All of our outpatient therapy sites are excited to be recognized nationally an Age Friendly Health Systems Participant. This means we are part of the movement to deliver safe, reliable, high-quality healthcare based on what matters most to older adults. We have implemented essential evidence based interventions needed to provide older patients better care, including mobility assessments. We believe together, we can improve the care of older adults and make lasting impactful change in the communities we serve.

Activities of Daily Living provides training to help patients build their confidence to complete daily skills, such as dressing, bathing, grooming, preparing a meal, operating home appliances safely or completing essential work-related duties.

Summa Health Aquatic Therapy experts create customized water rehab programs designed to address each patient’s needs. Water exercise is one of the safest and effective forms of exercise that may help reduce pain, improve motion, increase balance an improve strength. Anyone with a physician referral can participate in our warm water programs. To learn more, download the PDF below. 

Aquatic Therapy

Many of our therapists are specially trained to understand how medical conditions and aging may require modification to a person’s home so that he or she can continue to live safely and independently. Our team will review aspects of your home and provide valuable recommendations to allow you to function in a secure home environment. To learn more, download the PDF below.

Aging in Place

Aphasia is the loss or impairment of a person’s ability to comprehend language (listen and read) and/or express language (talk and write) due to a brain injury such as a stroke, head injury, brain tumor and or other brain/neurological problem. Speech therapy can be a vital component in the evaluation and treatment of this communication disorder. Essentially, therapy focuses on stimulation of skills to promote return of the person’s communication skills, as well as compensation, teaching a person and his or her caregiver’s tools and techniques to “get around” the communication problem. Aphasia can range from very mild to quite severe, but it is typically very responsive to improvement with participation in speech-language therapy/speech therapy.

Therapists work with the medical team to develop a plan to address weakness, fatigue, pain, swelling, soft tissue tightness or joint stiffness. Therapy can also help improve activities of daily living, balance and walking.

Physical therapists at the Summa Health System – Barberton Campus work with the neurology medical team to help assess the value of a baclofen pump for patients who experience spasticity. The neurologist orders the trial procedure. On the day of the test, therapists assess the patient’s functional movement and spasticity both before and after the medication is provided for the trial to determine improvements made in tone, strength, spasms or movement as a result of the dosage.”

A Summa Health outpatient speech language pathologist may help address temporary weakness or paralysis in the muscles of one side of your face, eye, nose or lips commonly seen with Bell’s Palsy. Speech therapy services may include oral-facial exercises or electrical stimulation treatments (with physician orders) to assist in the return of muscle movement necessary for safe eating, swallowing and effective communication.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. This diagnosis and its subsequent related treatments can result in pain, impaired range of motion and strength, scar tissue formation, lymphedema, and decreased arm function. Physical therapy interventions can manage and decrease all of these impairments helping to improve quality of life post breast cancer treatments. Lymphedema is one post treatment complication that is best managed early. It can develop in the breast, trunk, and/or the associated upper extremity. Regular surveillance with early detection and treatment by Summa Health’s Certified Lymphedema Therapists, (CLT) will lead to the best outcomes of disease management and prevention of disease progression.

Balance activities help reduce or prevent falls by improving your ability to maintain an upright position when standing, moving and walking. While exercises may include standing on one foot, walking heel to toe or leg raises, a therapist can help identify those that are most helpful for you and provide proper instruction so that you perform these safely.

Trained physical therapists assess residual COVID-19 deficits that may include physical, endurance, strength, cognitive or psychosocial issues. The therapist can devise a plan of care customized to each patient that focuses on patient specific needs. Treatments may include exercise/resistive training and strengthening, balance, aerobics, breathing exercises, and energy conservation techniques with activities of daily living. To learn more, download the PDF below.

COVID-19 Recovering Program Flyer

After a concussion, patients may report ongoing dizziness, neck pain, headaches, difficulty concentrating and balance disturbances. These symptoms are not unusual. Summa Health’s vestibular trained therapists can utilize specialized exercises, manual therapy and balance activities to get you feeling back to yourself as soon as possible. For individuals that play sports, sport-specific drills are incorporated into care so that athletes can return to their sports participation once they are released by their physician. Summa Health’s skilled speech therapists are also an important part of our team approach to post-concussion treatment. Speech therapists are skilled in treating impaired concentration, memory and problem-solving issues following a concussion.

