Spinal Cord Injury
Each year, about 11,000 people sustain spinal cord injuries that change their lives forever. Walking, eating, talking – things that were once second nature – now require great effort or may even seem impossible. At the UPMC Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (IRR), our team of experienced spinal cord injury and disease specialists helps patients regain their independence.
The IRR is one of only 16 programs in the country designated as a spinal cord injury model site.
There is a dedicated unit at the flagship facility at UPMC South Side that works exclusively with spinal cord injury patients and their families. Rehabilitation there – and at all of the seven IRR facilities – includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, case management, nutrition services, psychology, neuropsychology, and vocational and community re-entry services.
Spinal cord injury and disease affects an individual’s ability to function independently in all areas of daily living. Because we are a nationally designated center of excellence in spinal cord care, we are approached to be a test site for the latest in treatment. As a result, we are constantly involved with studies that relate to cutting edge drugs that minimize the impact of trauma to the spine and have studied interventions meant to improve and repair connections in a damaged spinal cord.