Ultimately the goal of rehabilitation is reintegration into a community through maximising the ability of the patient to be as independent in mobility, self-care and independence as possible by facilitating the function that remains whilst learning how to perform tasks and activities differently when functions cannot return to pre-injury levels whilst learning new methods. Spinal cord injury challenges the choice of medical treatments and implementation of rehabilitation programmes requiring frequent reviews through changing functional goals over time and even change of environment. In addition, rehabilitation aims to prevent negative consequences. Rehabilitation can be initiated within a few days of the injury or, in some cases, a few months after injury.

Studies have shown that successful reintegration into the community provides an increased life satisfaction in terms of physical independence, mobility, occupation and social interaction.

No two spinal cord injuries are alike and their impact on unique individuals' means that treatments and therapies are specific to the individual and they alter over time according to the individual's changing needs and circumstances. Timing of an intervention is important since the many dynamic underlying processes occurring during the recovery phase of a spinal cord injury means that the timing of the intervention, choice of the intervention, can determine that intervention's likelihood of success.

In rehabilitation, many therapies attempt to improve specific functional abilities or activities based upon the assumption and agreement of the patient that those activities are a major source of life satisfaction and increasing that activity leads to an improved quality of life.

The quality of life satisfaction depends on the unique and personal individual values of the patient. Life satisfaction after SCI is associated with a better physical function, increased independence and gainful employment. In addition, patients' global improvement in quality of life is reported to increase with an early discharge to their home and to be able to participate in meaningful leisure activities including visiting friends and family as well as entertaining. Patients desired greater community mobility and self-care independence.

An improvement and ease in nursing, mobilisation, physiotherapy, pain relief, walking ability, seating position all help to provide better comfort for the patient.

Intrathecal baclofen therapy is one such interventional therapy that allows the multidisciplinary rehabilitation team, in appropriate patients, to manage severe spasticity and spasms that may compromise the patients' ability to fully improve their function allowing the opportunity to realise better life satisfaction.