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Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

A spinal cord injury affects all areas of your life, including your ability to function independently and perform activities of daily living.

Since spinal cord injury is a lifelong condition, UPMC experts provide comprehensive outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation services to support you in the months and years following your discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

UPMC is one of only 14 programs in the U.S. designated as a spinal cord injury model system. This designation means we are national leaders in research and provide the highest level of spinal cord injury care.


Find the Right Care For You

What Is Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?

Spinal cord injury rehabilitation care includes inpatient, outpatient, and long-term rehabilitation services. You may receive outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy; follow-ups with your physiatrist; and other types of rehabilitation care after your discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

The goals of outpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation include:

  • Finding new ways to perform activities of daily living.
  • Improving mobility and strength.
  • Learning to use equipment to assist with daily activities, such as a wheelchair.
  • Managing bladder and bowel function.
  • Managing pain and other symptoms.
  • Receiving psychological and emotional support.
  • Regaining your ability to participate in family and community life.

What are the phases of spinal cord injury rehabilitation?

Immediately following your spinal cord injury, you will receive inpatient rehabilitation care.

After you are discharged from inpatient rehabilitation, you may continue to receive intensive outpatient rehabilitation and, eventually, long-term outpatient rehabilitation to help you maintain your strength and level of function.

How long is rehab for a spinal cord injury?

The amount of time you spend in rehabilitation after a spinal cord injury depends on many factors, including your condition and your goals. Your care team will let you know how long you can expect to be in rehabilitation and will talk through any adjustments to your care plan.

What Types of Spinal Cord Injuries Do We Treat?

Our team treats all types of spinal cord injuries, including:

  • Complete injuries (no function below the level of injury).
  • Incomplete injuries (some function below the level of injury).
  • Paraplegia.
  • Partial loss of function in the lower body.
  • Quadriplegia.

We treat spinal cord injuries that occur in all areas of the back, including:

  • Cervical spine (neck).
  • Lumbar spine (lower back).
  • Sacral spine (base of the spine).
  • Thoracic spine (mid- or upper-back).

Who Is Eligible for Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?

If you have had a spinal cord injury and have been discharged from inpatient rehabilitation, you may be eligible for outpatient spinal cord injury physical medicine and rehabilitation. Our outpatient rehabilitation experts will work with you to maximize your level of function and maintain your health — days, months, or even years after your injury.

What Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury Services Do You Offer?

UPMC offers one of the country’s largest and most comprehensive rehabilitation networks. With more than 90 rehabilitation facilities providing inpatient, outpatient, and long-term services, our team will ensure you have access to the right level of care at the right time. 

Outpatient and long-term care for spinal cord injuries cover a wide range of services and programs to help people accomplish their goals — from gaining additional independence to improving strength and mobility. We offer expert physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy, as well as customized services tailored to each person’s unique needs.

Examples of outpatient rehab services include:

  • Adaptive equipment and technology training.
  • Education and support sessions for you and your family.
  • Functional mobility and physical rehabilitation.
  • Home and daily living modifications.
  • Pain and spasticity management.
  • Wheelchair training.

Other forms of rehabilitation are prescribed based on your progress and the goals you set with your personal care team.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy focuses on improving mobility, strength, range of motion, and flexibility after a spinal cord injury. You may also learn how to safely transfer to a wheelchair from a bed or vehicle, or practice walking with assistive devices.

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy after a spinal cord injury focuses on restoring your ability to perform everyday tasks.

These tasks include:

  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Eating
  • Grooming
  • Toileting

Speech-language therapy

Speech-language therapy after a spinal cord injury focuses on helping you communicate effectively by strengthening muscles used for swallowing, voice production, and breathing. Speech-language therapists also help you regain cognitive abilities to express yourself and understand others.

Psychological and emotional support services

Our psychological and emotional support experts help you cope with emotional, mental, and social challenges after a spinal cord injury. Our team provides treatment for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and grief while helping you build confidence, resilience, and self-esteem.

Family support services

Our family support services team will help your loved ones adjust to life changes after your spinal cord injury. This support includes managing caregiving challenges, navigating complex emotions, and improving family communication.

Research and clinical trials

As a nationally designated center of excellence in spinal cord injury care, UPMC is a test site for the latest treatments.

We participate in research studies relating to:

  • Interventions to improve and repair connections in a damaged spinal cord.
  • Leading-edge drugs that minimize the impact of trauma to the spine.

Learn more about physical medicine and rehabilitation research at UPMC.

What Can I Expect?

Our spinal cord injury rehabilitation experts will work with you to set goals and create a comprehensive plan to help you achieve them.

If you are in a UPMC inpatient facility, our inpatient rehabilitation specialists and care managers will assist you with scheduling appointments for outpatient services after you are discharged.

Before your visit

To prepare for your outpatient visit, you will be asked to provide:

  • Contact information.
  • Insurance information.
  • Referral, if required by your health insurance company.
  • Relevant medical records and test results.

If you get a referral from another doctor or your inpatient rehabilitation facility, they can provide your test results and medical records to our outpatient team.

During your visit

You will meet with a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant when you arrive for your first appointment. If you worked with a physiatrist at a UPMC inpatient rehabilitation facility, you may be able to see the same provider for your outpatient physician appointments. The provider will ask about your medical history and perform a physical exam.

Your care team may:

  • Order tests to learn more about your condition.
  • Prescribe or recommend medication to help you manage your symptoms.
  • Provide instructions for at-home care.
  • Refer you for evaluation to participate in a research study or clinical trial.
  • Refer you to another care provider, such as a physical, occupational, or speech therapist.
  • Schedule future appointments in the office or rehabilitation facility.

Together, you and your health care provider will design and agree on a care plan.

After your visit

Our team will schedule follow-up outpatient appointments as needed.

You should contact your provider if:

  • You have questions about your care plan or medications.
  • Your condition worsens or does not improve as expected.
  • You have any other concerns about your condition.

Why Choose UPMC for Outpatient Spinal Cord Injury Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?

UPMC is a national leader in providing comprehensive rehabilitation care for people with spinal cord injuries. As one of only 14 programs in the U.S. to earn the prestigious spinal cord injury model system designation, UPMC offers access to a team of spinal cord injury rehabilitation experts, leading-edge clinical trials, and evidence-based treatment — from emergency services through rehabilitation and reentry into community life.


By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-05-16.

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