Ludwig Guttmann: emerging concept of rehabilitation after spinal cord injury

Ludwig Guttmann was a pioneer of the idea of rehabilitation for victims of spinal cord injury. He looked beyond the physical survival of his patients, to their re-integration into a social life worth living. While the International Stoke Mandeville Games are fairly well known to the general public as a gathering for physically handicapped athletes, less is known about the man who helped start the movement. On the occasion of the recent Sydney 2000 Paralympics, this paper reviews the contribution of Ludwig Guttmann, who introduced sport into the life of paralyzed patients.