Rehabilitation in Germany

Rehabilitation in Germany has centuries-old traditions. Russian patients have been treated at Germany's balneological spas since the time of Peter the Great. Members of the imperial family, the aristocracy, Russian writers and artists brought fame to the German spas and made holidays there popular among other classes as well. In Soviet times the tradition of travelling to Germany to "take the waters" was broken off. In recent years, however, German rehabilitation medicine, the most advanced in the world, has once again become attractive and accessible to international patients. Under German medical standards, rehabilitation is an integral part of  the treatment process, and the final outcome of surgical or conservative treatment largely depends on how competently it is carried out. Germany's rehabilitation clinics have innovative restorative therapy techniques and a high level of technical equipment which, combined with traditional spa treatment methods, make it possible to achieve remarkable results in the shortest possible time. The word "Kurort" itself is of German origin and means "a place of treatment". Germany carefully preserves and develops the traditions of spa treatment and of harnessing the healing power of thermal waters, mountain and forest air, the sea climate and therapeutic muds, known since Celtic and Roman times.

Rehabilitation clinics and rehabilitation departments of hospitals in Germany are not sanatoriums – nor are they a chance to "take the waters" and patch up a body that has gone out of order. You cannot simply walk in off the street. German rehabilitation clinics work on referrals from hospitals and medical centres where the patient has received inpatient treatment and has a history of surgery or a course of treatment for cardiac, neurological, neurosurgical, neuropaediatric or oncological conditions. These clinics draw up a rehabilitation programme for every patient in accordance with the recommendations of the doctors who referred them, and it may be extended by one to three or four weeks if the attending doctors see an indication for this. So if you have no indications for rehabilitation and have not undergone treatment, you would do better to look for spa clinics and hotels in resort areas. The length of the rehabilitation course and the rehabilitation strategy depend both on the illness the patient has had and on their current condition. Once you are in a German rehabilitation clinic, be prepared for the fact that there will be no time to relax. The patients' day is scheduled literally hour by hour. To achieve good results in improving the patient's quality of life, you will have to take part in individual and group sessions and attend every prescribed procedure and treatment without exception.

The cost of rehabilitation and treatment is affected by a number of factors. First, the patient's condition and the length of the rehabilitation treatment. There is a generally accepted scale for assessing a patient's condition, and it is decisive for calculating the cost of rehabilitation treatment:

Level 1 — bedridden patients requiring full care;

Level 2 — patients able to use a wheelchair;

Level 3 — patients who are mobile on their own.

Secondly, the cost depends on the accommodation arrangements for the patient and their relatives.

Thirdly, it depends on the level of expertise of the specialist in charge of the patient. The services of a chief physician, for example, cost more than those of specialists of lower seniority. You can decide for yourself which specialist will treat you and state your wishes when signing the contract for rehabilitation treatment. The cost of rehabilitation is calculated individually, on the basis of the medical recommendations of the doctors who referred the patient for restorative treatment and of the patient's condition. Indicative prices for specialised rehabilitation programmes are given in the "Prices" section

The therapeutic options of German rehabilitation clinics are hard to list in full: they include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, physical therapy, hydrotherapy and mud therapy, neuropsychology and remedial-education sessions, music therapy and speech therapy. Rehabilitation activities are carried out both in groups and individually. msp group germany offers all types of rehabilitation therapy:

• neurological;
• cardiac;
• oncological;
• post-traumatic (orthopaedic);
• rheumatological;
• psychiatric and others.

Individual rehabilitation programmes at the best rehabilitation centres in Germany are available to you if you suffer from the following conditions:

• cardiovascular diseases;
• pulmonary diseases;
• obesity and nutritional disorders;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• musculoskeletal disorders;
• skin diseases;
• the after-effects of a stroke;
• cerebral palsy and other childhood conditions.

In addition, rehabilitation clinics offer comprehensive post-traumatic rehabilitation programmes (including after sports injuries).

Rehabilitation programmes are drawn up strictly individually for each patient, following the recommendations of the attending doctors, with a sensible alternation of exertion and rest and under careful medical supervision. Rehabilitation clinics offer, in particular, the following services:

• aqua jogging;
• balneotherapy;
• non-contact Hydrojets whirlpool baths;
• Botox therapy;
• water gymnastics;
• all types of baths;
• all types of massage;
• hydrotherapy;
• breathing exercises;
• training on exercise machines;
• inhalations;
• isokinetic strength exercises;
• kinesio taping;
• oxygen baths;
• cryotherapy;
• nutritional counselling;
• laser therapy;
• ultrasound treatment (ultraphonophoresis);
• treatment with electric fields and currents;
• treatment with electromagnetic fields;
• lymphatic drainage;
• magnetotherapy;
• manual therapy;
• medical training therapy;
• mesotherapy and carboxytherapy;
• motor and functional training;
• muscle stimulation and "electrogymnastics";
• healthy lifestyle education;
• ozone therapy;
• plasmapheresis;
• body cleansing/detoxification programmes;
• progressive neuromuscular relaxation;
• reflexotherapy;
• light therapy;
• strength therapy;
• Nordic walking;
• stone therapy;
• therapy using the Bobath method;
• spinal traction;
• training in the use of crutches and prostheses;
• extracorporeal shockwave therapy;
• occupational therapy and so on.

• Rosenquelle rehabilitation clinic, Aachen (orthopaedics, cardiology)
• Max Grundig Klinik therapeutic rehabilitation clinic, Bühl (orthopaedics, rheumatology, oncology, orthopaedics, cardiology, neurology);
• Rhein-Ruhr rehabilitation clinic, Essen (cardiology);
• Herzpark rehabilitation clinic, Mönchengladbach (cardiology);
• Eifelhöhen rehabilitation clinic, Nettersheim-Marmagen (general medicine, neurology, orthopaedics/traumatology);
• Aatalklinik Wünnenberg rehabilitation clinic, Bad Wünnenberg (orthopaedics, orthopaedics);
• Godeshöhe rehabilitation clinic, Bonn (neurology);
• Schwertbad rehabilitation clinic, Aachen (orthopaedics, rheumatology);
• allergy rehabilitation clinic, Bad Lippspringe (pulmonology, allergology);
• Borussia sports rehabilitation centre, Mönchengladbach (sports rehabilitation);
• Niederrhein-Korschenbroich rehabilitation clinic, Korschenbroich (oncology);
• Psorisol rehabilitation clinic, Hersbruck (dermatology, allergology);
• Rhein-Ruhr rehabilitation clinic, Essen (cardiology);
• Godeshöhe rehabilitation clinic, Bonn (neurology);
• Kaiser Karl rehabilitation clinic, Bonn (general medicine, orthopaedics, geriatrics);
• St. Mauritius therapeutic rehabilitation clinic, Meerbusch (neurology);
• psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic, Bad Dürkheim (psychiatry, psychosomatic disorders);
• Niederrhein rehabilitation clinic, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (oncology, gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases).