Department of Neurological Rehabilitation - Neurological Rehabilitation Clinic Schmieder Clinics Heidelberg

About the Department of Neurological Rehabilitation at Neurological Rehabilitation Clinic Schmieder Clinics Heidelberg

According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Neurological Rehabilitation at the Neurological Rehabilitation Clinic Schmieder Clinics Heidelberg ranks among the top German medical facilities in its area of ​​expertise! 

The department offers the full range of rehabilitation measures to restore movement, cognitive and speech functions lost due to a neurological disorder. The highly qualified team of the department's rehabilitation therapists specializes in all phases of neurological rehabilitation – phase A, B, C, D and E. The department has modern diagnostic equipment for a comprehensive assessment of the state of the nervous system, which is the basis for developing an optimal rehabilitation program aimed at achieving maximum independence of the patient and his reintegration into social and, if possible, professional life. The department's specialists work with each patient individually, which guarantees an excellent result of rehabilitation treatment. The department annually admits more than 2,000 patients, including those from abroad. The medical facility is certified by the leading German organizations for the quality management of medical services (KTQ, IQMG), so the patients can be sure that they will receive top-class medical care of the European level.

The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Mircea Ariel Schoenfeld, who, in addition to clinical activities, is actively involved in various research projects aimed at developing new methods for the diagnostics and treatment of neurological disorders. The specialist has repeatedly undergone training in America, and has also worked for a long time in one of the best hospitals in German – the University Hospital Magdeburg.

The department provides treatment for all neurological disorders of varying severity – both in the acute period and in the rehabilitation phase. A decisive role in the selection of the most effective treatment methods is played by high-quality diagnostics, and therefore the department's doctors widely use such progressive diagnostic studies as 3 Tesla MRI, CT scanning, radiography, ultrasound examinations, including extra- and intracranial duplex ultrasound scanning of the vessels supplying the brain with color mapping, neurophysiological studies, endoscopic swallowing diagnostics and others. After carrying out the necessary complex of studies and assessing the patient's health, the doctors begin to develop a rehabilitation program. When planning rehabilitation treatment, the department's specialists always take into account the severity and duration of the disease.

The doctors of the department are convinced that the best results of rehabilitation can be achieved by starting it in the acute period of the course of neurological pathology, that is, immediately after an accident or the first manifestations of the disease (phase A rehabilitation). For example, in the event of a stroke, the patient needs urgent medical care, because in a matter of hours the pathology can cause irreversible changes in the brain – a person may lose movement skills, speech, experience memory problems, etc. The provision of qualified medical care in the acute period of the disease is followed by an early recovery period (phase B rehabilitation). At this stage of treatment, the patients in a severe condition still require monitoring and treatment in the intensive care unit, which is complemented by the rehabilitation measures required for this phase. The doctors of various specialties work with the patient, including physiotherapists, ergotherapists, neuropsychologists, speech therapists. Their main task is to restore the vital functions of the body, sensorimotor skills and coordination, cognitive and mental functions. The next stage of the rehabilitation treatment is phase C, during which the department's rehabilitation therapists have to form the patient's daily household skills. At the stage of rehabilitation phase C, the patient's condition is already quite stable and he can interact with the doctors. However, he still needs care and acute monitoring. If possible, the final stage of the treatment is the rehabilitation of phases D and E, the key goal of which is the best possible reintegration of the patient into his professional activity. During the rehabilitation phase C, the patient gains independence in everyday life, while phases D and E allow him to restore professional skills, mental and psychical functions, social competence. Unfortunately, not all patients with neurological disorders manage to return to their professional activities.

Prior to any rehabilitation measures, the department's doctors determine clear goals of the rehabilitation treatment. All neurological rehabilitation programs of the department are based on physiotherapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological and neuropsychological care. Depending on the specific clinical situation, the rehabilitation therapists determine the specific types of treatment (for example, massage, lymphatic drainage, medical training therapy, electrical stimulation, exercises on special simulators for training gait, walking, fine and gross motor skills). A well chosen complex of rehabilitation measures will allow the patient to maximally restore the lost functions and, accordingly, to achieve maximum independence in everyday life. The patient's relatives and friends are actively involved in the rehabilitation process, who in every possible way support him on the way to recovery. All doctors and nursing staff of the department also surround the patient with care and make every effort to instill in him confidence in a favorable treatment outcome.

The department specializes in rehabilitation for patients with the following neurological disorders:

• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease
• Alzheimer's disease
• Spinal cord disorders
• Movement disorders (for example, dystonia)
• Muscle diseases
• Neurological pain syndromes
• Neurological conditions accompanied by mental and psychosomatic disorders
• Neuroborreliosis
• Encephalitis
• Epilepsy
• Sleep disorders
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Other neurological disorders

The department's range of diagnostic and therapeutic services includes:

• Diagnostics
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Computed tomography
  • Extra- and intracranial ultrasound duplex scanning of the vessels supplying the brain, with color mapping
  • X-ray
  • Neurophysiological diagnostics (EMG, EEG, evoked potentials)
  • Standardized physical and ergotherapy examination
  • Speech and swallowing diagnostics, including endoscopic swallowing diagnostics  
  • Neuropsychological diagnostics, including a visual field test
  • Ultrasound scanning, including Doppler echocardiography, gastroscopy, including PEG
  • ECG Holter monitoring, ergometry, pulmonary function tests, obstructive sleep apnea screening
• Therapy
  • Intensive care, treatment of acute strokes, drug immunosuppressive and cytostatic therapy, pain therapy
  • Physical therapy
    • Therapeutic baths
    • Massage
    • Lymphatic drainage
    • Ultrasound therapy
    • Electrotherapy
  • Physiotherapy
    • Training to restore everyday skills, including in groups
    • Training for gait restoration
    • Treadmill training
    • Medical training therapy
    • Hydrotherapy
    • Manual therapy
    • Contracture treatment
    • Electrostimulation
    • Training on the special simulators for the restoration of fine and gross motor skills
    • Training on a special simulator to restore the lost skill to stand
  • Ergotherapy
    • Training to restore skills in daily activities, including housekeeping skills
    • Training to restore self-care skills
    • Work therapy
    • Horticultural therapy
  • Speech therapy
    • Treatment of aphasia and dysarthria
    • Treatment of impaired chewing and swallowing
  • Neuropsychological training (individually and in groups), including with the help of special devices for training reactions, computer equipment
  • Psychotherapy, psychotherapeutic support in the fight against the pathology
  • Therapy for the restoration of professional skills, including stress testing and work therapy
  • Special intensive therapy for the restoration of lost skills in the case of speech impairments, cognitive and movement disorders
  • Relaxation therapy
  • Diet therapy, including dietary counseling
  • Recreational therapy
  • Treatment of sleep disorders (individual therapy using behavioral psychotherapeutic, chronobiological, pharmacological, hardware and surgical techniques)
• Other diagnostic and therapeutic options