Rehabilitation Institute of Washington

Great program.
They have a great appreciation and understanding of pain. They focus on how to help you manage and live with your pain. I went in to RIW after being in a wheelchair for my CRPS. They got me walking again, and helped me adapt and cope with the pain that ruled my life before. This program is intense, but so worth it. It sounds like a lot, but you build up to the time, so don’t let the 32 hr/​week x4 weeks commitment scare you. Each day you work in a team, who are all very supportive, and do 2 hrs OT, 2 hrs PT, 2 hrs in room learning about pain, treatment, causes, coping, workers comp, and vocational services. You do a mix of weights, cardio, tai chi, yoga, stretching, ect. It’s pretty amazing. They have doctors, vocational workers, PT and OT’s, psychologists… it is a great place. I learned a lot from them.

Worse experience I’ve ever had! The concept they have is good but the way they go about there concept is wrong. They say u meet with your doctor and psychologist once a week but the whole time I was there even the pre pain program I saw the Dr a total of four times and the psychologist a total of three. There theory is chronic pain isn’t real its something you can push through. So cancer is considered chronic, should a cancer patient push through there pain? There physical therapist and occupational therapist is almost good cop bad cop. One or the other will be nice, they are all incredibly phony. They say one thing to you and write something different in there notes they send lni. They say they do not work for the state yet there notes are all to benefit the state and get people back to work. During lunch talking w several other patients I heard similar complaints from the majority of them. Two people were satisfied and happy and everyone else was disappointed. They tell you its all in your head and to push through your pain. The drs in the exam room would say one thing and point out symptoms but then in there notes they would write no symptoms. My boyfriend went into the exam w me because the same thing kept happening and wed both look at the notes after and the same thing kept happening. The pros if the clinic are the classes are educational and there gym/​therapy room is well equipped. The cons– the therapists, drs, psychologist are not truthful, they do not follow what they say when they try to get u in the program, they do not care about the patient they care about the paycheck from the state and getting u back to work. They give a rating in the end but they did not even do a full exam or even measurements.
if u try something they tell u too and its too painful they threaten you and tell u if u don’t finish it u could be kicked out of program and u will lose time loss if your kicked out. I could say so much more. If u have any questions feel free to comment or post ill do my best to answer. My regular Dr and family members felt I should do the review to educate people about to join the program. If u can avoid it I would.

Amazing rehab institute. All the staff are as good as it gets.