Spine Rehabilitation

Spine Rehabilitation

Northwestern Medicine offers physical and occupational therapy for spinal surgery and spinal cord injury patients while they are hospitalized. Services include:

Spinal surgery

Following spine surgery, you will work with physical and occupational therapists to allow for early mobility and to minimize surgical complications. Depending on the location and type of your spine surgery, you may have specific activity precautions that therapists will teach you while you are in the hospital. Early physical therapy will focus on maximizing mobility. You will work on things like getting out of bed, walking and increasing your strength, endurance and balance.

Occupational therapists will focus on following spine precautions during activities of daily living, such as dressing and bathing. You will receive education on body mechanics and energy conservation techniques. You will also learn to integrate these principles into your daily routine to increase functioning and prevent further injury and pain.

Spinal cord injury

Therapists work with you after a spinal cord injury to facilitate a return to the highest level of functional ability, maximizing independence in self care. They can work on range of motion, strength, positioning, education, wheelchair mobility, activities of daily living, and splint fabrication and pressure relief techniques to prevent skin breakdown.