Dietlind Gretschel Physiotherapy – also known as Rehab Lab – is a physiotherapy practice in Port Elizabeth with a special interest in the treatment of neurological conditions, amputee rehabilitation, wheelchair services and training.
Founding member Dietlind Gretschel opened the practice in 2013 after working at the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre (WCRC) – a specialised in-patient facility for persons with physical disabilities – as a chief physiotherapist. During her six-year stint at WCRC, Dietlind became an advanced Bobath therapist and was trained in the provision of wheelchair and seating services for users with advanced seating needs.
Since the establishment of Dietlind Gretschel Physiotherapy, Dietlind has become a lead trainer for the basic, intermediate and advanced Wheelchair Service Delivery courses and published an article in the South African Journal of Physiotherapy based on her Master’s degree thesis in the field of Human Rehabilitation Studies.
She has also been involved in the development of the training materials for the basic, intermediate and advanced courses of the Wheelchair Services Delivery programme.
In recent years, Dietlind has had the opportunity to present the WHO Wheelchair Service Training Packages (WSTP) to therapists and stakeholders in various African countries to help establish and develop wheelchair services in these less resourced settings.
To add an additional dimension to her physiotherapy treatments on adults with neurological impairments and to expand her training portfolio, she started the qualification process towards becoming an IBITA Basic Bobath instructor. As a registered IBITA Instructor Candidate, she has completed training modules in Basel in Switzerland and Newcastle in the United Kingdom.
Dietlind Gretschel Physiotherapy also offers comprehensive assessments and medico-legal report writing services relating to personal injury claims by adults and children with physical disability.