Diaplasis Rehabilitation Center

DIAPLASIS Rehabilitation and Recovery Center is a fully qualified rehabilitation clinic for people with physical disabilities and is unique in its kind Greece. It was created to essentially and effectively address problems that are faced by patients because of due to illness or injury following their hospital discharge. Problems that are not only associated with the patient's complete recovery, but also with his/her everyday life and his/her lifestyle that has now changed. Daily and obvious things like eating, toilet use, personal cleanliness and so many others, become insurmountable difficulties for the patient and relatives and the doctor’s presence is often essential. At this stage the patient requires ongoing physiotherapy, exercise, speech therapy, occupational therapy, urinary catheter management, personal hygiene, psychological support, special diet, i.e. comprehensive rehabilitation, which unfortunately is non-existent in every country.

DIAPLASIS Rehabilitation and Recovery Center comes to fill this significant void in the patient's rehabilitation, which aims at improving their quality of life and returning them to as much of a normal life as possible. The design of the center as well as its equipment and operational structure follow the Scandinavian rehabilitation model that is well known. The surrounding area is made up of gardens that have been beautifully landscaped in such a way that the patient can visit them and in combination with the very good climate in Kalamata, contribute to the rehabilitation of the patient's mental state. The areas have been designed to combine functionality and ergonomics with aesthetics and the beautiful atmosphere that the patients need.

DIAPLASIS undertakes the care of patients with disorders that affect the individual's mobility and functionality. After conservative or surgical treatment in hospitals, they are transferred for rehabilitation either as inpatients, or as outpatients who visit us for their daily treatment. The Center's experienced medical-scientific and nursing personnel assesses the patients and prepares an individualized rehabilitation program aimed at self-care, ensuring quality of life and enhancing a good mental state. The hospital rooms are equipped with specialized 5-position electric rehabilitation beds and viscoelastic mattresses that reduce the incidence of bedsores, specially designed toilets for people with disabilities and antimicrobial non-slip flooring. The hospital has 107 ultra modern rehabilitation beds and an independent Step Down Unit with 10 high standard beds. Each bed has a special nurse call system, individually controlled central air conditioning with temperature control, oxygen - air-suction consoles, wall mounted patient entertainment system console with phone, T.V. and Internet, ensuring the patient's pleasant stay. The center is affiliated with E.O.P.Y.Y. and other health care providers to provide high-level care that is needed by patients.

Robotic Rehabilitation

It constitutes the most comprehensive and advanced robotic rehabilitation department in Greece.

Lokomat 

The LOKOMAT Robotic system is a gait therapy device with robotic gait orthosis that comprises of a support system at the hips and two robotic lower extremities that are individually adapted to each lower extremity. It works in conjunction with a special treadmill and a body weight support system. The LOKOMAT system is digitally controlled via a computer. 

Treatment with the LOKOMAT system is based on long-term research conducted by university clinics with the help of IT specialists, engineers and electrophysiologists and is currently the most modern rehabilitation therapy. With the support of the LOKOMAT, patients learn to walk again by using two therapeutic methods (repetition and targeted training). This targeted form of treatment has been established to rehabilitate a wide range of neuromuscular disorders and spinal cord injuries. Thus, the patient walks with a normal gait right away, thus minimizing the rehabilitation time. Patients suffering from the following conditions can take advantage of treatment with the LOKOMAT:

•    Spinal Injury

•    Stroke

•    Traumatic Brain Injury

•    Multiple Sclerosis

•    Cerebral Palsy

Erigo 

The ERIGO device is a robotic platform that fully controls the mechanism of leg motion using special computers. It supports and facilitates the mobilization of bedridden patients, by contributing to the prevention of secondary complications, which are caused by a prolonged period of immobility (e.g. thrombophlebitis, orthostatic hypotension, lower extremities stiffness, etc.). ERIGO allows patients to come into a vertical position (90 degrees), while the lower extremities move in a normal cyclic movement operated with electronically regulated resistance via a touchscreen. Contrary to Erigo, exercise using a conventional non-robotic tilt table is a standard treatment that does not protect the patient from secondary complications in the early mobilization phase of neurological patients (sensorimotor injury). Patients suffering from the following conditions can take advantage of treatment with ERIGO for their early mobilization:

•    Stroke

•    Multiple Sclerosis

•    Spinal Injury

•    Cerebral Palsy

•    Traumatic Brain Injury

Occupational Therapy

The Department of Occupational Therapy is equipped with:

•    ROBOTIC device for retraining the upper extremities, the Armeo spring . It is the most advanced robotic device for the functional rehabilitation of the upper extremities. The Armeo is aimed for patients, who have lost function or have impaired functionality of their upper extremities, because of a neurological or orthopedic injury. It is a robotic orthotic device for the arm that provides adjustable upper extremity weight support and in combination with visual stimuli from a computer (biofeedback), in a pleasant environment. It inspires and motivates the patient to perform functional, focused, self-guided and intensive motor skill treatment.

