Rehabilitation and kinesiotherapy department has functioned as a mechanotherapy unit, massage and physiotherapy room since the Institute foundation.

The department was initially headed by N. F. Savenko, PhD, and later – by Volodymyr Orekhov, who managed the department till February 1979. Some of the treatment methods, developed by him, are still in use, In 1979, the department head Svitlana Pukhachova, PhD, developed the system of dry and underwater traction treatment in water pools and baths for conservative treatment of locomotor system pathologies. Innovative developments in the spheres of etiology, pathogenesis and spinal displasia of children and ado-lescents were sys-temized and classified in the dissertation work and set ground for treating various forms and stages of spine osteochondrosis in vertebrology and neurology clinics of Ukraine.

The issue of the genetic influence on this disease was discussed during the first World Genetics Congress in 1976. This unique work was published in as a monograph and in a number of manuals. The issues of rehabilitative treatment have become the core of the manual, used to treat patients with injuries of various complexities in the traumatological departments of hospitals and the Institute.

The department was the first in Ukraine to develop methods and apparatuses to cure patients with joint pathology using traction method in water pools and baths.

The departments provides traction treatment, various methods of therapeutic physical training, walking training and development of joint contactures, mechanotherapy, several kinds of massage, hydrotherapy (hydrokinesitherapy, hydromassage, traction treatment in water).

The department currently uses over 25 methods of rehabilitative treatment, the majority of which were developed by the department staff.