Polytrauma refers to severe injuries affecting multiple body systems, often resulting from traumatic events such as accidents or falls. This complex condition poses significant challenges for injured patients, requiring comprehensive care and management. At Healing Touch, our expert team specialises in the treatment and rehabilitation of polytrauma cases, addressing fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and other severe conditions to restore health and improve quality of life. From initial assessment to long-term care, our doctors and specialists focus on reducing the risk of complications and enhancing recovery outcomes. Regardless of age or injury severity, we are dedicated to supporting your journey toward better health.
Patients who have experienced severe trauma and multiple injuries often find themselves navigating a complex journey of physical and emotional challenges that necessitate comprehensive care. It is crucial for patients to receive immediate rehabilitation and therapy to enhance their recovery process.
Optimising the long-term behavioural and cognitive well-being of patients with traumatic injuries is not just about returning them to normal functioning; it’s about providing comprehensive care that addresses their unique challenges. Families and communities must understand the complexities faced by these individuals to offer the necessary support. Immediate access to specialised resources and support systems through designated nursing facilities or rehabilitation centers can significantly enhance their journey towards recovery, ensuring a more effective outcome.
Rehabilitation Following Multiple Injuries
Polytrauma, also known as multi-trauma, is a complex and severe condition that involves multiple injuries in one patient. These injuries can affect various parts of the body, including the musculoskeletal system, abdomen, and pulmonary system. This type of trauma presents a significant risk to the patient’s health and requires intensive care and management to ensure a full recovery.
Individuals who have experienced multiple injuries often face a challenging journey that requires comprehensive management and rehabilitation to address the impact it has on their quality of life. This complex condition necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, involving experts from various fields such as nursing, speech therapy, and behavioural therapy.
Polytrauma itself is not a diagnosis, but rather describes a patient emerging from an incident where:
They have two or more associated serious injuries in at least two areas of the body, or
They have two or more injuries of different types in one area of the body.
The multiple traumatic injuries experienced by patients can lead to an array of severe challenges related to physical trauma, resulting in functional impairments that often require surgical intervention.
Our Approach
Rehabilitation following orthopaedic injuries involves one or multiple body regions and aims at musculoskeletal training to restore function and mobility of patients. The intervention is crucial in restoring independence and quality of life to individuals who have experienced significant trauma to their bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. This includes rehabilitation following orthopaedic surgery such as hip and knee replacement, as well as associated orthopaedic injuries like spinal injuries.
As a multidisciplinary team, we are able to offer a clinical assessment and a treatment plan to our patients using our collaborative working approach between physiotherapists and occupational therapists based on clients’ individual needs. The patient and their family will be actively encouraged to participate in the development and review of the rehabilitation plan. This ensures that all aspects of the patient’s condition are taken into consideration, allowing for a more effective and tailored rehabilitation program. The involvement of both the patient and their family is essential in optimising the quality of care and ensuring that the treatment plan meets not only physical but also emotional needs.
Our team of expert healthcare professionals convenes regularly to discuss the progress and goals of our injured patients. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we strive to provide comprehensive care that leads to significant improvements in their daily life.
We work with individuals following…
We specialise in providing expert care for a diverse range of patients, including those who have recently undergone orthopaedic surgery, individuals with complex multiple fractures, and those suffering from repetitive strain injuries. Additionally, we offer rehabilitation services for patients dealing with brachial plexus injuries, sciatic-related pain, peripheral nerve injuries, joint movement restrictions, for those who have had an amputation surgery done, or that have spinal injuries and associated fractures. Our primary focus is on delivering comprehensive patient care that addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of recovery following surgery or traumatic events.
Physiotherapy management uses a variety of treatment techniques including
- Education
- Exercise Therapy
- Mobilisation Techniques
- Soft Tissues Mobilisation
- Postural Re-education
- Therapeutic Taping
- Manual Therapy
- Muscle Energy Techniques
- Ergonomic Assessment
Physiotherapy intervention can also be highly beneficial for individuals with multiple injuries before undergoing surgery. This specialised approach helps to identify the best course of action to optimise surgical outcomes and maximise recovery. This can include a pre-operative training program to alleviate the risk of muscle atrophy, loss and optimise strength, ensuring a better recovery for patients.
Occupational Therapy
Experiencing polytrauma can have a significant and lasting impact on the lives of patients and their families. Patients who have suffered multiple traumatic injuries, affecting various parts of the body such as the musculoskeletal system, back, abdomen, pelvis, and pulmonary system, often face complex challenges in their recovery journey. These severe injuries can lead to long-term rehabilitation needs and require a comprehensive approach that involves a multidisciplinary team of specialists.
Our Occupational Therapy team assists clients to regain their former level of independence and help them return to the normal routine with confidence. We will offer the client ongoing support and rehabilitation using a client centred approach and prescription of suitable equipment, seating, wheelchair assessment and home adaptations as required. When developing a treatment plan, it is crucial to understand the impact that polytrauma injuries can have on an individual’s fatigue levels, pain symptoms, self-confidence, and psychological well being. This comprehensive approach takes into account the multiple traumatic injuries that a person may have experienced.
There is also focus on enhancing the safety and independence of our patients in their own homes through personalised care activities, household tasks, home safety assessments, and community integration. We also address long-term goals such as facilitating a return to leisure activities, work placement, and driving for those who have experienced trauma or injuries.
Polytrauma refers to the occurrence of multiple injuries sustained by an individual, often resulting from a single traumatic event. These injuries can affect various body systems and may require specialised medical care. Treatment typically involves a multidisciplinary approach to address the complex needs of the patient.
Book a treatment home, school or community visit
To make clients feel as comfortable as possible, we offer home visits or arrange treatment at one of our community clinics at William Merritt Centre, Leeds, or a similar centre or location of your choice in your local community across the North West and Yorkshire, or we could arrange to see you at a suitable space within your community.
We appreciate our clients may have mobility restrictions and will always consider how to make consultations and treatments as convenient, time optimised and pain-free as possible. Community-based rehabilitation and integration back into the community is the key to any successful rehabilitation. Besides the benefit of a familiar environment and the discipline of following treatment plans within their own setting , community-based treatment enables the client to stay motivated while involving their family and friends.