Cognition is inseparably linked to language. It is the mental ability to attend to, concentrate on, learn, remember, organize and process information and to solve problems of everyday life. Speech therapists are trained to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of neurocognitive disorders. Retraining efforts focus on improving concentration, memory, abstract thinking, divergent and deductive reasoning as well as visuospatial skills necessary for patients to resume an independent lifestyle when possible.

It is well-documented that cancer and its treatments can cause significant negative side effects to multiple body systems throughout the cancer continuum. Fatigue, pain, weakness, neuropathy, imbalance, and anxiety/depression are a few examples, all of which can have negative effects on physical function and quality of life. The good news is that physical therapy interventions can improve all of these impairments by maximizing function and improving quality of life. Research supports that exercise is safe during and after cancer treatment including aerobic activities, strength training, and stretching. Participating in a regular exercise/activity program can reduce fatigue and other common treatment side effects. Summa Health therapists provide guidance and support in developing a personalized exercise program to meet goals and needs during and after cancer treatment. Therapy is well-suited to help bridge the gap between illness and wellness. 

Summa Health trained therapists are trained to perform MediCupping techniques using a vacuum pump and silicone suction cup that gently lifts the muscle. This treatment is used for many purposes including pain relief, inflammation reduction, improved blood flow, relaxation. Conditions that may benefit from this treatment include arthritis, scars, adhesions, muscle strains/strains and tendonitis.

Dry needling is a specialized therapy treatment using acupuncture-type needles inserted into the skin and deep tissues. This treatment is performed by trained clinicians to help relieve pain, swelling, spasms, and inflammation in muscle trigger points.

We teach clients, referred by a physician, how to safely exercise to maximize independence, manage diabetes, improve health conditions and commit to ongoing fitness.

In collaboration with the Center for Senior Health, our occupational therapists provide comprehensive evaluation for safe return to driving following injury, disease and age-related risk factors. This evaluation includes cognitive, visual and physical screenings, as well as driving simulation and reaction time tests to determine readiness for driving and recommendations for any modifications. 

Our therapists can recommend walkers, canes, bathing and toileting aids that can help improve the quality of living short term after surgery or longer as conditions progress. Equipment is reusable and can be rented or purchased from a vendor for use in the home.

Dysarthria is a diagnosis is made when a person has a weakness, paralysis, reduced coordination of the speech-making muscles and structures – the tongue, lips, face and throat. People with dysarthria can think of the words, compose their thoughts verbally, but the words and sentences are not clearly spoken. Many times, it’s due to strokes, head injuries, brain tumors or diseases. Typically, dysarthria can be addressed successfully with oral-motor exercises (speech muscle exercises). The speech therapist also may recommend speech production practice to improve sound production, coordination and precision.

Dysphagia is the impairment or inability to swallow, resulting in difficulty eating/drinking, possible weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition and possible lung problems like aspiration pneumonia, choking and even death. Dysphagia problems can involve the mouth, throat, windpipe (trachea), and food tube (esophagus), with muscle weakness, muscle incoordination, reduced neurological (brain) responses, and structural problems. 

A speech language pathologist is trained to evaluate dysphagia clinically and/or instrumentally and will design a treatment plan specific to the identified weakness. The treatment plan may include temporary menu changes or restriction, as well as strengthening programs designed to return the individual to a “normal” menu as quickly as possible.

Summa Health occupational therapists provide ergonomic and office work station assessments that look at a variety of factors that impact your ability to work comfortably. They then offer recommendations to help you minimize stress, reduce the risk of injury and maximize productivity

Our staff can provide e-visits, after an in-person therapy evaluation, on a limited basis. An e-visit provided by a therapist is a way to check-in, assess, communicate and educate patients. However, it is not full telehealth like you may experience with your physician’s office. In this non-face-to-face, patient-initiated digital communication, therapists can modify or issue home exercise programs and progressions using a HIPAA approved vehicle. During the COVID pandemic, some insurance companies may provide this benefit to their members; however, each insurer may have different rules.

