Benefits of rehabilitation for traumatic spinal cord injury: a case report

Many studies report significant functional improvements in tetraplegic patients during rehabilitation. The majority of these studies, obviously, are limited by the lack of control groups. Thus, it has always been difficult to differentiate between effects of a rehabilitation program and natural muscle recovery or independent learning. In this case report, a 25 year old man with right C7 motor, left C8 motor, C6 sensory complete tetraplegia was admitted to a tertiary care rehabilitation facility 16 months after discharge from an acute care hospital. Following a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program, this patient's functional status improved from near complete dependence to virtual independence in most areas of self care and mobility as scored by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), without any change in motor or sensory function. This case, in which the patient served as his own control, illustrates the effectiveness and importance of aggressive inpatient rehabilitation following spinal cord injury.