Placing rehabilitation and recovery after spinal cord injury into a biographical context: a U.S. versus Danish case comparison

Abstract

Although medical and technological advances have extended survival rates through ever more effective acute clinical management for people with spinal cord injuries, the links between rehabilitation and recovery are less well understood. With ever shorter length of stays in inpatient rehabilitation, the focus of support has been shifting toward outpatient support pathways. In this article, the narrated rehabilitation experiences of two young men with comparable spinal cord injuries in the United States and Denmark are contrasted. From their biographical narratives, we examine the sociocontextual factors that underpin the rehabilitation pathways in two quite distinctive social and healthcare environments. Our analysis raises questions about the importance of factors such as readiness, timeliness, duration, and appropriateness of rehabilitation to facilitate independent living, achieve meaningful recovery, and provide equitable access to the goods and services afforded by society.