If you have an appointment with Summa Health Outpatient Therapy Services, please ask to be placed on the waiting list to get in sooner if an appointment opens up. If you do accept the sooner appointment, your old appointment will be automatically canceled. For more information on Fast Pass, please contact your outpatient therapy location.

Using specialized computer applications, the trained, licensed therapists can measure an individual’s ability to perform meaningful work tasks on a safe and consistent basis. The FCE tests range of motion, strength and stability. The test can be performed after a work-related injury to determine return-to-work capability or as a tool to help a physician determine if an individual may medically qualify for disability based on functional losses/deficits.

Our licensed clinicians focus on identifying and preventing risks and factors that can lead to increased fall risk. By assessing balance problems, visual deficits, gait (walking) disorders, a customized treatment program is developed that may involve strengthening, flexibility and core movement pattern exercises.  Patients learn to manage fall risks or hospital admissions due to falls with education, exercise, lifestyle changes and environment modifications suggested by the therapy team.

Fluidotherapy is a heat modality consisting of a dry whirlpool of small particles suspended in a heated air stream, the mixture having the properties of a liquid. In addition to the superficial heat, it provides tactile stimulation and desensitization while also allowing for improved range of motion.

Dysfluency is when people are unable to speak smoothly, and they make repetitions of sounds and words, long pauses and/or prolonged speech sounds. People may come to therapy with new onset of fluency issues due to brain/neurological events like a stroke or brain injury or possible a chronic problem that has gotten worse for many possible reasons and it is interfering with their communication in their everyday life. Using an approach commonly known as “stuttering“ therapy (ST), we address how to adjust a person’s breathing and sound-making to “smooth out” their speech, as well as train them to have more control of their speaking to decrease the dysfluencies and increase the fluency of their speech.

While you run/walk on a treadmill or track, a clinician will video record you from the front, back and side. The clinician will review the video at a slow motion rate and explain the analysis of the running/walking stride.  Tips or suggestions to enhance performance or help prevent injuries through proper form may be offered. To learn more, download the PDF below.

Gait Analysis

The Graston Technique is a soft tissue mobilization approach using instruments of various shapes and sizes by trained therapists to help relieve tissue pain, swelling and inflammation. This technique is typically combined with active stretching and strengthening of the involved area to fully treat the injury.

Specially trained occupational therapists can offer custom-fabricated hand splints to provide post- operative positioning during healing and preventive care for both post- and non-operative clients. Hand Splinting and Therapy includes motor re-education and movement facilitation, as well as joint protection for the elbow, wrist, hand and fingers.

At times, headaches may be due to a muscle imbalance and poor ergonomics/body mechanics. We sit at our computers, use tablets, scroll through our phones, and play video games for longer and longer periods of time contributing to poor posture which may contribute to the production of headaches. Let an outpatient physical therapist examine your posture, range of motion, muscle flexibility and strength to create an individualized plan to reduce your headaches. Education about relaxation exercises can also be incorporated into treatment to further reduce increased muscle tightness caused by life stressors.

Incontinence, the loss of bowel or bladder control, should not be dismissed as a normal part of the aging process or normal post-partum. Pelvic floor physical therapy can assist with improvements in bowel and bladder function. The therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation and may suggest exercises, training, manual therapy or devices to assist with improving your function.

Prior to your surgery, your physician may recommend attending “prehab” therapies to address educational opportunities on adaptive equipment, utilization of an assistive device and the development of functional exercise.

Our therapists also are skilled in addressing post-surgical joint replacement therapies. Your therapist will establish a plan of care that will normalize your joint range of motion, improve strength, decrease swelling, and help progress within any prescribed limitations per your surgeon to return you back to normal activity.

Performed at the patient’s place of an employment, a licensed therapist collects information about a particular job by examining all the activities, environment and tools needed to complete the job in that environment. The job site analysis may involve patient participation and demonstration of job functions and may also include completion of a questionnaire or interview about what the patient does at work. Job site analyses use the job description and specifications to compare to the actual work performed and are helpful in hiring or returning an injured worker back to work.

