Occupational Therapy services provide specialized testing in:

Whole Body Assessment or Functional Capacity Assessment:

• Is ordered by a physician when musculoskeletal or soft tissue illness or injuries occur and objective findings are difficult to obtain
• Provides and accurate measurement of an individual's functioning level
• Provides answers to the questions:
• Acute injury (illness or injury - 3 months) -
  1. What is a client's capacity to do his/her job, post-injury?
  2. What specific level of physical demand can a client return to?
  3. Is the client motivated to return to work?
• Sub-Acute injury (3 - 6 months) -
  1. Has the medical treatment worked?
  2. What work restrictions are appropriate?
  3. Is the client ready to return to work?
  4. Is the client motivated to get better?
  5. What is the client's functional capacity for retraining?
• Chronic injury (6 months - 2 years) -
  1. What is the client's capacity to perform activities of daily living?
  2. What is the client's capacity to meet essential job functions?
  3. Is the client's functioning level above or below the actual job requirements?

Job Placement Assessment:

• Measures a non-injured individual's capacity to meet the maximum physical requirements of the job.
• Provides specific and accurate information on:
  • lifting, pushing/pulling, and carrying activities
  • need for instruction in proper lifting techniques
  • cardiovascular responses to physical activities
• Provides a true picture of physical ability, not overall physical condition
• Is a series of specific, objective body motions administered by a KEY Certified Assessment Specialist either on the worksite or at RRC
• Follows a thorough analysis of the job site and task, allowing the therapist to administer an assessment consistent with job requirements

Rice Rehab offers Home Assessments to individuals in Willmar and the surrounding communities to assess environmental safety needs, motor coordination, activities of daily living skills, sensory, perceptual and cognitive abilities.

The Daily Living Skills Assessment determines the individual's abilities/skills to dress and cook, instructs in adaptive equipment if needed, providing necessary education. Also assesses home environment in relation to rehabilitation goals.

The first symptoms of cognitive impairment may be hard to detect and could appear as normal signs of aging.  Such things as forgetting names and phone numbers, and losing things more often may be accepted as a normal part of aging.  In the early onset, things may emerge slowly and go unrecognized.  When these symptoms start affecting daily life, it may be time for concern.  More....

The Rice Rehab center offers this comprehensive evaluation to assess a person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. 
More...

Rice Rehab offers a one-day Parkinson's Assessment Clinic. The individual's day will involve a complete and thorough assessment in several areas and disciplines, such as: occupational, physical and speech therapies; social services; pharmacy; dietary/nutrition; nursing; and massage therapy for relaxation and stress reduction. Family and friends are welcome to attend the clinic with the individual. Morning snack and noon lunch are provided. More...

Rice Rehab provides treatment for a variety of diagnoses, including Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).

Ergonomic Training & Consultation services offer employers/businesses knowledge of job design anaysis, observing employees in their work are, making recommendations to improve work areas, and training for ergonomic problem-solving and long-term success.

Rice Rehab Specializes in:

Lymphedema is an imbalance between the normal amount of protein load and the reduced transport capacity of lymph vascular system. This can result in an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue that causes swelling. This swelling occurs most often in the arms and legs but can occur in other body parts as well. Lymphedema is treated through Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT) and is provided at the Rice Rehab by therapists with specialized training in Lymphedema treatments. More...

This program is often part of a home program for persons working with sensory integrative therapy. The Therapeutic Listening Program draws on the work of Alfred Tomatis, M.D. and uses Samonas Sound Therapy, CDS, produced by acoustic engineer Ingo Steinbach of Lamdoma Studios in Germany. The program is followed as a home program using high impedance headphones and a sequenced series of Sound Therapy CDS which are specially recorded and spectrally activated. The music and sounds of nature are processed through the Lambdoma envelope curve modulator, which contain a complex overtone frequency matrix and include frequencies up to 29KHz. These overtones energize and invigorate the brain, central nervous system and ultimately the whole body, and can result in improvement in many areas, such as:

• balance
• self-regulation
• processing information
• motor skills
• attention
• sleep
• learning abilities
• perceptual skills
• ability to pay attention/to focus

• Interactive Metronome (IM) program is a personal computer-based training technology designed to improve the processing skills vital to motor planning, sequencing and attention.
• The IM combines the principles of the traditional music metronome with computer technology. Hand and foot sensors relay information about the user's performance to the computer during training. Headphones provide immediate computer generated auditory feedback to the user on performance accuracy.
• The program continually monitors each person's ongoing performance and automatically adjusts the difficulty parameters to keep training both challenging and rewarding. This allows each person to work at their own optimum learning speed. Through immediate auditory feedback on timing error, the program guides the user to attend closely, self-correct and improve performance continually.
• Results achieved in IM research studies are based on training programs which typically involve 15 one-hour sessions, completed within a 5-week period of time.
• The program internally records and compiles data, tracks each user's performance through post-training progress, and monitors their session to session training performance.
• Gains that have been noted with use of this program include improved attention and mental clarity, improved motor sequencing and planning, smoother gait, improve academic performance, improved language skills, rapid acquisition of new athletic skills and decreased anxiety.
• Case studies monitored over a 5-year period indicate that gains and improvements are residual.

