Having a temporary, acute, or chronic disability can be challenging. You want to regain your strength, mobility, and independence. The Outpatient Rehabilitation Services facility at Mount Sinai Queens can help you get—and keep—your recovery on track. You may come to us through your primary care doctor, orthopedic surgeon, physiatrist, neurologist, or rheumatologist. We will evaluate your needs and develop a plan of care for you. We offer services for patients in both the hospital and the outpatient clinic. If you are an inpatient, we may also make discharge recommendations.

We take an integrated, individualized approach to rehabilitation. Our highly skilled and experienced team includes:

• Home nurses
• Occupational therapists, who focus on functionality, mobility, and balance
• Physical therapists (PTs) and PT assistants, who help with daily living and maintaining independence
• Social workers
• Speech-language pathologists

Language is not a problem. We have a Language Assistance Program that uses special dual handset phones. It enables our therapists to easily communicate in almost any language.

Our Diagnostic Tests

Our speech therapists perform certain diagnostic procedures, notably:

• Dynamic swallowing test: Using imaging to observefood as it travels through your mouth and down your throat
• Fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing: Examining your throat using a camera and light at the end of a small tube

Treatments We Offer

Our rehabilitation specialists treat a wide range of conditions. These include fractures, spinal surgeries, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, vestibular disorders, and back pain. In addition, we provide rehabilitation services after a variety of pain-relieving procedures, such as:

• Epidural steroid injections: Injection of anesthesia and anti-inflammatory medication (steroid or cortisone) into the epidural space—the area around the spine that cushions the nerves and spinal cord.
• Facet joint injections: Injection of anesthesia and anti-inflammatory medication (steroid or cortisone) into the facet joint in the spine.
• Fluoroscopic-guided procedures: Small injections of dye that are used in imaging tests to determine the causes of pain and help manage it.
• Joint replacement surgery: Surgically replacing a diseased joint with an artificial one.
• Radiofrequency ablation: Use of electrical current to heat a small area of nerve tissue. This decreases the pain signals from the joint.
• Sacroiliac joint injections: Injection of anesthesia and anti-inflammatory medication (steroid or cortisone) into the sacroiliac joint, in the pelvis.

Rehab at Home After Joint Replacement

Rehabilitation is a vital part of recovery. At Mount Sinai Queens, we work together to keep your recovery on track and allow you to enjoy the benefits of your joint replacement surgery.

We start with an educational Joint Class, led by our experts in patient care, anesthesia, and physical therapy. All joint replacement patients attend this 90-minute class before having hip or knee replacement surgery. The session provides a step-by-step outline of what you can expect before, during, and after the procedure. We discuss recovery and rehabilitation, including any supportive devices you may need. The class is also a time for you to ask any questions you may have.

You begin your rehabilitation in the hospital, after the procedure. Then, when you can be discharged home safely, we help you regain your mobility and resume daily activities from the comfort of your own home.

Research shows the benefits of going directly home from the hospital after joint replacement. If you join an intensive home rehabilitation program instead of going to a rehab facility, you may have a faster recovery. Studies show that people who do rehabilitation at home have an easier time moving around at home and work. They are less likely to end up back at the hospital. And they may experience fewer complications. In addition, most patients would prefer to recuperate at home.

Once it is decided you will be discharged home, our care team begins planning. We want you to have everything that you need to recover quickly. A social worker arranges for intensive home physical and occupational therapy and visits from home nurses and home health aide services, as needed. Services may vary based on your insurance coverage.

We also partner with local home health care agencies. We put in place an intensive custom program, including:

• Physical Therapy: Physical therapists help you regain mobility and make your home safe. They show you how to safely use equipment like shower chairs and commodes. They make sure all your needs are met. The number of sessions you receive will depend on how quickly you achieve your goals and can leave your home safely.
• Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapists help you learn to perform activities of daily living. These include dressing, bathing, and preparing meals.
• Medical Equipment: Your care team will order and arrange home delivery for all the equipment you need for your recovery. These items might include a rolling walker, cane, or crutches, or a shower chair.
• Home Nurse: A nurse may follow up with you once you return home. The nurse will check your medications, see how your wound is healing, provide general follow-up care, and help you communicate with your surgeon. We include this in your discharge plan if necessary, depending on your insurance coverage.

Physical Medicine

This branch of medicine focuses on restoring your ability to function day to day. We use a variety of approaches including physical therapy, oral pain medication, and interventional spine and joint procedures to treat acute and chronic painful conditions. Physical medicine doctors do not perform surgery.

Support Services

We offer a one-hour Stroke Support Group in Spanish for people who have difficulty speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. Most members of the group have speech disorders such as aphasia or dysarthria. This group is open to patients with all levels of communication.

The group meets on the first Monday of each month from 1 pm to 2 pm at the Mount Sinai Queens Pavilion, Fourth Floor Conference Room, 2520 30th Avenue. Our group leader, Christina Mastrolembo, is a Spanish-speaking speech language pathologist.

Meet Our Team

Emily N. Fatakhov, MD

Finding Us

Outpatient Rehabilitation Services are located on the third floor of the Mount Sinai Queens Pavilion

For more information or to make an appointment after a referral from your physician, please call 718-808-7370. Learn more about the Rehabilitation Department at Mount Sinai Queens.