Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
When the spinal cord is injured, messages can no longer travel from the brain to other parts of the body in the same way they used to. This changes your ability to feel and move, and also may affect bladder and bowel control, breathing, and sexual function. Whatever the level of impairment, you can learn new skills to lead a fulfilling lifestyle.
From our decades of experience in treating spinal cord injuries, we understand how important it is to focus on improving your quality of life. The professionals in the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation can work with you and your family to set realistic, specific goals, and provide you with the skills needed to achieve your own optimal independence level.
Experts in Spinal Injury Care
A physiatrist—a doctor specializing in rehabilitation medicine—leads each team, working with you and your family to identify your unique medical needs in order to set treatment goals to help you achieve the best possible outcome. Our spinal cord injury experts are Dr. Jung H. Ahn, Dr. Amit K. Bansal, Dr. Jeffrey M. Cohen, and Dr. Tiffany K. Wong.
Specialized Rehabilitation Services
Patients who have experienced a spinal cord injury often require a wide range of specialized treatment services. At Rusk Rehabilitation, we offer adaptive and assistive equipment designed to help you take care of your personal needs, return to driving if possible, and resume the activities you enjoy. These treatment options are customized to match your needs and mobility options.
Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
All members of the spinal cord injury rehabilitation team have specialized training in the medical, nursing, or therapeutic care and treatment of patients with spinal cord injuries. The team applies their expertise to help each patient maximize his or her physical, functional, social, psychological, and medical gains before either returning home or progressing to another level of care.
Experts at Rusk Rehabilitation partner closely with doctors throughout NYU Langone, where medical specialists can provide a quick, coordinated response to any health-related problems that may occur while you receive inpatient treatment.
Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
Rusk Rehabilitation outpatient services are designed to help you improve strength and coordination while increasing your activity levels and decreasing pain.
We also focus on helping you relearn the skills that enable you to fully participate in activities at home, work, school, and in recreational settings. In order to maximize your independence and safety in the community, Rusk Rehabilitation therapists also help make changes to your home, school, work, and recreational environments. Our focus is on rebuilding lives around abilities rather than disabilities.
Our occupational therapists help you regain your ability to perform daily tasks such as getting dressed and making a meal, as well as develop strategies to help you return to the workforce. In physical therapy, we develop a treatment program focused on building muscle strength and balance, skills that can you improve your ability to move your body.
A dedicated vocational rehabilitation team conducts work readiness assessments and training, and helps with job placement services, referral to Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, diagnostic vocational evaluation, computer skills training, voice recognition software training, internships, job coaching, and postemployment follow-up.