Who would benefit from physical therapy
wound care?
Physical therapy wound care
is for patients who have open wounds as a result of
pressure, vascular insufficiency, trauma, surgery, and/or diabetes. The most
common wounds that are treated by wound care physical therapist are: ·
Necrotic wounds ·
Stage III, IV or unstageable pressure
ulcers ·
Diabetic wounds ·
Chronic wounds ·
Venous and/or arterial wounds ·
Extremity wounds with edema ·
Non-healing surgical wounds What does physical therapy wound care involve?
Patients must be referred by
their physician to physical therapy wound care. Physical therapy wound care
begins with a comprehensive evaluation and development of an individualized
care plan. Common treatment approaches can include: ·
Measurement and documentation of the
wound characteristics ·
Cleaning of the wound ·
Debridement (removal) of any dead tissue ·
Selection and application of wound
dressing ·
Application of compression if necessary ·
Education of the patient, caregivers
and/or family members regarding wound care and dressing changes Available treatment
modalities may include: ·
Ultrasound mist therapy ·
Electrical stimulation ·
Whirlpool ·
Compression therapy How long will physical therapy wound care take?
All wounds heal at different
rates and the duration of therapy will be based on the patient’s individual
needs. Depending on the type of wound and amount of care needed, the patient
may be seen as often as daily in the hospital and
one-three times a week in the physical therapy wound clinic. The duration of
treatment can vary from one-several months. The wound care therapist will
work with your medical team to adapt treatment to maximize wound healing. |