Which sports are offered in a rehabilitation centre?
After a herniated disc, there are various possibilities for sports activities in rehabilitation. At the beginning it is recommended to join the physician-led rehab sport groups. There, sports games, gymnastics and movement exercises are done in the group, which help to build up the musculature.
In addition, there are many offers in the area of back school. Besides strength, endurance and stretching exercises, this includes above all tips and instructions on how to take care of your back in everyday life. If you also want to be active yourself, one of the first sports you can start with is swimming.
In water, the body is lighter and the spine is not so heavily loaded. Besides guided aqua gymnastics groups, easy swimming is very good for the back. Back swimming is to be preferred.
Breaststroke and dolphin swimming should be avoided if possible, as there is a lot of pressure on the entire spine, the intervertebral discs and especially the lumbar spine. In aqua gymnastics, the patient can push and practice muscle building and movement sequences under relieved conditions (because of the buoyancy, not the whole body weight has to be carried). In addition to swimming, hiking, Nordic walking or cycling are also recommended in the course of rehabilitation.
This does not have to be done on your own. Many sports or district clubs offer such activities in groups and gear them specifically to patients in rehab. Fitness studios also have a variety of offers in the area of rehab. Some of them are specially designed for rehab and offer structured outpatient rehab treatment in conjunction with therapy centres.
How to apply for rehab – how can you apply for rehab?
In principle, the patient’s ability to rehabilitate must exist before a rehabilitation programme can be approved. To this end, the doctor must submit an individual assessment of the goals and prognosis of the rehabilitation treatment in the form of a letter to the insurance company in advance. A distinction is made in rehabilitation between the goal of restoring the patient’s ability to work and the goal of regaining health.
The former is covered by the pension insurance carrier, the latter by the health insurance carrier. If it is an accident at work, the application must be submitted to the accident insurance institution. The form of rehabilitation must also be determined, i.e. an outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation programme.
In addition, the type of rehabilitation measures must also be described, namely whether medical, occupational or even social rehabilitation after the herniated disc is more appropriate. If a follow-up rehabilitation treatment is to take place, the attending physician has to submit an application already during the patient’s hospital stay. Usually this is done through the social counseling of the hospital, preferably with a lot of lead time.
Rehab after a herniated disc is applied for directly by the treating physician: When applying for rehab, it is important to find the cost carrier of the therapy. Depending on whether the affected person is employed or already retired, the statutory health insurance or pension insurance is responsible for the cost coverage. Often the insurances shift the responsibility to each other, so that one must first expect a rejection of the rehab application.
In turn, the doctor providing care must file an objection to this. After several attempts, it usually works with the approval of the rehab. – After an operation, the attending physician on the orthopaedic ward is responsible for this. – If no hospital stay takes place before the rehab (especially in the case of conservative treatment), the resident orthopaedic surgeon can apply for rehab.
