circumstances. After a treatment plan is created, your SLP will help you decide the frequency, timing and setting. Some SLPs provide group treatment, while others work on an individual level. A session could include activities to practice language skills, articulation therapy or swallowing therapy. A SLP will guide you or your child through the entire process.

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FAQ – see if your question is answered below:

Will my health insurance cover therapy services? Physical, occupational and speech therapy are usually included under health insurance plans. Before starting therapy services, however, check with your insurance company or ask for assistance from hospital team members. You also need to know whether or not the insurance company requires a referral. CMH accepts most major insurances. For more information call Patient Financial Services at 888-869-3101 regarding payment plans or other assistance with your bill.

I don’t have health insurance. Can I still receive therapy services? Patients paying directly for services receive a same-day, flat-rate discount. We provide an economical treatment plan to keep costs down while obtaining maximal results, and we offer programs for people who are unable to pay for services.

What makes CMH Therapy Services so distinctive? Patients see an experienced therapist who works to help achieve their goals, big or small. We want you to return to life activities as soon as you are able. We offer multiple convenient locations where patients usually see the same therapists at each visit. Your home exercise program is an important part of your recovery, so your therapist will assist you with written instructions.

Research confirms that patients who take charge of their own care achieve the best results with fewer visits, resulting in reduced costs. If patients progress on schedule and are having success with their home program, we may be able to reduce the frequency of visits. We are available during the week by phone or email and will respond quickly to any questions you may have. Let us know if you notice a change that concerns you. Therapy visits last an average of 45 minutes. We strive to keep appointments on schedule and request that you arrive at your appointments in a timely manner.

How should I prepare for my first visit?

Before coming in: We will call you to schedule your appointment and complete a patient intake form over the phone. Other forms can be downloaded from the website [link to this page when it’s updated] and completed to bring to your first visit.
On arrival:
Please arrive 15 minutes early to register and complete any additional paperwork. Our friendly and well-trained front desk team members are always happy to help you. If you weren’t able to complete the medical history form at home, our front office team members can help you complete it and answer any questions you may have. If you have a prescription for therapy, please make sure you bring it to the first visit.

What should I wear? Wear loose, comfortable clothing and exercise shoes. Women with an arm or upper back problem may want to consider wearing a tank top or sports bra. If you have a knee or ankle problem, consider wearing shorts.

Where do I park? Parking is available near the hospital. If you need assistance getting out of your car or to the therapy department, we can have a therapy staff member meet you. Let us know if you need a wheelchair.

What should I do if I have questions that weren’t answered here? Please call us and we will be happy to answer any questions.