• Inpatient Care Units
• Refer to Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

CHKD has the only pediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit in Virginia. While most patients come from Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia, CHKD accepts referrals from anywhere in the country. Each case is individually reviewed by our medical team and discussed with the referring provider.

What We Do

CHKD's inpatient rehabilitation unit provides comprehensive care to children and teens that have had a change or loss of functional skills after an illness, surgery, or accident.

We help patients gain or regain lost skills or capabilities and maximize potential. We have eight beds in private rooms on a unit dedicated to pediatric rehabilitation.  

To help patients regain their daily living skills, the unit includes a mock kitchen and laundry units as well as a jet runway in the main hall to mark distances of movement during therapies.

The unit is located next to our inpatient therapy gymnasium which offers pediatric-specific therapy equipment including the ZeroG Gait and Balance System. 

Conditions We Treat

We are able to care for children with a wide variety of health care needs including, but not limited to, tracheostomies, central lines, feeding tubes, dialysis, cancer treatment, wound care and respiratory support services.

Our Team

Each patient who comes to the pediatric rehabilitation unit has a unique combination of skills and challenges so many different specialists are involved in their care.

Our typical team members include:

 In addition to these members of our routine rehabilitation team, CHKD also works with orthotics and equipment companies, as well as audiology and augmented communication services to aid in patient recovery and success.

Members of our inpatient rehabilitation team meet weekly with parents or guardians to discuss patient goals and progress. Our team uses the WeeFIM system, a standardized pediatric scoring system to assess patient progress during rehabilitation.

After discharge

Most children will require ongoing therapies and follow-up appointments after discharge. CHKD offers outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy services at a variety of locations, and our physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians have offices throughout Hampton Roads.

Learn About  Our Approaches To ...

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disability in children. Children with a brain injury can have problems with headaches, dizziness, sleep, memory, attention, focus, processing speed, depression, anxiety, PTSD, walking, talking, eating, and activities of daily living like bathing and going to the bathroom.

We strive to meet our patient’s needs throughout the full continuum of brain injury care:

• Acute Care: from Emergency Department to hospital admission in our Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center.
• Post-Acute Care: the only dedicated pediatric inpatient rehab unit in Virginia, or our satellite outpatient rehab centers located throughout Hampton Roads.

Because of the complexity of these brain injuries, we utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to diagnose, treat and provide ongoing care for children and families with brain injuries to include physical, cognitive and emotional treatment and the development of a framework to support the acute and chronic social impacts of brain injury.

 Among the treatment programs and tracking systems we employ are: 

• Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS)
• Lokomat Gait Training
• Aquatic Therapy
• Microcurrent treatment
• VitaStim therapy

Advanced technology and robotics

We incorporate the latest technology and assistive devices as part of our overall treatment strategy to restore and improve body movement and function.

Some of our therapeutic tools include:

• Zero G Gait and Balance System: a Robotic body-weight support system on an overhead track for practicing a wide range of activities without the risk of falling.
• BIODEX Balance system: static and dynamic balance testing and training.
• Bioness Integrated Therapy System: assesses and treats the physical, visual, auditory, and cognitive deficits resulting from traumatic injuries and movement disorders. It can assess visuomotor coordination, reaction time, visuospatial perception, visual and auditory processing, working memory, physical and cognitive endurance.
• Bioness neuroprosthetics: We utilize the L300 Go Foot Drop System and the H200 for hand paralysis.

Pain management

Chronic pain management requires a multi-disciplinary approach focusing on education and family centered care. We approach chronic pain management using a combination of therapeutic interventions, patient and family education, and pharmacologic management when appropriate. We collaborate with our skilled therapists, community providers of complementary and alternative treatment options, mental health team and our pain/palliative medicine specialist.

We focus on chronic pain syndromes related to neurologic, physiologic, and musculoskeletal origins. We also treat amplified musculoskeletal pain syndromes.

Our team provides a holistic approach to chronic pain with a compassionate focus aimed at empowering our patients and their families. 

Spasticity management

We offer a comprehensive spasticity management and treatment program. We understand that spasticity, a condition in which certain muscles are stiff and tight, can interfere with normal movement, speech and gait. An individualized treatment plan is presented to each patient that may include therapy, bracing, medications, focal botulinum toxin injections, or alcohol nerve blocks. We aim to help control spasticity in an effort to improve function. 

Focal botulinum toxin injections help spastic muscles relax for a period of 3-4 months to allow for improved movement and function. Alcohol nerve blocks are also used at times to limit the signal from the brain causing spasticity in certain muscle groups. Other treatment options include evaluation for and management of intrathecal baclofen pumps, evaluation/referral for surgical interventions including selective dorsal root rhizotomy, and orthopedic procedures.