Acute SCI Management: What to Do and Why It Matters
Course: #5442Level: Advanced 3 Hours 198 Reviews
Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is clinically complex and often unpredictable, with patients presenting as medically fragile and at high risk for secondary complications. In this environment, physical therapists are required to make rapid, high-stakes decisions while balancing safety, recovery potential, and medical stability. This course introduces a practical clinical framework designed to guide prioritization of assessment and intervention in the acute phase of SCI. The focus is on helping clinicians identify what matters most, when it matters most, in order to support safe progression of mobility and recovery. Emphasis is placed on managing common acute challenges such as respiratory compromise, cardiovascular instability, autonomic dysfunction, and immobility-related complications. Participants will learn how to structure evaluation and treatment strategies that are both efficient and purposeful within medically complex presentations. Ultimately, this framework is designed to support clinicians in preparing patients for the next phase of rehabilitation by optimizing early decision-making, maximizing functional potential, and reducing preventable secondary complications.
On Demand
Course Type: Recorded Webinar
CEUs/Hours Offered: AK/3.0; AL/3.0; AR/3.0; AZ/3.0; CA/3.0; CO/3.0; CT/3.0; DC/3.0; DE/3.0; FL/3.0; GA/3.0; HI/3.0; IA/3.0; IACET/0.3; ID/3.0; IL/3.0; IN/3.0; KS/3.0; KY/3.0; MA/3.0; MD/3.0; ME/3.0; MI/3.0; MO/3.0; MS/3.0; MT/3.0; NC/3.0; ND/3.0; NE/3.0; NH/3.0; NM/3.0; NY/3.6; OK/3.0; OR/3.0; PA/3.0; RI/3.0; SC/3.0; SD/3.0; TX/3.0; UT/3.0; VA/3.0; VT/3.0; WA/3.0; WI/3.0; WY/3.0
Course Preview
Watch the first six minutes of the course. Register for immediate access to the full course, which will also appear on your Pending Courses page.
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Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to design safe and effective early mobility and intervention strategies for individuals with acute spinal cord injury in intensive care and acute hospital environments.
- After this course, participants will be able to evaluate patient response to early interventions using hemodynamic stability, respiratory status, and functional tolerance measures.
- After this course, participants will be able to formulate advanced clinical decision-making strategies to guide progression of mobility, respiratory care integration, and discharge planning in acute SCI.
Course created on July 1, 2026
Agenda
| 0-15 Minutes | Introduction, review of learning outcomes & background on topic |
| 15-30 Minutes | Safety & Medical prioritization |
| 30-60 Minutes | Assessment (neuro impairments) |
| 60-90 Minutes | Functional assessment & Outcome measures |
| 90-135 Minutes | Intervention & Clinical reasoning |
| 135-165 Minutes | Pulmonary Considerations |
| 165-180 Minutes | Summary, Q&A |
Reviews
198 ReviewsPresented By
Allyson Muehlemann
PT, DPT, EdD, NCS
Allyson Muehlemann, PT, DPT, EdD, NCS, is a physical therapist, educator, and clinician with extensive teaching experience in both neurological and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. She has spent much of her career helping physical therapy students and practicing clinicians bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application, with a particular passion for complex neuro and medically fragile populations.
Her teaching portfolio includes courses in neurorehabilitation and cardiopulmonary physical therapy, where she focuses on clinical reasoning, systems thinking, and practical decision-making in acute and post-acute settings. She is also actively engaged in continuing education, with specialized training in neurological handling and stroke rehabilitation, further strengthening her expertise in high-impact neuro practice.
In addition to her academic and clinical teaching roles, Allyson is the founder of Next Level Neuro, a platform dedicated to advancing neurological physical therapy through continuing education, mentorship, and clinical consulting. Through Next Level Neuro, she works with clinicians and students to elevate confidence, sharpen clinical skills, and improve outcomes in neurorehabilitation.
More
Continued and its subsidiaries provide professional education authored by qualified Subject Matter Experts for continuing education purposes. These materials are intended for educational purposes and do not constitute medical advice or a substitute for individual clinical judgment. Continued is not a clinical healthcare provider; the licensed professional is solely responsible for ensuring that the application of any techniques or information presented is within their legal scope of practice and jurisdictional requirements.
Financial: Allyson Muehlemann received an honorarium for presenting this course.
Non-financial: Allyson Muehlemann has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
Sponsor Disclosure: This Course is presented by PhysicalTherapy.com, a Continued site.
Content Disclosure: This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Course participation information
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California
PhysicalTherapy.com is a recognized continuing competency approval agency for the Physical Therapy Board of California. This course is offered for 3.00 hours of continuing competency.
CE Broker
PhysicalTherapy.com is approved to report to CE Broker for PTs and PTAs licensed in the states of AR, AZ, FL, GA, KS, MI, MS, NV, ND, OK, SC, TN and VA, and ATs licensed in the states of AZ, FL, GA, KS, LA, MI, TN, and WI. CE Provider #: 50-14089. If you are a PT/PTA or AT in one of these states, CE Broker may be of interest to you.
Washington D.C.
The District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (Board) has established that PhysicalTherapy.com is an approved continuing education provider for DC physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Licensees must adhere to all other continuing education regulations of the Board, including those related to online courses and content.
International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training
continued, LLC, DBA PhysicalTherapy.com, is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). continued complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, continued is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. continued, LLC, is authorized by IACET to offer 0.30 CEUs for this program.
IL Physical Therapy Continuing Education Sponsor
PhysicalTherapy.com is approved by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation as a sponsor of continuing education for PTs/PTAs (Sponsor License #216000252). This course is offered for 3.00 hours (unknown level).
New Mexico
This course is offered for 3.00 hours (Advanced level) by the New Mexico Board of Physical Therapy.
New York
PhysicalTherapy.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Physical Therapy as an approved provider of physical therapy and physical therapist assistant continuing education.
Texas Physical Therapy Association
This course is offered for 3.00 hours (Advanced level) by the Texas Physical Therapy Association. The assignment of Texas PT CCUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by TPTA or TBPTE. The Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) administers the CCAP on behalf of the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Provider #2706033TX).
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