•    BIOMETRICS E - Link, which is an advanced system that assesses and retrains the skills of upper limb via optical computer stimuli. The Biometrics maintains a full record in memory for each patient, which includes functional and muscle tests, sensory tests, schematic images of any malfunctions or pain, presence of edema, etc. Moreover, it enables the assessment of range of motion of all joints using an electronic goniometer.

•    Nintendo Wii, an interactive medium that offers a wide range of games designed to develop the patient’s proprioception and neuromuscular coordination, ultimately achieving functional recovery of the upper and lower extremities in a pleasant manner. The duration and difficulty level can be set with games, thus giving the patient the incentive to better control his/her movement.

Hydrotherapy

It refers to the application of water as a mean of rehabilitation.

The Department of Hydrotherapy at DIAPLASIS Rehabilitation and Recovery Center, is staffed by highly trained hydrotherapists, who implement the appropriate rehabilitation programs under the doctors' guidance.

At “DIAPLASIS”, the treatments take place in a modern, aboveground, fully-equipped heated pool, which meets the latest specifications, and includes supporting devices, hydro-gymnastic equipment, hydro-treadmill, hydro massage system and reverse swimming. Electronic lifters - hoists are used for the easy access and the safe entry of patients with mobility difficulties into the pool. Monitoring windows help the therapists to monitor the patients' movements in the water, to provide a complete picture and be given the correct feedback. The rehabilitation programs are executed in three depth levels, depending on the therapeutic targets. The Department of Hydrotherapy is able, with absolute specialization, to deal with a wide range of disorders:

•    Neurological disorders – such as:

· Cerebrovascular accidents

· Traumatic Brain Injuries

· Injuries of the spine and spinal cord

· Parkinson's Disease

· Multiple Sclerosis

· Muscular Dystrophy

· Cerebral Palsy

· Meningomyelocele

· Quadriplegia

· Paraplegia

•    Orthopedic and Rheumatic disorders – such as:

·     Fractures – Dislocations

·     Back Pain – Sciatica

·     Cervical syndrome

·     Brachial plexus

·     Spondylolysis – Spondylolisthesis

·     Periarthritis

·     Osteoarthritis

·     Rheumatoid Arthritis

·     Fibromyalgia

·     Osteoporosis

·     Ankylosing spondylitis

·     Myopathies

·     Herniated intervertebral disc

·     Amputations

•    Cardiorespiratory Diseases– such as:

•    Postoperative rehabilitation – such as:

◦      Knee disorders

◦      Fractures

◦      Spinal disorders

•    Rehabilitation of sports injuries – such as:

◦      Myotenositis

◦      Ligament injuries

◦      Joint Injuries

◦      Fractures

◦      Overuse syndromes

With the personalized kinesiotherapy program that is implemented in the therapeutic pool patients take advantages of their capabilities and abilities in the water. Thanks to buoyancy, one of the basic water properties, body weight does not need to be supported by the legs. Thus, the movements of the upper and lower extremities and the spine are done with greater ease and with more freedom. The tranquility of the water, coupled with the area's appropriate surroundings, ensures a pleasant cooperation between the patient and the hydrotherapist, which is the key to successful rehabilitation. By immersing the patient in the warm water of the therapeutic pool at "DIAPLASIS" and in combination with the other water properties, the following are achieved:

•    Reduced sensitivity to pain.

•    Promotion of muscle relaxation.

•    Decrease of muscle spasm.

•    Facilitates joint movement, improving the orbit of stiff joints.

•    Muscular strength and endurance are increased.

•    The body's kinesthesis and balance, neuromuscular assembly and stability of the torso are improved.

•    The respiratory muscles are improved.

•    Peripheral and lymphatic circulation is improved, thus helping to absorb swellings and hematomas.

•    Rehabilitation time is sped up and complications are prevented.

•    The patient's morale and self-confidence are improved

The Department of Hydrotherapy applies the Halliwick method, by highly trained hydrotherapists from GREECE ASSOCIATION OF SWIMMING AND THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES according to which:

•    The right support that is provided by the instructor allows the swimmer to gain the mobility that he/she may not have tried on the ground.

•    Perhaps for the first time in their lives, they can experience complete mobility.

•    Swimmers are taught how to maintain a safe breathing position, how to retrieve this position from another position and how to control exhalation when their face is in the water.

•    They become familiar with all of the body’s possible rotations and learn how to start, control and stop these rotations when they want.

•    The buoyancy force, turbulence and resistance to motion are considered, along with the metacentric effects.

The result is a safe swimmer, whose confidence is based on both sound knowledge of the water and the ability to control his/her movements in the water.