Rehabilitation for Motor Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

Course overview

Although spinal cord injury has a low incidence rate compared to other diseases impacting the health care system in the United States, it still has a profound impact on our society. It often results in immediate catastrophic consequences, including loss of upright mobility and independence. Less than 1% of individuals who sustain spinal cord injury achieve complete neurologic recovery. Those who do not achieve full recovery are left to rely on a wheelchair as their primary means of mobility and may require assistance for activities of daily living (ADLs) due to impaired upper extremity function. In this course, Dr. Tefertiller will discuss how current research supports that intensive training focused on motor learning principles may allow some individuals to recover function even into the chronic stages of recovery. Additionally, this course will discuss how clinicians also need to utilize outcome measures specific to SCI to appropriately track and monitor changes in response to rehabilitation interventions.