Important Clinical Rehabilitation Principles Unique to People with ­Non-traumatic Spinal Cord Dysfunction

Non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys) is spinal cord damage not caused by trauma, with varied causes like degenerative conditions, tumors, vascular problems, infections, or inflammation. While many rehabilitation aspects are similar for traumatic SCI and SCDys, differences in age, gender, and etiology create unique rehabilitation issues for SCDys patients. This article aims to present a narrative review and give an overview of important clinical rehabilitation principles unique to people with SCDys, with a focus on both general differences and aspects that are unique to certain etiologies.

• 1
  Predicting neurological improvement, rehabilitation outcomes, and survival is more challenging in SCDys than in traumatic SCI due to factors like age, comorbidities, and progressive conditions.
• 2
  People with SCDys benefit from inpatient rehabilitation in specialized spinal rehabilitation units (SRUs), which offer improved access to critical services and expertise.
• 3
  Secondary health conditions are prevalent in SCDys, but their treatment principles generally do not differ from those for traumatic SCI, after adjusting for age.