Therapy | Humboldt County Memorial Hospital

HCMH’s Therapy Department consists of Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists and Athletic Trainers who are committed to providing comprehensive outpatient care. Our highly-skilled therapists are dedicated to a successful recovery and focused on maximizing outcomes. We offer a wide array of services and treatments to meet the needs of our patients. We are passionate and strive to provide leading-edge care, allowing our patients to be assured they have made the best choice.

Why come to HCMH for your rehabilitation needs?

We have treatment spanning all ages and ailments. Our therapists evaluate and treat patients experiencing a wide range of conditions across generations from newborn to the elderly. Our team provides general orthopedics, spine, sports medicine and pain-related physical therapy, including dry needling. We have access to the latest treatments and research. We provide direct one-on-one care and focus on clearly communicating the diagnosis and expectant recovery.

Tanya List

Tanya List, OT, Therapy Director
1000 15th Street North, Humboldt, IA 50548
Phone (515) 332-7621 | Fax (515) 332-7620

Physical Therapy

The physical therapy staff of HCMH provide expert care beginning with a thorough evaluation. A treatment plan is designed to meet your specific needs and goals which includes a home exercise program to maximize recovery. Therapists can treat those who have physical limitations, and suffer from chronic pain, decreased strength, decreased range of motion, and address balance, walking, standing and transferring due to surgery or injury. Our staff is highly skilled in the treatment of general orthopedic pain (foot, ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, back) and work-related injuries.

Outpatient Services

  • Orthopedic and sports injury evaluation and treatment
  • Pre- and post-surgical rehab
  • Work-related injuries
  • Occupational medicine
  • Gait and balance training
  • Vertigo/dizziness assessment and treatment
  • Neurological rehab
  • TMJ, headache and neck pain specialized therapy
  • Women's health therapy
  • Pediatric therapy
  • Post-illness rehab, including post cancer treatment
  • Amputee rehabilitation
  • Comprehensive evaluation and personalized treatment of joint and muscle pain and dysfunction
  • Post-surgical rehabilitation following:
    • Joint replacements (Shoulder, Hip, Knee, etc.)
    • Tendon repairs
    • Fractures
  • Many other surgeries (Arthroscopic, rotator cuff, ACL, back surgery, neck surgery, etc.)
  • Treatment for work injuries including work hardening
  • Treatment following athletic injuries and strength and conditioning to prevent common athletic conditions
  • Assistance in regaining functional ability following Strokes (CVA/TIA)
  • General problems associated with aging
  • Parkinson’s, MS, Fibromyalgia, etc.
  • Training to improve walking and balance resulting in decreased risk of falls
  • Improving quality of life and functional ability by helping people overcome weakness, pain, and many other physical problems due to a variety of injuries and medical conditions
  • Treatments (Include but are not limited to):
    • Exercise - including stretches and strengthening tailored to the patient’s needs
    • Gait and balance training – to improve balance and walking safety and ability
    • Manual therapy – including soft tissue work and myofascial release
    • Modalities including ultrasound/phonophoresis, iontophoresis, electrical stimulation, mechanical traction, infrared light therapy
  • Specialized techniques such as:
    • Dry needling
    • Myofascial release

Inpatient Services

  • Acute care
  • Skilled care
  • Observation beds

Home Health Services

Rehabilitation services provided in partnership with UnityPoint Home Health. You can contact UnityPoint Home Health for more details at 515-574-6416.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is a valuable tool to restore independence in daily activities such as dressing, eating, bathing and personal grooming. Therapists work with patients on specific needs to help them return to their everyday lives, leisure activities and work. Our licensed staff are experienced in helping patients suffering from physically disabling conditions and cognitive impairment due to injuries and illness.

Outpatient Services

  • Activity assessment and modification to enable return to essential or desired interests and activities after injury
  • Rehabilitation after general surgery or illness
  • Neurological rehab for post-stroke/CVA, head injury, Parkinson's, MS and other neurological disorders
  • Amputee rehabilitation
  • Lymphedema evaluation and treatment
  • Cognitive retraining: attention, sequencing, memory, spatial awareness, problem solving, safety awareness, planning and time management
  • Home evaluations which result in recommendations for modifications to improve safety and functional ability within the home
  • Orthopedic and sports injury evaluation and treatment
  • Work-related injuries and occupational medicine
  • Elbow, wrist and hand rehabilitation
  • Custom splint fabrication
  • Hand Rehabilitation
  • Incontinence Program
  • Wheelchair positioning/assessment and management
  • Neuromuscular Rehab after a stroke
  • Energy conservation/work simplification techniques
  • Strengthening
  • Fall prevention
  • Activities of daily living- Assistive devices and training
  • Functional ergonomics
  • Adaptive Equipment Education
  • Instruction in Joint Protection
  • Caregiver training
  • Modalities
  • Ultrasound
  • Electrical stimulation
  • PENS Electrical stimulation
  • Paraffin Bath

Inpatient Services

  • Acute care
  • Skilled care
  • Observation beds

Home Health Services

Rehabilitation services provided in partnership with UnityPoint Home Health. You can contact UnityPoint Home Health for more details at 515-574-6416.

Lymphedema Services

HCMH has two certified lymphedema therapists on staff offering complete decongestive therapy for anyone suffering from uncomfortable swelling and the challenges it can cause. We work with your primary care provider to determine the best course of action based on each specific case.

Lymphedema is swelling in the body, which can occur in the limbs, trunk, abdomen, or face. It results when fluid accumulates in the superficial tissues. This can occur at any age. In the United States, breast cancer treatments are the number one cause of lymphedema. Swelling, or edema, can also be caused by venous insufficiency, chronic diseases, or a recent hospitalization.

Edema signs and symptoms:

  • Swelling that comes and goes
  • Swelling that is always present
  • Discomfort
  • Decreased movement and function
  • Inability to fit in clothing or shoes
  • Decreased sensation

What to expect at your lymphedema therapy appointment:

  • Evaluation including: vital signs, weight, circumferential measurements, and skin inspection
  • Compression bandaging
  • Exercise program to promote fluid movement
  • Manual treatment
  • Education
  • Develop a long term plan for fluid management
  • Measure and order compression garments

Speech Therapy

The licensed speech-language pathologists of HCMH rehab department are highly qualified to evaluate and treat speech, language, cognitive-communication, swallowing and voice disorders in individuals of all ages. Our caring staff is here to help patients that may experience speech and language difficulties for a variety reasons, so they may lead full productive lives.

  • Swallowing Disorders
  • Apraxia
  • Dysarthria
  • Stuttering
  • Voice Disorders
  • Aphasia
  • Dementia
  • Degenerative Diseases
  • Stroke
  • Laryngeal Cancer
  • Oral Cancer
  • Brain Injury
  • Trach and Vent
  • AAC Devices
  • Voice prostheses and other voicing methods for laryngectomy patients

Humboldt County Memorial Hospital offers SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD Crowd®. LOUD Crowd® is for individuals with Parkinson’s disease who have completed SPEAK OUT!®, a speech therapy program developed by Parkinson Voice Project.

Disorders Treated

Aphasia - Trouble using words and sentences and or understanding others.

Apraxia - A motor speech disorder resulting in difficulty sequencing the sounds of speech into works.

Articulation Disorders - Substitutions of sounds within words. This may also include the distortion of sounds such as a lisp.

Cognitive Decline - Noticing a change in the way you are thinking in regard to attention memory, orientation, and problem solving.

Dysarthria - a motor speech disorder resulting in the muscles of the mouth, face and respiratory system to become weak causing slurred speech.

Stuttering - fluency issues that interrupt the production of speech.

Voice Disorders - A loss or change in the quality of your voice.

Social Communication Deficits - Trouble using verbal communication. May also include difficulty understanding nonverbal communication such as facial expressions and gestures.

Dysphagia - Difficulty swallowing. General signs may include coughing during or right after eating or drinking wet/gurgle sounding voice during meals, extra time or effort to chew or swallow, food leaking from or getting stuck in mouth, or recurring pneumonia.

Head and neck cancer - Cancer of the tongue, nose, oral cavity, and throat may cause difficulty with swallowing, speaking and/voicing.

Medical Conditions that can cause speech/language disorders

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Cancer
  • Cleft Lip/palate
  • Dementia
  • Encephalopathy
  • Huntington Disease
  • Parkinson Disease
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic Brain Injury

Athletic Services

Athletic trainer is present at every home Humboldt High School Sporting Event.