Spinal cord injury rehabilitation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing event not only for the patient but also for the whole family. Both patient and families need physical and psychological support from the time of injury and throughout their life with SCI. Once the acute stage is over this support is provided by the inpatient rehabilitation team during their inpatient stay and then by the community teams as well as various voluntary organizations. Rehabilitation in a specialized SCI centre is key to achieving maximum independence following the injury. Successful discharge into the community is complex and involves coordinated efforts from the multidisciplinary team, social care team, families, voluntary organizations, as well as legal teams. SCI rehabilitation in this chapter is divided into two phases; acute and chronic.