The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis is committed to providing the specialized care individuals with spinal cord injuries need to achieve maximum recovery. Each patient receives an individualized treatment plan based on the particular deficits involved, and a team of rehabilitation and medical specialists assists patients in attaining maximum function and independence.
An interdisciplinary team establishes a plan of car, incorporating specific methods that encourage the injured person to develop pragmatic problem-solving approaches that are appropriate for his or her rehabilitation and continuing care.
Patients are accepted on the basis of physician referral. In order to be admitted, it should be demonstrated that the patient:
- Is medically stable, has reasonable expectation for improvement and can withstand intensive impatient rehabilitation
- Has a pre-morbid condition that indicates a potential for rehabilitation
Patients are accepted to The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis on the basis of a referral, and services are provided without regard to the patient's age, sex, color, race, national origin, creed or disability.
Using an interdisciplinary team approach, we identify the needs and objectives of each patient using evaluations and consultations with teh physician and rehabilitation team. From this collection of patient data, a tailored program is implemented and updated regularly to further support the patient's return to functional activity.
Spinal cord rehabilitation is an intricate and complicated process that requires a team of experts to enhance a patient's abilities on physical, cognitive and emotional levels. Our interdisciplinary team includes the following specialists:
- Physiatrist -
A physician specializing in the ongoing medical management and supervision of the rehabilitation team
- Rehabilitation Nurse -
Provides round-the-clock monitoring of medical-care training and education about medical needs
- Case Manager -
Assures continuity of care and communication with referral and fundind sources
- Neuropsychologist -
Facilitates emotional adjustment to sudden disabilities, as needed
- Occupational Therapist -
Assists in achieving independence in activities of daily living
- Speech pathologist -
Therapy often includes communication augmentation and computer access
- Respiratory Therapist -
Manages respiratory needs of higher-level patients
- Dietician -
Provides nutritional support to facilitate healing and health
- Functional Electrical Stimulation -
Activity-bases therapy enhances strength and mobility (patients are educated on various e-stim protocols which may include placement on the upper extremities, lower extremities or trunk area).
- Wheelchair Seating Clinic -
Seating and positioning specialists determine the type of wheelchair most appropriate for the patients' individual needs
- Spine Outpatient Program -
Assists patients in maximizing their functional recovery throughout the continuum of care
- Support Groups -
Discuss the challenges following spinal cord injury or disease
- Peer Counseling -
Offers information, expertise and support
- Partial Body Weight-Supported Walking -
Allows the patient to participate in gait training in a comfortable and "fall free" environment
- Spine Clinic -
Provides long term outpatient rehabilitation, medical care and education
- Activities of Daily Living Suites (ADL) -
Offer patients the chance to practice real-world situations prior to returning home
- AutoAmbulator [TM] -
Combines partial body weight-supported ambulation with advanced lower extremity robotics stimulating normal walking motions
- Five-Day Spinal Cord Program -
Intensive five-day program focused on the activity-based therapy program
- REO [TM] -
Robotic technology to improve arm movements following a stroke and other neurologic conditions
- Aquatics -
In-house therapeutic pool
- Community Re-Integration Outings -
Multidisciplinary focus on the skills necessary to function in the community
For more information about the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program or to make a referral, please call 314 / 658-3900.
