Loss of a limb produces a permanent disability that can impact a patient's self-image, self-care, and mobility (movement). Rehabilitation of the patient with an amputation begins after surgery during the acute treatment phase. As the patient's condition improves, a more extensive rehabilitation program is often begun. The success of rehabilitation depends on many variables, including the following:

• level and type of amputation
• type and degree of any resulting impairments and disabilities
• overall health of the patient
• family support

It is important to focus on maximizing the patient's capabilities at home and in the community. Positive reinforcement helps recovery by improving self-esteem and promoting independence. The rehabilitation program is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient. Active involvement of the patient and family is vital to the success of the program.

The goal of rehabilitation after an amputation is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially. In order to help reach these goals, amputation rehabilitation programs may include the following:

• treatments to help improve wound healing and stump care
• activities to help improve motor skills, restore activities of daily living (ADLs), and help the patient reach maximum independence
• exercises that promote muscle strength, endurance, and control
• fitting and use of artificial limbs (prostheses)
• pain management for both post-operative and phantom pain (a sensation of pain that occurs below the level of the amputation)
• emotional support to help during the grieving period and with readjustment to a new body image
• use of assistive devices
• nutritional counseling to promote healing and health
• vocational counseling
• adapting the home environment for ease of function, safety, accessibility, and mobility
• patient and family education

We have an Orthotics & Prosthetics Lab on location to better serve our patients.

Traumatic Brain Injury clinic serves individuals who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by providing a full range of rehabilitative services that include: medical evaluations, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social services, psychological evaluation and counseling. The focus of the traumatic brain injury clinic at SRC is to provide medical evaluation and treatment to assist each injured person become as independent as possible.

The brain injured individual's medical issues can be complex. They can involve issues related to cognitive (thinking) skills, attention, judgment, impulsivity, visual changes, decreased balance, behavior issues, and movement disorders to include tremors and spasticity. Family involvement is also emphasized, because traumatic brain injury effects the whole family system as well as that patient's ability to return to work, and social events.

The goal of rehabilitation is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially. In order to help reach these goals, programs may include the following:

• assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, handwriting, cooking, and basic housekeeping
• speech therapy to help patients with speaking, reading, writing, or swallowing
• stress, anxiety and depression management
• bladder and bowel retraining
• activities to improve mobility (movement), muscle control, gait (walking), and balance
• exercise programs to improve movement, prevent or decrease weakness caused by lack of use, manage spasticity and pain, and maintain range of motion
• social and behavioral skills retraining
• nutritional counseling
• involvement in community support groups
• activities to improve cognitive impairments, such as problems with concentration, attention, memory, and poor judgment
• help with obtaining assistive devices that promote independence
• patient and family education and counseling
• safety and independence measures and home care needs
• pain management
• vocational counseling

A cancer rehabilitation program is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient, depending upon the specific type of cancer and treatment. Active involvement of the patient and family is vital to the success of the program. The goal of cancer rehabilitation is to help patients return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially. These goals are often met by:

• managing pain.
• improving bowel and bladder function.
• improving nutritional status.
• improving physical conditioning, endurance, and exercise performance.
• improving social, cognitive, emotional, and vocational status.
• reducing hospitalizations.

In order to help reach these goals, cancer rehabilitation programs may include the following:

• using medications and pain management techniques to reduce pain
• exercise programs to help build strength and endurance
• patient and family education and counseling
• activities to improve mobility (movement) and decrease sleep problems
• assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, handwriting, cooking, and basic housekeeping
• smoking cessation
• stress, anxiety, and depression management
• nutritional counseling
• management of chronic illness or complications due to cancer treatments
• vocational counseling

A cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient, depending upon the specific heart problem or disease. Active involvement of the patient and family is vital to the success of the program. The goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially. These goals are often met by:

• decreasing cardiac symptoms and complications.
• encouraging independence through self-management.
• reducing hospitalizations.
• stabilizing or reversing atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the blood vessels).
• improving social, emotional, and vocational status.

In order to help reach these goals, cardiac rehabilitation programs may include the following:

• medication management to help reduce cardiac symptoms, complications, and hospitalizations
• exercise programs to help build fitness and improve endurance
• methods to improve independence and activities of daily living (ADLs)
• patient and family education and counseling
• smoking cessation
• nutritional counseling
• stress management and emotional support
• vocational counseling

Electrodiagnostic services includeElectromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) and are used to diagnose nerve and/or muscle disease or injury. Disorders that may be evaluated by EMG/NCS include, but are not limited to,: Carpal tunnel syndrome, Ulnar neuropathy, Tarsal tunnel disorder, Foot Drop, Traumatic nerve injury, Cervical and Lumbosacral Radiculopathy, Brachial and Lumbosacral Plexopathy, Myopathies, Neuromuscular Junction Disorders, and Motor Neuron Diseases.

The test involves measuring the conduction along the nerve in various parts of the extremities. Generally, a test may take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the degree of difficulty. A typical study lasts approximately one hour. Electrodiagnostic studies begin with a focused history and detailed physical examination. The initial component involves small electrical stimulations that assist with a measuring how fast signals travel along a nerve. The second part involves placing small pins into different muscles in the back, arms, or legs to assess the affect of the nerve on the muscle itself. Physicians complete all tests.

Orthopedic Rehabilitation serves individuals who have had elective total hip or knee replacements, musculoskeletal trauma, spinal surgery, degenerative joint disease, and chronic spine or joint pain.

Individuals discharged from the inpatient rehabilitation program are seen for follow-up visits to evaluate continued progress made with physical and/or occupational therapy. The goals are for independence in activities of daily living and to maximize the mobility potential on an individual basis. When the maximum home health goals have been met and further needs are present, the individual will be referred for outpatient therapy for continued rehabilitation.

The goal for individuals discharged to an extended care facility for short term stay is for progression to home health in their home and outpatient therapy if needed. Mobility goals are always established with maximum safety as a goal. The progression is wheelchair, walker, quad cane, straight cane, and independent ambulation. Referring physicians are provided reports of individuals progress and consulted promptly should a new medical situation arise.

Neuropsychology is a specialized services for persons with brain dysfunction, a special type of assessment, called neuropsychological evaluation, is available to identify one's strengths and weaknesses in thinking skills. In addition to working with the individuals experiencing the trauma, neuropsychologists also educate family members on problem issues related to brain dysfunction and offer guidance on managing issues that may occur.

The goal of pain management programs is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally and socially. Pain management techniques assist in reducing the suffering experienced by a person with chronic pain. In order to help reach these goals, pain management programs may include the following:

• medical management of chronic pain, including medication management
• heat and cold treatments to reduce the stiffness and pain, especially with joint disorders such as arthritis
• physical and occupational therapy interventions such as massage and whirlpool treatments
• exercise to reduce spasticity, joint contractures, joint inflammations, spinal alignment problems, or muscle atrophy (weakening and shrinking) to prevent further problems
• local electrical stimulation involving application(s) of brief pulses of electricity to nerve endings under the skin to provide pain relief in some chronic pain patients
• nerve blocks and regional anesthesia
• emotional and psychological support for pain, which may include the following:
• psychotherapy and group therapy
• stress management
• relaxation training
• meditation
• hypnosis
• biofeedback
• behavior modification
• assertiveness training

The philosophy common to all of these varied psychological approaches is the belief that patients can do something on their own to control their pain, including changing attitudes, feelings, or behaviors associated with pain, or understanding how unconscious forces and past events have contributed to pain.

• patient and family education and counseling
• alternative medicine and therapy treatments, as appropriate

Surgery may also be considered for chronic pain. Surgery can bring release from pain, but may also destroy other sensations as well, or become the source of new pain. Relief is not necessarily permanent, and pain may return. There are a variety of operations to relieve pain. Consult your physician for more information.

This comprehensive wound care is designed for patients with pressure sores. Our physiatrist works in conjunction with a nurse practitioner certified in wound care.  Following a patient evaluation, treatment recommendations are made based on the severity of the wound. If surgery is necessary, we provide follow-up care after myocutaneous flap surgery and surgical revision. The goals is for quicker wound healing and a return to independent living after appropriate recovery.

Psychological services assist inpatients and outpatients with adjustments to recovery, and short– and long-term disability-related issues. Such events can result in significant changes to a person’s lifestyle, such as being unable to return to work, or live independently during the recovery or sometimes permanently. Psychology Services provides specialized services in several areas. For example, individuals with spinal cord injury, who may lose the ability to ambulate, participate in classes and counseling to learn how to manage life with restricted physical movement. Patients and their family members are trained in problem-solving skills to assist in promoting self-care.

Spasticity is increased muscle tone and/or rigidity, hyperactive reflexes, dystonia, or spasms, which is usually related to traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, strokes, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases. Treatments can include oral medication, intrathecal baclofen pump, Botox, as well as referrals for physical or occupational therapy.

Our physicians utilize an interdisciplinary approach to treats people with all causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries and nontraumatic spinal disorders, including spinal cord tumors, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, myelopathies, spinal cord infarctions and aneurysms. The goal of rehabilitation is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially. In order to help reach these goals, programs may include the following:

• assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, handwriting, cooking, and basic housekeeping
• speech therapy to help patients with speaking, reading, writing, or swallowing
• stress, anxiety and depression management
• bladder and bowel retraining
• activities to improve mobility (movement), muscle control, gait (walking), and balance
• exercise programs to improve movement, prevent or decrease weakness caused by lack of use, manage spasticity and pain, and maintain range of motion
• social and behavioral skills retraining
• nutritional counseling
• involvement in community support groups
• activities to improve cognitive impairments, such as problems with concentration, attention, memory, and poor judgment
• help with obtaining assistive devices that promote independence
• patient and family education and counseling
• safety and independence measures and home care needs
• pain management
• vocational counseling

Our physicians utilize an interdisciplinary approach to tailor your rehabilitation to your needs.  Whether you are a new stroke patient coming to grips with the impairments and disability associated with stroke, or one who has lived with stroke for awhile, we will help to facilitate and continue to educate you and your family regarding your rehabilitation.

The goal of stroke rehabilitation is to help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life - physically, emotionally, and socially. In order to help reach these goals, neurological rehabilitation programs may include the following:

• assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, handwriting, cooking, and basic housekeeping
• speech therapy to help patients with speaking, reading, writing, or swallowing
• stress, anxiety and depression management
• bladder and bowel retraining
• activities to improve mobility (movement), muscle control, gait (walking), and balance
• exercise programs to improve movement, prevent or decrease weakness caused by lack of use, manage spasticity and pain, and maintain range of motion
• social and behavioral skills retraining
• nutritional counseling
• involvement in community support groups
• activities to improve cognitive impairments, such as problems with concentration, attention, memory, and poor judgment
• help with obtaining assistive devices that promote independence
• patient and family education and counseling
• safety and independence measures and home care needs
• pain management
• vocational counseling

The UAB Transverse Myelitis Clinic was established in 2014 as one of only three clinics in the world dedicated to this condition. The clinic combines excellence in clinical care with research designed to better understand and treat this complex illness. The multidisciplinary care team includes physicians from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Urology, and Pain Management, and together they focus on easing symptoms and maximizing the quality of life for transverse myelitis patients. Located in UAB’s Spain Rehabilitation Center, the clinic provides immediate access to physical, occupational, and speech therapists, orthotic specialists, and other rehabilitation professionals.

This clinic has specialized in urological care for neurological conditions for over 20 years by providing comprehensive evaluation, treatment and establishing short- and long-term care for maximizing an independent and healthy life. We evaluate and treat patients with urological complications associated spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, pelvic trauma, spina bifida, or multiple sclerosis. Some of the these complications include neurogenic bladder, incontinence, urinary stones, male infertility, and sexual dysfunction.

The Women’s Health clinic is one of few of this kind in the nation and the only one in the state of Alabama. The clinic is offered once each month and provides rehabilitation, medical, gynecological, and reproductive health care to meet the unique needs of women with neurological disabilities. The clinic utilizes a special OB/GYN examination chair that is easily accessible. Our staff is trained in providing pelvic exams, breast exams, mammograms, and pap smears in addition to counseling to address sexuality, marriage, birth control, and pregnancy.