Our therapists facilitate the body’s healing processes by supporting muscles and joints using kinesiotape, strips or specialized shapes of tape that are applied to the skin. The tape helps lift the skin to allow for decreased inflammation in affected areas. Positive outcomes from this treatment include injury prevention, promotion of circulation, healing, reduced pain and reduced inflammation. Patients benefitting from this therapy include athletes, post-operative knee, hip, shoulder and ankle patients, and those with acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries and pain.

Summa Health therapists are trained in evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients with various knee complaints, such as orthopedic diagnoses, sports overuse and surgical interventions. Our therapists will establish an evidence-based comprehensive program that focuses on normalizing joint function, improving strength/flexibly and diminish pain so you can return to your activities.

This natural and pain-free treatment has assisted patients in providing pain relief, improved blood flow, reduced inflammation and increased mobility in as few as 2-5 treatments. As an adjunct to current medical treatments, the non-invasive technology can get you on the road to recovery faster and back into the game. After an evaluation by your physical therapist, your personalized treatment plan may include this laser.

Summa Health therapists are trained to evaluate and treat an array of different low back pain, including acute muscle sprains or strains, longer standing chronic low back complaints, repetitive/overuse, surgical and poor body mechanics. After a thorough evaluation, our therapists will develop a comprehensive plan for recovery that includes pain control, strengthening/ flexibility, core development, and education on lifting and body mechanics.

If you are currently experiencing or are at high risk of developing lymphedema due to a medical condition, surgical procedure, radiation, or trauma, our Certified Lymphedema Therapists (CLTs) can provide surveillance and treatment for this chronic, progressive, inflammatory disease. Lymphedema may develop in any area of the body and, once present, will progress through increasing stages of severity if left untreated. Early detection and treatment with complete decongestive therapy (CDT), interventions of manual lymphatic drainage, compression, and proper skin care, may result in positive outcomes with delayed disease progression and improved quality of life.  

LymphaTouch is a unique, negative pressure (suction) therapy device. Designed to be used by trained clinical professionals as an assisting tool for manual therapy, it gently lifts the soft tissue in a controlled, regulated way, helping to stimulate the lymphatic and circulatory systems underneath. This device helps to move excess fluid from a damaged area to healthy regions of the body where edema and lymphedema can be absorbed naturally. This device also works to decrease tissue fibrosis (hardening), myofascial tightness and scar tissue formation, relieving pain and reducing range of motion restrictions. Good outcomes from this treatment have been reported in the treatment of lymphedema, post-surgical edemas from joint surgeries and fractures, scar tissue formation, and overall musculoskeletal dysfunctions.

The McKenzie Method is a technique used in assessing the spine or extremities utilizing repeated movements in diagnosing. Once the diagnosis has been determined based on directional preference, patients are taught to do home exercises that are conducive to the symptoms to be self-directed and managed independently. It is also taught as a preventive approach for lifelong knowledge and skills.  

If you have acute or chronic low back or neck pain, several Summa Health outpatient physical therapists are certified in the McKenzie Method for evaluating your pain. A full exam is completed and exercises are recommended based on movements that change your pain. This method emphasizes the importance of home exercise and provides you with tools to improve your pain, mobility and function.

Memory impairment or memory loss has been defined as a lack of a person’s ability to consistently recollect information to the extent of impairing the daily activities of the person. This can affect attention, concentration, language, decision making and problem solving and can be categorized as acute (TBI) or progressive (Dementia, Alzheimer’s) in nature. Once diagnosed, your physician may want you to have “cognitive therapies,” in which our outpatient speech language pathologist and occupational therapists will evaluate, diagnose and develop an evidence-based, comprehensive plan of care to address memory impairment.

The Mulligan Technique is a physical therapy technique that uses mobilizations and movement to restore mobility. This skilled treatment can be utilized in treatments of patients who suffer from a loss of motion associated with pain, arthritis, joint injury and muscle injury.

