Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Recovery from a spinal cord injury involves great challenges and important choices. At HKSH, our multidisciplinary team provides a comprehensive, integrated and intensive programme with medical, nursing and rehabilitation therapy to address the needs of patients and realise their life goals. This team is led by our rehabilitation specialist, who is the first physician in Hong Kong with a Subspecialty Certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine from the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 

Our Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation services include the following: 

• Diagnostic studies, including MRI, CT scan, neurological function studies, bladder and bowel function test
• Training by our Rehabilitation Nurse in bowel and bladder management as well as pressure ulcer prevention and management
• Physiotherapy to increase muscle strength, improve balance, relieve pain, prevent spasticity and contracture, and restore mobility and function
• Occupational therapy to provide training in independent living skills, self-care aid prescription, wheelchair/seating assessment and recommendation, home and workplace assessment, and vocational counselling
• Clinical psychology service to address emotional issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression
• Speech therapy for those having swallowing and/or communication problems
• Urology service for bladder care, sexual function rehabilitation, family planning and reproduction care
   

State-of-the-Art Therapies

• Body-Weight Supported Treadmill Training (BWSTT) to improve gait performance
• Functional Electrical Stimulation to reduce muscle atrophy and to improve muscle strength and endurance
• Wheelchair and Seating Service to provide equipment recommendations based on patients' physical conditions, abilities and needs
• Hydrotherapy
• Lokomat Robotic Gait-Training System to help build new neural pathways and enhance motor and mobility function of patients with spinal cord injury