Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy

If your doctor prescribes rehabilitation such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy after an operation or injury or illness, the quality of care you receive is vitally important. Our rehabilitation therapists work closely in collaboration with your doctor to provide excellent, timely, and convenient care.

At Excela Health, our rehabilitation therapists help patients of all activity levels recover from injury, surgery, or other ailments. They offer skilled physical, occupational, and speech therapy in centers across Westmoreland County, with the objective of getting you back to a normal life as soon as possible.

There are similarities between various types of rehabilitative exercises, as they all work to improve the patient’s overall functioning, quality of life, and learn how to cope with the difficulties their condition(s) present as they recover. Some of the tasks may overlap from one modality of therapy to the next, and both involve hands-on care tailored to the patient’s specific needs.

We offer the following forms of rehabilitation:

Physical Therapy

Often referred to as “PT,” the goal of physical therapy is to help improve the patient’s ability to move safely and effectively. During physical therapy sessions, patients learn how to maintain their renewed mobility and ways to prevent recurring injury. They also are taught exercises to build strength and reinforce treatment to be used at home. You may need PT if you have a condition that affects your movement or causes pain.

An example of someone who would need PT is a post-operative knee replacement patient, who will need assistance to help strengthen their knee and increase the range of motion of the affected knee joint(s). This will help them move more easily and experience less pain. Your therapist can also educate you on how to maintain you health and fitness. so you don’t backslide to a worse condition.

Physical Therapy may include:

Targeted exercises
Stretching
Hot and cold therapy
Massage
Electrical stimulation
Ultrasound

Occupational Therapy

Often referred to as “OT”, occupational therapy moves the patient toward greater independence by helping them accomplish tasks of everyday life, from buttoning a shirt to light housekeeping. Our therapists teach safe ways to perform daily activities, such as getting dressed, doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning. Occupational therapists may also evaluate the patient’s home and make recommendations for safer and easier actions. We can help the patient adapt to the physical needs of his or her workplace. Their overarching goal is to maximize your ability to safely perform various tasks of daily living and educate a caregiver on how to help you succeed in doing so.

OT may be recommended if your condition or illness affects your ability to perform certain tasks, such as getting dressed, eating, bathing, or toileting. Your therapist may assess your home to ensure it is safe to do your daily tasks more easily, and they may teach your how to use assistive devices such as a cane or walker to move about more quickly and with less pain.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy, or “speech and language pathology,” covers a broad range of patient needs, not only improving speech, but also swallowing. A speech therapist can help with reading and writing skills, with attention to needs such as attention span, memory, and judgment. Speech therapy can help improve your communication, depending on the condition for which you were prescribed. Speech therapy goals can differ from children to adults, who often have different goals in their treatment.

If you have an injury or have had surgery, Excela Health therapists will work with you so you can live life to the fullest. To find out more about our other programs, click below.

Specialty Programs

Outpatient Rehabilitation Services

Excela Health Outpatient Rehabilitation has multiple rehab centers throughout Westmoreland County for your convenience.
Our facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment and highly-trained professionals. Our programs and therapies include:

Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy
Aquatic therapy
Hand therapy with certified hand therapists
Lymphedema services
Balance disorders and dizziness treatment
Concussion therapy
Work hardening
Outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation for sports injuries, hip or knee replacement, sprain or strain, fracture, traumatic injury, or other conditions.
We also offer the Alter G, an antigravity treadmill utilizing NASA technology, at our Excela Square at Latrobe site.