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Medicine vocabulary · Treatments and Procedures

Rehabilitation

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌriːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/nounCommon term

In medicine, rehabilitation means: Treatment and support that help a person regain strength, skills and independence after an illness, injury or operation.

In Turkish: rehabilitasyon

How it is used

Often shortened to 'rehab'. It involves physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and nurses. Examples are stroke, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. Note that 'rehab' on its own can also mean treatment for addiction.

Example sentences

  1. After the stroke, he spent six weeks on a rehabilitation ward.

  2. Cardiac rehabilitation helps patients return to exercise safely after a heart attack.

Common collocations

  • stroke rehabilitation
  • cardiac rehabilitation
  • rehabilitation ward
  • inpatient rehabilitation
  • rehabilitation programme
  • recoveryThe process of getting better after an illness, injury or operation; also the area where patients wake up after anesthesia.
  • strokeSudden damage to part of the brain caused by a blocked blood vessel or by bleeding, which can cause weakness, speech problems or loss of vision.
  • multidisciplinary teamA group of professionals from different fields, such as doctors, nurses and therapists, who plan a patient's care together.
  • dischargeTo officially let a patient leave hospital or a clinic's care because they no longer need it there. As a noun it can also mean fluid that comes out of the body.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Treatments and Procedures

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.