Manual therapy consists of procedures that help enhance range of motion, joint mobility, joint or posture alignment, pain relief, and flexibility. Some techniques are joint mobilization, scar/soft tissue mobilization, muscle energy technique, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and cupping. 

Our team of occupational, physical and speech therapists can provide specialized treatments for individuals recovering from stroke, head injury and neurological disease processes. Treatments include motor re-education, facilitation/inhibition for tone management, strengthening, balance training, upper and lower body coordination re-education, assistive device education/training, swallowing, communication and cognitive training to promote the highest level of independence at home and in our community.

If you have osteopenia or osteoporosis and/or have suffered a fragility fracture after the age of 50, Summa Health therapists can develop a plan to help with reducing disease progression and the risk of future falls with fractures. Therapy will provide a complete exercise program of weight bearing aerobics, postural correction, progressive resistance, flexibility, and balance training. In addition, vital education on safe movements and body mechanics rounds out the complete program to allow for continued risk reduction and proper performance of activities of daily living.

Summa Health occupational services are designed to evaluate and treat specific deficits following stroke, surgery, injury and disease. We aim to promote the highest level of independence at home and with work activities. Many of our team members provide advanced treatments for hand therapy including custom splinting for preventive care; post-operative rehabilitation and non-operative therapy for elbow, wrist and hand injuries; and soft tissue modalities such as cupping, dry needling, myofascial release and taping techniques. We can also provide ergonomic assessments and modification suggestions, functional capacities evaluations, and work conditioning programs for the injured worker.

Summa Health orthopedic services include physical and occupational therapists skilled in evaluating, diagnosing and establishing a comprehensive plan of care to help reach your goals. The plan may include prehab, outpatient rehabilitation, and total joint replacement education regarding non-surgical diagnoses, overuse, sports injury and surgical orthopedic interventions.

Summa Health physical therapy is designed to help relieve pain, improve movement or ability, prevent disability or surgery, and provide highest level of independence at home and out in the community.

Summa Health therapy clinicians incorporate the use of evidence-based practices and standards of care in their treatment programs. Surgeon-preferred therapy protocols are used to progress patients safely according to their surgeon’s preferences.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation services can help women and men regain pelvic floor control and function. Often, the importance of understanding and maintaining a healthy pelvic floor can be overlooked.  Surgery, childbirth, scarring, sexual abuse or pelvic fractures can result in a number of health problems if not properly treated. These types of trauma can cause excessive muscle tightness or weakness that may lead to spasm, pain, weakness and incontinence. Pelvic floor rehabilitation is completed with specially trained physical therapists in a one-on-one comfortable and private setting.

Summa Health physical therapists can provide support and compassionate treatment to help address Parkinson’s Disease symptoms such as balance issues, freezing and walking difficulties. Increasing motion through stretching, flexibility and over-exaggerated large movements may help improve stiffness. Resistance exercises using light dumbbells, resistance bands or water (aquatic therapy) can also help minimize disability.

Outpatient occupational therapists can evaluate difficulties in functioning like routine standing up from a chair, grooming, feeding and bathing using treatments that help those with Parkinson’s Disease adapt to their environment as needs and abilities change.

Outpatient speech therapists can evaluate and treat patients with speech, swallowing and communication difficulties associated with Parkinson’s. They can develop a program to help strengthen muscles used in speech, expression and swallowing and teach coping strategies to make swallowing easier or speech louder and clearer.

After a post-partum follow-up exam with your physician, a referral to a physical therapist may help patients further regain their core strength and pelvic health. -Therapists are helpful in providing assistance and guidance with the many changes the body goes through during the stages of pregnancy and post-partum.

Summa Health occupational and physical therapists are well-versed in upper and lower extremity prosthetic training for all amputee patients, from wear and care, donning and doffing prosthetics to functional mobility and integrated use of artificial limbs in daily activity.

A speech language pathologist (SLP) is a clinical professional, also referred to as a speech therapist, who evaluates and treats problems of communication, including speech, listening, reading, writing, voice and fluency.

While SLPs work with children and adults, Summa Health’s focus is on the adult population and their needs relating to medical diagnoses. SLPs at Summa work in the acute care setting, radiology department conducting swallowing studies, rehab unit setting, outpatient offices and home care services.

SLPs are certified by American Speech Language Hearing Association with a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) after graduation from an accredited university with a master’s degree. State licensure is also required to practice. Maintenance of licensure and CCC require completion of continuing education hours each year.

Strengthening is a component of a comprehensive program that is established by a licensed physical therapist or occupational therapist that is designed to increase muscle strength, provide joint protection and increase endurance. This can be accomplished by the utilization of various types of weights and/or exercise bands.

Our outpatient therapists are trained in evaluating, diagnosing and treating sports-related injuries and returning patients back to their sports with a treatment plan tailored to their athletics.

Soft tissue mobilization is a form of manual physical therapy performed by a licensed therapist to improve your muscle function and mobility. Your therapist may use these hands-on techniques – massage, the Graston Technique, cupping and dry needling – in your treatment to address restrictions in muscles, ligament and fascia.

A temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder may involve pain while opening/closing your mouth during talking, biting and chewing. Either conservatively or after surgery, physical therapists can use treatment techniques to relax muscles, improve posture, increase oral opening and relieve pain. Often, headaches and dizziness can also be improved with TMJ physical therapy. To learn more, download the PDF below.

TMJ Disorders Therapy

Our vestibular-trained therapists provide focused treatments for patients who experience dizziness, vertigo or other visual and balance-related difficulties. Services may include specialized testing using video goggles, posture education, activity modification, maneuvers to reduce dizziness and balance/mobility training.

Vital stim is a noninvasive therapy to help individuals with swallowing disorders through the use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES). Summa Health speech pathologists have completed the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association-required certification, which allows vital stim to be a component of dysphagia treatment when deemed appropriate.

A voice disorder occurs when voice quality, pitch, and loudness differ or are inappropriate for an individual’s age, gender, cultural background or geographic location. Our speech language pathologist is involved to identify abnormal laryngeal and respiratory function and teach vocal exercises, relaxation techniques and proper breath management, as well as vocal hygiene.

This program is for people injured on the job. It focuses on improving strength, stability, endurance, flexibility, cardiopulmonary fitness and activity toleration with the goal of functional return to work after a work-related injury. A physician referral and authorization from the Bureau of Workers' Compensation for work conditioning is required prior to scheduling. Clients receive education on proper body mechanics through progressive work simulation activities.

With a physician referral, trained Summa Health outpatient physical therapists can measure functional mobility and provide the physician recommendations to determine if a person needs assistive mobility devices or specific wheelchair equipment modifications. Upon discussing findings with the patient, a letter of medical necessity is sent to the physician. Our physical therapists can facilitate the next steps for fitting with an appropriate wheelchair vendor.

Licensed audiologists at the Summa Health System – Akron Campus provide newborn hearing screens in conjunction with the State of Ohio Universal Infant Hearing Screening program. Occasionally, when ordered by the physician, inpatient bedside hearing screens are performed on adults who may require post-discharge hearing services.

Activities of Daily Living provides training to help patients build their confidence to complete daily skills such as dressing, bathing, grooming, preparing a meal, operating home appliances safely or completing essential work-related duties.

Aphasia is the loss or impairment of a person’s ability to comprehend language (listen and read) and/or express language (talk and write) due to a brain injury such as a stroke, head injury, brain tumor and or other brain/neurological problem. Speech therapy can be a vital component in the evaluation and treatment of this communication disorder. Essentially, therapy focuses on stimulation of skills to promote return of the person’s communication skills, as well as compensation, teaching a person and his or her caregiver’s tools and techniques to “get around” the communication problem. Aphasia can range from very mild to quite severe, but it is typically very responsive to improvement with participation in speech-language therapy/speech therapy.

Physical therapists at Summa Health System – Barberton Campus work with the neurology medical team to help assess the value of a baclofen pump for patients who experience spasticity. The neurologist orders the trial procedure. On the day of the test, therapists assess the patient’s functional movement and spasticity both before and after the medication is provided for the trial to determine improvements made in tone, strength, spasms or movement as a result of the dosage.”

Balance activities help reduce or prevent falls by improving your ability to maintain an upright position when standing, moving and walking. While exercises may include standing on one foot, walking heel to toe or leg raises, a therapist can help identify those that are most helpful for you and provide proper instruction so that you perform these safely.

Cognition is inseparably linked to language. It is the mental ability to attend to, concentrate on, learn, remember, organize and process information and to solve problems of everyday life. Speech therapists are trained to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of neurocognitive disorders. Retraining efforts focus on improving concentration, memory, abstract thinking, divergent and deductive reasoning as well as visuospatial skills necessary for patients to resume an independent lifestyle when possible.  

In collaboration with the Center for Senior Health, our occupational therapists provide comprehensive evaluation for safe return to driving following injury, disease and age-related risk factors. This evaluation includes cognitive, visual and physical screenings, as well as driving simulation and reaction time tests to determine readiness for driving and recommendations for any modifications.

Our therapists can recommend walkers, canes, bathing and toileting aids that can help improve the quality of living short term after surgery or longer as conditions progress. Equipment is reusable and can be rented or purchased from a vendor for use in the home. 

Speech is defined as the production of and molding of human sound into words using the muscles of the mouth, throat and chest. Dysarthria results when there is a disruption of the muscular control of the speech mechanism. Individuals may notice changes in the speed of speaking and strength/ coordination of the muscles in the mouth. Further, breathing, voice and resonance may be effected. In general, your SLP will instruct you with techniques to strengthen muscle groups while improving speed and coordination. Individuals will learn to compensate for changes in the speaking pattern and thus improve communicative effectiveness.

Dysphagia is the impairment or inability to swallow, resulting in difficulty eating/drinking, possible weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition and possible lung problems like aspiration pneumonia, choking and even death. Dysphagia problems can involve the mouth, throat, windpipe (trachea), and food tube (esophagus), with muscle weakness, muscle incoordination, reduced neurological (brain) responses, and structural problems. 

A speech language pathologist is trained to evaluate dysphagia clinically and/or instrumentally and will design a treatment plan specific to the identified weakness. The treatment plan may include temporary menu changes or restriction, as well as strengthening programs designed to return the individual to a “normal” menu as quickly as possible.   

Dysfluency is when people are unable to speak smoothly, and they make repetitions of sounds and words, long pauses and/or prolonged speech sounds. People may come to therapy with new onset of fluency issues due to brain/neurological events like a stroke or brain injury or possible a chronic problem that has gotten worse for many possible reasons and it is interfering with their communication in their everyday life. Using an approach commonly known as “stuttering“ therapy (ST), we address how to adjust a person’s breathing and sound-making to “smooth out” their speech, as well as train them to have more control of their speaking to decrease the dysfluencies and increase the fluency of their speech.

Specially trained occupational therapists can offer custom-fabricated hand splints to provide post- operative positioning during healing and preventive care for both post- and non-operative clients. Hand Splinting and Therapy includes motor re-education and movement facilitation, as well as joint protection for the elbow, wrist, hand and fingers.

Our therapists facilitate the body’s healing processes by supporting muscles and joints using kinesiotape, strips or specialized shapes of tape that are applied to the skin. The tape helps lift the skin to allow for decreased inflammation in affected areas. Positive outcomes from this treatment include injury prevention, promotion of circulation, healing, reduced pain and reduced inflammation. Patients benefitting from this therapy include athletes, post-operative knee, hip, shoulder and ankle patients, and those with acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries and pain.

Summa Health therapists are trained in evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients with various knee complaints, such as orthopedic diagnoses, sports overuse and surgical interventions. Our therapists will establish an evidence-based comprehensive program that focuses on normalizing joint function, improving strength/flexibly and diminish pain so you can return to your activities.

Our team of occupational, physical and speech therapists can provide specialized treatments for individuals recovering from stroke, head injury and neurological disease processes. Treatments include motor re-education, facilitation/inhibition for tone management, strengthening, balance training, upper and lower body coordination re-education, assistive device education/training, swallowing, communication and cognitive training to promote the highest level of independence at home and in our community.

