Rehabilitation Medicine

Rehabilitation Medicine professionals at the NIH Clinical Center collaborate in and support biomedical research. They initiate research in rehabilitation sciences by providing innovative rehabilitation services and developing, investigating and applying measurements and treatments of impairments, disabilities and handicaps pertaining to human function.

At the NIH Clinical Center, the Rehabilitation Medicine organization includes:

The Rehabilitation Medicine team provides:

  • Consultations for patients with disabilities who are referred for evaluation

  • Clinical assessments, including assessments of strength, range of motion, motion analysis, ambulation, swallowing, lymphedema, neuromusculoskeletal pain, electrodiagnosis; developmental level, speech, language, and cognitive abilities; work skills and leisure activity needs; and the ability to carry out the activities of daily living

  • Treatments designed to restore function, prevent disability or its progression; relieve pain, provide adaptive equipment and ambulation aids, and education about disability

  • Research & research support, including collaborative efforts with various NIH institutes and centers as well as independent research projects by Rehabilitation Medicine staff. The focus of research ranges widely and includes new ways of measuring and treating impairments, disability and handicaps; and investigations into research design, functional measures, musculoskeletal evaluations, functional test standardization, instrument development and quantitative measurements. Information about rehabilitation medicine research activities may be found in the NIH Intramural Annual Reports. Specific rehabilitation medicine research studies may be found in the Clinical Center's Clinical Studies database.

Special programs build on the rehabilitation medicine team's substantial skill in rehabilitation of patients with cancer, rheumatic diseases, and developmental and congenital disorders. Specialized evaluations such as fitness testing, motion analysis, video fluoroscopy and ultrasound imaging of swallowing, assessment of motor and process skills, functional measures of discourse, endoscopy of the oral pharynx, and video stroboscopy of the larynx are also provided. Massage therapy, relaxation training, and foot orthotic fabrication are offered as alternatives to standard rehabilitation treatment.

These reference links provide a variety of rehabilitation medicine-related information resources. Contact us at 301-496-4000 and ask the operator for Rehabilitation Medicine.

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This page last updated on 06/28/2022

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