When a child’s movement and abilities are affected by a physical impairment, it also affects their joy. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physicians help your child reach appropriate functional goals, so they can focus on being a kid.
Certain medical conditions can impair your child’s ability to move, perform activities of daily living and interact with their environment. We specialize in conditions, such as, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cancer and certain congenital diseases, which may affect your child’s ability to perform these tasks.
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team at Riley at IU Health offers medical management to optimize your child’s health, function and overall well-being. Our Rehab Physicians, also known as Physiatrists, work together with specialists across multiple specialties to understand the unique challenges your child may face. Together, they coordinate efforts to develop an interdisciplinary customized treatment plan individualized to your child’s specific functional goals.
Riley at IU Health offers structured therapy programs, directed towards maximizing your child’s function and mobility so your child can return play and enjoyed activities. While in the hospital, early treatment is essential to ensure your child retains any current mobility and to help prevent any future decline in function.
If it is decided that your child needs intensive and interdisciplinary therapy (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and/or Speech/Language Therapy) and recovery before going home, a referral may be made to our acute inpatient rehabilitation facility. The inpatient rehabilitation facility is located at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Our Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team works closely with the entire rehabilitation team and are responsible for managing the child’s medical needs.
Even though they are a patient, your child still just wants to be a kid. Children staying in the inpatient unit also have access to the only Riley at IU Health certified therapeutic recreation specialist and activities that inspire confidence. When safe and feasible, children and their families can ease into the transition of leaving the inpatient unit through special outings, such as a visit to the zoo. To assist with the transition back to school, the unit also has a year-round teacher available.
Outpatient therapy is essential to prevent complications and to continue improving function beyond inpatient care. In addition to therapy, our Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation medical team provides adaptive tools, education on lifestyle changes, and support to help your child function comfortably at home and thrive as they grow.
Upon discharge from the hospital, children have access to several multidisciplinary programs, including:
In addition to doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses, our team is composed of many other specialists, including:
Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.
We offer a number of different Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our department.
Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
575 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46201
Inpatient Rehabilitation
705 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46202
We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related programs & departments.
