Spinal Cord Injury Program
Rehabilitation Process
An injury to the spinal cord can have a profound impact on the physical, emotional, social, and vocational aspects of an individual's life. The rehabilitation process requires expert medical treatment, comprehensive rehabilitation, and patient and family education to assist the patient through the rehabilitation process and return home.
Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center provides a continuum of medical rehabilitation programs for people with paralyzing spinal cord injuries and related disorders. Our services range from an intensive inpatient program to outpatient treatment services. Our goal is to return the individual to the community as quickly and with the highest level of functioning as possible.
Spinal cord injuries include, but are not limited to:
- Traumatic spinal cord injury
- Spina bifida - spinal defect present at birth
- Transverse myelitis - spinal cord inflammation
- Scoliosis - curvature of the spine
- Spinal cord tumors
- Spinal cord cysts
- Spinal cord compression with myelopathy
Our Medical Director and physiatrist direct the spinal cord injury team. Other team members include: physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers and rehabilitation nurses. In addition, supplementing the team as necessary may be a respiratory therapist, speech language pathologists, dietitian, and orthotic/prosthetic specialist.
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Once admitted to the program, treatment begins with a thorough evaluation to identify the patient's strengths and weaknesses. The spinal cord injury team then works together with the patient and family to establish treatment goals. Each patient's program is tailored to meet his/her individual needs and is modified as progress occurs.
The inpatient program provides 24-hour-a-day physician and nursing support to meet the medical and nursing needs of the patient. Individual and group therapy sessions are conducted for a minimum of 3 hours a day, to address the patient's physical, cognitive, and/or emotional needs. Specialized treatment and services offered include:
- Activities of daily living retraining (feeding, dressing, grooming)
- Bowel and bladder management
- Assessment of the extent, level, and severity of the spinal cord injury
- Establish a treatment program for managing spinal cord injury based on patient’s response to testing and assessment procedure
- Describe biomechanical relationship between anatomy of spine vertebrae facets joints
- Identify safe technique to use to meet functional mobility goals during acute, sub-acute, chronic stage of spinal cord injury
- Identify contraindications to movement during acute disk/spine compression lesion
- Establish treatment programs for managing acute joint, muscle, soft tissue problems on the spinal region based on the problems identified
- Identify characteristics of common postural deviations with each region of the spine
- Establish a therapeutic exercise program to manage acute, sub-acute, and chronic musculoskeletal dysfunctions related to postural problems
- Skin integrity
- Sexuality adjustment
- Psychological adjustment counseling
- Wheelchair evaluation and custom seating recommendations
- Home evaluation and recommendations for modifications and durable medical equipment
Participation by family and/or significant others in the rehabilitation process is strongly encouraged for patient success at discharge. All team members are involved in-patient and family teaching to help the patient make a smooth transition back to the community. As discharge approaches, patients and families are counseled regarding the resources available to help make a smooth transition home or to another care-giving setting. Arrangements are made for those who would benefit from continued therapies in an outpatient setting.
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation
The outpatient rehabilitation program is designed for the individual who is able to live in the community, but requires ongoing therapeutic services similar to the inpatient program. The rehabilitation team provides coordinated rehabilitation services including assessments, treatments and follow-up care.
Outpatient therapy services include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech Language Pathology
- Neuropsychology
- Driver's rehabilitation
Outpatient therapy services are scheduled according to the patient's needs, generally two to three visits per week.
Assistance in coordinating transportation to and from Southwest is offered through Outpatient Registration.
Referral
To initiate the referral process or to obtain additional information on Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center's stroke rehabilitation program, please call 269-965-3206.
| Southwest Regional Rehabilitation
Center 393 E. Roosevelt Battle Creek, Michigan 49017 269.965.3206
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