When the process of sensory integration is disordered or inefficient, problems in learning, motor development, coordination, socialization, or behavior may occur. Some common "red flags" for sensory integration problems, More....

Craniosacral Therapy:

• A gentle noninvasive technique that is based on the principle that our bodies know how to heal themselves
• Therapist "listens" to the body through palpation, then allows or introduces movement which will release restrictions
• Restrictions are caused by physical or emotional traumas, which essentially remain in our bodies until they are released
• This therapy is helpful for many conditions, ranging from autism, to headaches, to broken bones
• The work requires sensitivity and respect for the body's wisdom
• The treatment may seem very passive and imperceptible to the client/recipient on a conscience level
• People vary in their sensitivity to their body and its sensations, with some experiencing emotions, memories, physical sensations, or insights into patterns or problems in their lives
• The work taps into the nervous system and subconscious levels that can have profound impacts.

Myofacial Release:

• A highly interactive stretching technique that requires feedback from the person's body to determine the direction, force and duration of the stretch and to facilitate maximum relaxation of the tense tissues
• The therapist monitors tissue tension by developing a kinesthetic link with the client through touch
• This link involves matching the inherent tissue movement, the rate and rhythm of the client's respiration, the underlying neurophysiologic tissue tone and the more overt muscle tone
• All malalignments which may predispose the client to future injury are removed while treating the client's current problem/condition
• The therapist works with the client and waits for guidance from the client's body and follows the client's lead
• The philosophic orientation of myofascial stretching promotes client cooperation and enlists the active participation of the client in the healing process
• The goal of treatment is to facilitate the most efficient posture and movement patterns the client can maintain
• Progress is measured by improvement in postural symmetry, reduction in active myofascial trigger points, and increased fluidity of movement

Strain--Counter Strain:

• Relief of rheumatic or soft tissue pain by placing a joint in its position of greatest comfort
• Relief of false messages of continuing strain arising in dysfunctioning proprioceptor reflexes, by applying a strain in the direction opposite that of the false messages of strain
• This is accomplished by shortening the muscle containing the false strain message, so much, that it stops reporting strain
• The body in normal positions can suffer this pain for years yet have it stopped after ninety seconds of counter strain positioning

Hand Therapy and Splinting:

Diagnosis and Problems Include:

• Fractures
• Lacerations
• Scarring associated with healing injuries
• Tendon repairs
• Elbow and wrist problems
• Tendinitis
• Carpal tunnel
• Overuse and repetitive use symptoms
• Contractures from varying disease processes
• Other problems that affect hand function

Treatment Plan may Include:

• Prevention - to prevent the nonfunctioning muscles from becoming tight
• Facilitation - to stimulate the non-working muscles
• Movement - to increase active and passive range of motion
• Strengthening - to increase the strength in muscle groups as it returns
• Function - to take the gains made with range of motion and strengthening and focus them on functional everyday self-care, work and community tasks

Therapy may Include:

• Splinting
• Positioning
• Range of motion
• Strengthening
• Job modifications
• Functional applications and education (either formal or informal) - to improve the level of independence and prevent further involvement

Rice Rehab offers a one-day Multiple Sclerosis Assessment Clinic. The individual's day will involve a complete and thorough assessment in several areas and disciplines such as: occupational, physical and speech therapies; social services; pharmacy; dietary/nutrition; nursing; and massage for relaxation and stress reduction. Family and friends are welcome to attend the clinic with the individual. Morning snack and noon lunch are provided. More...

Rice Rehab offers Wheelchair Assessments in conjunction with Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare and Rice Home Medical. More...

Rice Rehab offers Pediatric Therapy Services, including Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy. These services are offered in our Pediatric Therapy Clinic, with the focus on programs specific to infants through adolescents. Pediatric Occupational Therapy focuses on fine motor skills, cognitive development, therapeutic listening program, interactive metronome and developmental milestones.

For more information on the Occupational Therapy programs at Rice Rehab:
lsti@rice.willmar.mn.us or (320) 231-4175

*For persons who have suffered a stroke, there is a support group available which provides education and support for them and their families. The Stroke Support Group meets the 3rd Monday of every month at 1:30 at the Lakeland Health Center. Contact Karyn Loos ( 320-231-4838) or Bev Crute (320-231-4211) for more information.