Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Leaving a spinal unit and returning to the wider community: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
J L Nunnerley1, E J C Hay-Smith, S G Dean
1Burwood Academy of Independent Living, Christchurch, New Zealand. jonunnerley@researchandrehab.com
Purpose:
The study investigated the experience of community (re)integration from the perspective of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) within 12 months of discharge from a specialist spinal injuries unit in New Zealand (NZ).
Method:
Nine participants were interviewed. The verbatim transcripts were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Results:
Three main themes were: Leaving, Not Coping with a Capital C, and Power and Control. Leaving related to the process of planning for, and discharge from the spinal unit. Not Coping with a Capital C incorporated the coping and adjustment to life following a SCI, including the role of hope. Power and Control denoted the alteration in balance of power and control following SCI which was evident both in the rehabilitation facility and within the wider community setting.
Conclusions:
The results indicated that the spinal unit may not adequately equip the recovering person with SCI for life in the real world. Individuals with SCI returning to the community remained hopeful of recovery of function and or cure; this focus, particularly on physical rehabilitation, potentially reduced their availability for other forms of community reintegration such as work and leisure activities.
Related Concept Videos
Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
Restorative Care
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Discharge Summary Forms
Here's a detailed look at the key components and guidelines for preparing a discharge summary:
Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology
