This course overviews cardiorespiratory dysfunction following a cervical or upper thoracic spinal cord injury. Given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in individuals with SCI, this course explores the impacts of autonomic dysfunction, respiratory and skeletal muscle weakness, and physiologic adaptations on cardiopulmonary health. Participants will review relevant cardiopulmonary physiology, injury-specific pathophysiology, and advanced physical therapy evaluation and treatment strategies to optimize cardiovascular and respiratory function in this population.
Live Webinar
Fri, Mar 13, 2026 at 12:00 pm EDTCEUs/Hours Offered: AK/2.0; AL/2.0; AR/2.0; AZ/2.0; CA/2.0; CO/2.0; CT/2.0; DC/2.0; DE/2.0; FL/2.0; GA/2.0; HI/2.0; IA/2.0; IACET/0.2; ID/2.0; IL/2.0; IN/2.0; KS/2.0; KY/2.0 Category 2; MA/2.0; MD/2.0; ME/2.0; MI/2.0; MO/2.0; MS/2.0; MT/2.0; NC/2.0; ND/2.0; NE/2.0; NH/2.0; NY/2.0; OK/2.0; OR/2.0; PA/2.0; RI/2.0; SC/2.0; SD/2.0; TX/2.0; UT/2.0; VA/2.0; VT/2.0; WA/2.0; WI/2.0; WY/2.0
Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to define the key cardiopulmonary physiologic changes and autonomic impairments associated with cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord injuries
- After this course, participants will be able to evaluate how the level of cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord injury influences autonomic cardiovascular control, ventilatory capacity, and risk for secondary cardiopulmonary complications
- After this course, participants will be able to formulate cardiopulmonary physical therapy assessment findings to select and justify evidence-informed interventions aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk and optimizing respiratory function in individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries
Agenda
| 0-20 Minutes | Cardiopulmonary Physiology and Autonomic Control in High-Level SCI |
| 20-45 Minutes | Pathophysiology of the Cardiovascular Changes After High-Level SCI |
| 45-70 Minutes | Respiratory Dysfunction and Ventilatory Impairments |
| 70-95 Minutes | Physical Therapy Evaluation of Cardiopulmonary Function in High-Level SCI |
| 95-115 Minutes | Evidence-Informed Physical Therapy Interventions and Clinical Decision-making |
| 115-120 Minutes | Q&A |
Presented By
Lauren Young
PT, DPT, NCS, CSRS
Dr. Lauren Young, PT, DPT, NCS, is a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist and founder of NeuroElite Physical Therapy, a neuro specialty practice providing clinical care in Lafayette, Louisiana. Dr. Young teaches continuing education courses on various neurologic topics, including stroke, spinal cord injury, and neuroplasticity/motor learning. She has extensive experience treating individuals with spinal cord injury, stroke, and other complex neurologic conditions. Dr. Young has served as core faculty in a hybrid, accelerated Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where she taught clinical neuroscience and human anatomy. She has presented at national and state conferences, including APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting. Dr. Young serves as the Lafayette district chair for the Louisiana APTA, is a member of the Clinician Task Force, and remains actively involved in community-based neurorehabilitation efforts. She is a long-standing member of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy and the American Physical Therapy Association.
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Financial Disclosures: Lauren Young received an honorarium for this course and is an affiliate for: Final Frontier, Saebo, Comprehend PT, PTEverywhere, and Smart Tools
Non-Financial Disclosures: Lauren Young has no non-financial disclosures to report.
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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NOTE: Full attendance for all courses is mandatory. For self-study courses, this includes reading the full text, listening to the full audio recording, or watching the complete video, as appropriate for the format of the course.
Passing an online exam and completing a course evaluation will be required to earn continuing education credit.
Live Webinars allow presenter and participant interaction. The exam and course evaluation for these courses must be completed within 7 days of the event.
On-demand courses include texts, video and audio recordings of live webinars, and multimedia formats. The exam and course evaluation for on-demand courses must be completed within 30 days of course registration.
To participate in the course, complete the exam and course evaluation, and earn continuing education credit, you must be a PhysicalTherapy.com member. Participants must complete the entire course; partial credit is not allowed.
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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 2.00 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, ND, NV, OK, SC and TN, and ATs licensed in the states of AZ, 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 Association for Continuing Education and Training
continued, LLC, DBA PhysicalTherapy.com, is accredited by the International Association 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 0.20 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 2.00 hours (Advanced level).
KPTA
This course is offered for 2.00 hours (Advanced level, Category 2) by the Kentucky Physical Therapy Association (Provider #CS80-2024-APTAKY).
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.
Oklahoma
PhysicalTherapy.com is an Approved Provider by the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure & Supervision for Physical Therapists, PT CE Provider BAP202310006. This course is offered for 2.00 hours of continuing education for Oklahoma PTs/PTAs.
Texas Physical Therapy Association
This course is offered for 2.00 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).
We recognize that state CE requirements are constantly changing. If you have any questions regarding our courses and your state requirements, please contact us at 866-782-6258 or contact Customer Service.