Summa Health occupational services are designed to evaluate and treat specific deficits following stroke, surgery, injury and disease. We aim to promote the highest level of independence at home and with work activities. Many of our team members provide advanced treatments for hand therapy including: custom splinting for preventive care; post-operative rehabilitation and non-operative therapy for elbow, wrist and hand injuries; and soft tissue modalities such as cupping, dry needling, myofascial release and taping techniques. We can also provide ergonomic assessments and modification suggestions, functional capacities evaluations, and work conditioning programs for the injured worker.

When a person has a motor speech disorder or dysphagia, a speech therapist may instruct exercises to maximize both communication and swallow success.

Summa Health physical therapy is designed to help relieve pain, improve movement or ability, prevent disability or surgery, and provide highest level of independence at home and out in the community.

Summa Health therapy clinicians incorporate the use of evidence-based practices and standards of care in their treatment programs. Surgeon-preferred therapy protocols are used to progress patients safely according to their surgeon’s preferences.

After a post-partum follow-up exam with your physician, a referral to a physical therapist may help patients further regain their core strength and pelvic health. Therapists are helpful in providing assistance and guidance with the many changes the body goes through during the stages of pregnancy and post-partum.

Summa Health occupational and physical therapists are well-versed in upper and lower extremity prosthetic training for all amputee patients, from wear and care, donning and doffing prosthetics to functional mobility and integrated use of artificial limbs in daily activity.

Respiratory muscle strength training (RMST) focuses on increasing the force generating capacity of the inspiratory and expiratory muscles, which can enhance swallowing performance for individuals with dysphagia.

A speech language pathologist (SLP) is a clinical professional, also referred to as a speech therapist, who evaluates and treats problems of communication, including speech, listening, reading, writing, voice and fluency.

While SLPs work with children and adults, Summa Health’s focus is on the adult population and their needs relating to medical diagnoses. SLPs at Summa work in the acute care setting, radiology department conducting swallowing studies, rehab unit setting, outpatient offices and home care services.

SLPs are certified by American Speech Language Hearing Association with a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) after graduation from an accredited university with a master’s degree. State licensure is also required to practice. Maintenance of licensure and CCC require completion of continuing education hours each year.

Strengthening is a component of a comprehensive program that is established by a licensed physical therapist or occupational therapist that is designed to increase muscle strength, provide joint protection and increase endurance. This can be accomplished by the utilization of various types of weights and/or exercise bands.

Custom fabricated/fitted hand, wrist and finger splints can be provided for preventive care, postural support and joint protection for non-operative clients, as well as post-operatively to aid in healing and joint motion recovery.

A swallowing disorder may result from a lack of coordination of the nerves and muscles, or sometimes from infections and tumors. It may be temporary, or may be an indication of a more serious medical problem. Once diagnosed with “dysphagia,” your physician may recommend that you see a speech language pathologist who specializes in swallowing disorders. Our speech language pathologists are skilled in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing dysfunction.

Prior to your surgery, your physician may recommend attending “prehab” therapies to address educational opportunities on adaptive equipment, utilization of an assistive device and the development of functional exercise.

Our therapists also are skilled in addressing post-surgical joint replacement therapies. Your therapist will establish a plan of care that will normalize your joint range of motion, improve strength, decrease swelling, and help progress within any prescribed limitations per your surgeon to return you back to normal activity.

Our vestibular-trained therapists provide focused treatments for patients who experience dizziness, vertigo or other visual and balance-related difficulties. Services may include specialized testing using video goggles, posture education, activity modification, maneuvers to reduce dizziness and balance/mobility training.

Vital stim is a noninvasive therapy to help individuals with swallowing disorders through the use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES). Summa Health speech pathologists have completed the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association-required certification, which allows vital stim to be a component of dysphagia treatment when deemed appropriate.  

A voice disorder occurs when voice quality, pitch, and loudness differ or are inappropriate for an individual’s age, gender, cultural background or geographic location. Our speech language pathologist is involved to identify abnormal laryngeal and respiratory function and teach vocal exercises, relaxation techniques and proper breath management, as well as vocal hygiene.