7.1. The main principles of medical rehabilitation
Medical rehabilitation (MR) is a complex of medical, psychological and other kinds of measures directed to the maximum possible restoration or compensation of the normal mental and physiological functions (needs) of the human body disordered or completely lost due to the disease or injury.
Rehabilitation differs from treatment by several items:
► Medical rehabilitation is a long or continuous process (for acute and chronic diseases); a more comprehensive approach to the restoration of functions is developed using activating methods: physical, psychological, medical.
► Medical rehabilitation restores reactivity and body defences.
► Medical rehabilitation uses elements of labour (ergotherapy), medical and technical means to compensate impaired functions and increase the organism's abilities (glasses, prostheses, a wheelchair, a car which improves movement, orientation).
► Treatment is directed to disease manifestations, rehabilitation - to its consequences.
► Treatment effects on etiopathogenetic factors, and rehabilitation effects on sanogenetic mechanisms, i.e. recovery mechanisms inherent in the human genotype.
► The treatment is directed to the present, rehabilitation - to the future.
► Treatment is a passive method, participation and consent of the patient is not obligatory, and rehabilitation requires personal involvement and interest of the patient since the psychological setting of the patient plays a significant role in the rehabilitation efficacy.
Taking into account the counterpoint nature of solving problems in the rehabilitation process, currently, there are six main rehabilitation aspects which help to realise tasks set for rehabilitation therapists: