LocationsTeaching people to walk again
A rehabilitation specialist rediscovered her passion for the profession after training supported by the EU and UNDP
At 23, Polina Tiutiunnyk has been working as a rehabilitation specialist for nearly two years and is close to earning her master’s degree. Recently, she considered taking a break from her career due to feeling burned out. But instead, she pursued additional training and shifted her focus: Previously, Tiutiunnyk worked with infants who had motor development delays and teenagers with postural or neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy. Now, her patients are adults recovering from strokes.
Tiutiunnyk says that when she entered university, she didn’t fully grasp what her chosen profession entailed. Rehabilitation specialists need to be knowledgeable about physiology and anatomy, but they are not doctors. They must work well with people, understand human psychology, and have the physical strength to support patients as they take their second first steps. The deeper Polina delved into her field, the more fascinating she found it. She loved seeing her patients’ faces light up when they realized how much progress they had made. She appreciated the tangible results of her work.
Tiutiunnyk explained that the goal of rehabilitation is straightforward: prevent patients from needing surgery or, for those who have undergone surgery, help them recover.
“Many people underestimate the importance of rehabilitation,” she explains. “They remove a cast after a fracture and carry on, often without realizing their motor functions are slightly impaired – for instance, their hand may not fully extend or flex. Over time, they might not even notice when they can’t tie their shoelaces anymore. We can prevent that. We can also prepare patients for surgery, which few people know about. For example, before a joint replacement, we can teach them to use crutches and strengthen their muscles to speed up recovery. Instead of taking a year, a full recovery might only take up to three months.”
Her profession is especially vital in wartime. The lack of qualified specialists is becoming more and more apparent. Rehabilitation science is advancing rapidly, but many ineffective and unproven methods are also emerging. Leading countries in rehabilitation – such as Germany and Italy – are now assisting Ukraine by training its practitioners, a level of support that wasn’t available before the full-scale war.
“To apply evidence-based techniques, we need international training,” Tiutiunnyk says. “In recent years, German and Italian specialists have come to teach Ukrainian professionals these methods. Before that, nobody came for a long time. One of my colleagues saved money for years to study abroad.”
For many Ukrainian rehabilitation specialists, the most accessible solution was to learn English so they could read specialized literature. However, not everyone had the time or energy. Understanding these challenges, Polina’s senior colleague recommended her for a training programme, the School for the Physical Therapists of the Future, supported as part of the flagship “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership between UNDP and the EU.
“This was my first informal training,” says Tiutiunnyk. “Before that, I hadn’t been able to attend anything because most educational programmes are expensive. This was a milestone for me.”
Over the course of a week, alongside twenty other rehabilitation specialists, Tiutiunnyk studied theory and participated in practical sessions with a physical therapist specializing in orthopaedics. She learned how to communicate with colleagues and patients, and practised teamwork, as rehabilitation is always a team effort. Together, they explored strategies for advancing the field in Ukraine.
Most importantly, as someone with just a few years of experience, Tiutiunnyk was constantly interacting with more experienced colleagues. This motivated her not to leave the profession and transition to “more creative” work focused on the brain or helping patients recovering from strokes. Sadly, stroke rehabilitation remains in high demand. Due to the war, even young people, despite their age, suffer strokes caused by severe concussions. Recovery is possible, but skilled rehabilitation specialists are needed.
“Recently, we had a 63-year-old patient who had been in intensive care for a month-and-a-half,” Tiutiunnyk says. “My colleagues who worked with him weren’t sure he’d survive the coma. When he arrived for rehabilitation, he was very weak; we had to lift and move his legs for him. At first, he couldn’t even swallow and had to be tube-fed. Now, three months into recovery, he’s using a walker, smiling, talking, and joking. It’s incredible progress.”
Tiutiunnyk, having recovered her faith in herself and her job, is now smiling again as well.
Photo credit: Viacheslav Ratynskyi / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
