"Personalized Care Plan by Rehabilitation Physician Dr. Kritsana Kiatchokwiwat for Stroke Recovery and Post-Operative Patients at KIN | KinOrigin"

Mr Thongchai: Hello. Today’s video is filmed at the Ladprao 71 branch of KIN Rehabilitation and Home Care. The site consists of three buildings: a stroke rehabilitation centre, an elderly care centre, and a general medical clinic. Today, we are speaking with Dr Ball, a rehabilitation medicine physician who visits to care for our patients every Sunday morning. Dr Ball, please introduce yourself.

Dr Ball: Hello. My name is Dr Ball, Kritsana Kiatichokwiwat. I am a rehabilitation medicine physician.

Mr Thongchai: Doctor, you come to care for patients here every Sunday morning. In general, which areas do you oversee?

Dr Ball: I review the rehabilitation programmes. Most patients are stroke patients, although we are increasingly seeing patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.

Mr Thongchai: For patients recently discharged from hospital, how does your rehabilitation medicine role support the work of physical therapists and occupational therapists within KIN?

Dr Ball: I assess the patient’s condition, identify precautions, determine the most suitable programme, and address issues such as spasticity, pain, or insomnia. I review the overall situation and design the programme while working with the multidisciplinary team, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists.

Mr Thongchai: Regarding stroke in Thailand today, do you think patients are becoming younger, cases are becoming more common, or are there particular major causes?

Dr Ball: I believe we are seeing more cases, including more younger patients. Environmental factors and the way people care for their health may contribute to stroke being seen more frequently.

Mr Thongchai: From what you have seen at KIN, which equipment or technologies stand out and appear to support patients’ improvement?

Dr Ball: Every discipline provides good care. Nurses manage wounds, bed positioning, and vital signs carefully. The physical therapists are skilled, the technology and equipment are modern, and aquatic exercise is also available. I believe this can be very helpful.

Mr Thongchai: You mean the underwater treadmill exercise equipment?

Dr Ball: Yes, the underwater treadmill can be very helpful.

Mr Thongchai: In your view, how much can an underwater treadmill help people with stroke? KIN has introduced this technology because we believe it can improve rehabilitation. From your experience, what progress have you observed after patients use it?

Dr Ball: Aquatic exercise has benefits. Most of the patients I have seen using it here have been postoperative patients. Exercising in water reduces the load on the joints, making exercise easier and allowing patients to do more. Pain may also decrease while in the water, so progress in rehabilitation, exercise, and returning to normal life may be faster.

Mr Thongchai: So it is one tool that can help patients return to normal daily life more effectively.

Dr Ball: Yes. Patients may also gain more confidence in daily life because people who have fallen or sustained a fracture are often afraid of falling again.

Mr Thongchai: KIN works with Dr Ball, a rehabilitation medicine physician, to design rehabilitation programmes for stroke patients. Our model is multidisciplinary, involving physicians, neurological medicine doctors who care for stroke patients, rehabilitation medicine physicians, and other professionals. Together, we develop care programmes intended to support faster progress. KIN specialises in stroke rehabilitation through experienced physicians, a multidisciplinary team, and modern technology to help patients return to daily life more effectively. Thank you very much, Dr Ball, for today’s interview.

Dr Ball: Thank you. Goodbye.

Mr Thongchai: Goodbye.