Burn Therapy Satellite
Occupational and physical therapy collaborate with patients who have suffered burns to rehabilitate their physical functioning and prevent scar contractures and other complications.
Our outpatient burn clinic, called Therapy Satellite, provides comprehensive care for patients who have recently discharged or who have burns that do not require hospitalization. Specially trained burn therapists address range of motion, scar and pain management and help make daily activities easier as an outpatient.
Burn rehabilitation can take many months. Our therapists will work with you and your family to help you return as close as possible to your pre-injury function levels.
This clinic is on the fifth floor of the Purple Building, P5.440.
Our Goals:
The focus of therapy during the acute care stage is to prevent a loss of range of motion, initiate scar management, assist with edema (swelling) reduction, and to educate you and your family about possible burn-related problems.
What to Expect:
Scar management will be addressed in the early stages by range of motion exercises, soft tissue massage, and the use of pressure wraps as the burns and grafts are healing.
Positioning devices may be necessary to immobilize or place an extremity (a limb such as an arm or a leg) in a more functional position following surgery for grafting. A custom splint may be created for individuals' specific needs to maintain joint range of motion or tendon integrity. All custom splints are fabricated by an occupational therapist and adjusted as needed during recovery.
We will also direct you to a variety of support resources, including burn survivor groups, to help you on your road to recovery.
Treatment:
Treatment techniques utilized in the Burn outpatient program may include:
- Adaptive (or modify) equipment for post burn management
- Edema (swelling) management
- Frostbite management
- Pre-prosthetic training
- Positioning (or arranging)
- Scar massage
- Scar management and compression
- Provide initial compression (applying pressure) therapy for vascular support and scar control of burned clients, which helps reduce the uncomfortable symptoms associated with healed burns.
- Self-care re-training
- Shoulders, elbows, hands, neck, face stretching
- Splinting
- Transparent facial and neck orthoses ( the use of braces or other devices to correct alignment or provide support)
- Upper body strengthening
Resources:
Phoenix Society serves burn survivors, loved ones, burn care professionals, researchers, and anyone else committed to empowering the burn community and building a safer world.
Other resources suggested by Hennepin Healthcare.
Burn Support Group
Connecting survivors and loved ones with others who have experienced similar trauma. Join us for the next Burn Unit Support Group.
Every 2nd Monday | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
This will be held via TEAMS and in person at the Firefighters for Healing Center located at 650 Portland Ave, 2nd floor, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Call or email questions to Todd or Kim at: [email protected], [email protected] or call 612-873-2912.
