EL DORADO - Medical Center of South Arkansas Inpatient Rehab has acquired two new pieces of therapy equipment with electrical stimulation technology for treatment of patients recovering from accident or illness. MCSA will use this new equipment as the standard of care in rehabilitation therapy for many neurological conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and brain injury to support positive therapeutic outcomes.
Shelby Cater, MCSA Director of Inpatient Rehabilitation, believes that, this new equipment will give South Arkansas residents seeking recovery from accident or illness the opportunity to maximize their potential for return of prior level of function and improve their overall outcomes through advanced therapy services available close to home.
The new equipment's electrical stimulation technology sends targeted stimulation to arm, core and leg muscle groups with 6 to 12 integrated and coordinated channels of stimulation to improve weakness by re-building or conditioning muscles to regain or maintain functionality. Safe, low-current electrical pulses activate paralyzed or deconditioned muscles for functional movement and they are a proven therapy with a wide range of therapeutic indications. The electrical stimulation technology helps improve secondary conditions lingering from accident or illness including circulation, range of motion, and muscle memory and reduces complications like muscle atrophy, muscle spasms, UTI, and skin break down. Benefits from electrical stimulation therapy include but are not limited to improved arm function, gait/walking, spasticity, and physiologic function leading to better quality of life and independence.
Individuals suffering from neurological disorders caused by accident or illness can benefit from electrical stimulated therapy at the onset of their diagnosis or after disease or injury has progressed. Patients who have previously been discharged from rehab and didn't quite meet their goal of mobility will have the opportunity to come to our program and use the equipment. Patients eligible for rehabilitation therapy must meet medical necessity, be able to actively participate in intensive therapy program for three hours a day, and have the need for two therapy disciplines including physical, speech, and occupational therapies. A complimentary pre-admission screening is conducted for each referral to determine if the patient meets these requirements and if their specific condition may benefit from the program. Referrals to the MCSA Inpatient Rehabilitation Program can be done by calling their referral specialists line, 870-863-2588.
